"This award is designed to recognize those facilities that take the initiative to go above and beyond health code requirements to excel in sanitation and food safety," says Naser Jouhari, the city's code enforcement manager who oversees the program.
Food-service establishments (from restaurants to gas-station convenience stores) must have fewer than a set number of critical violations (from zero to three) and noncritical violations (from three to nine) within a calendar year to make the list. So the 2012 list is compiled based on the results of 2011 health inspections.
While that figure may seem astronomical, the San Antonio Express-News reported last October that the city of San Antonio contributed $200,000, on top of $400,000 from the state of Texas, to help snag the ninth season of the show (Top Chef: Texas is currently airing on Bravo).
While Top Chef would undoubtedly help raise the profile of Kansas City, the cost of bringing the show here is likely to make anyone hit the pause button. Are there any food-television shows that KC should pay to film here?
Last year, National Public Radio aired a story about the renewed interest in mead — the honey wine believed to be the first alcoholic beverage in history and "the preferred drink of Beowulf, Geoffrey Chaucer and the Vikings." Most of us associate the drink with Renaissance festivals, the Society for Creative Anachronism and college-era debauches. (The first and last time I ever tasted mead was as a college student; it wasn't my worst hangover, but it was most assuredly in my top 10).
On Saturday, February 4, a local painter and African drum maker, Mark "Dingo" Koch, will be teaching a class in how to make the honey wine. Offered through Communiversity, "Introduction to Mead Making" will be presented from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the kitchen of Kansas City Academy at 7933 Main. Koch (pronounced "Cook") says he's still accepting participants, who can contact him at dingomankc@yahoo.com before Saturday. The class fee is $24, and each participant is required to bring 3 pounds of honey to the class.
It was national news yesterday when the Humane Society of the United States released video of alleged abuses at Oklahoma farms run by two of the country's largest pork producers: Prestage Farms and Seaboard Foods (which is based out of Merriam, Kansas). The Humane Society staged operations wherein the video was shot covertly by employees near the end of 2011. Seaboard President Terry Holton released a statement on Seaboard's website that disputed any allegations of abuse and noted the company's commitment to the "proper and humane treatment of animals."
The pigs, not the bacon, are in the news right now, but the news cycle will move on at some point. But while we're here — how often do you think about the pig that became your pork?
The Brooksider (6330 Brookside Plaza) is sponsoring its third annual Super Bowl Food Challenge that, frankly, you're not going to defeat. For a $30 entry, you've got 10 minutes to down 6 pounds of a spicy breakfast burrito and 1 pound of home-style potatoes. You have to bring your own antacid. Everybody gets a T-shirt for participating, with first and second places taking home cash prizes.
As a result, I've eaten the remains of a non-relative's pasta, more pizza than I care to admit and an unhealthy amount of fudge (not to sound ungrateful, but people make odd choices when it comes to bringing over food) in the past few weeks. I've also had the opportunity to study the effectiveness of various takeout containers. Cardboard surprisingly can be a better option than Styrofoam, but both are dwarfed by a speedy transition into Tupperware. With my constant pyramid scheme of freshness in place, I've lately been considering eliminating the middleman — Chinese takeout boxes and plastic to-go pints.
Would you ever bring your own containers for leftovers or takeout to a restaurant?
Where do you want to eat? Check out this list
Three lesser-known barbecue joints show off some upgrade-worthy strengths
The search for Boulevard Chocolate Ale begins: an Open Thread
Are there any television shows that Kansas City should pay to film here?
Go ahead and make some mead — with Dingo
Deschutes Brewery has started its cascade into KC
Kiss & Tail and other weekend possibilities
The Dubliner will open in the former Raglan Road space