Shrimp rolls with cream cheese are a plate worth keeping to yourself.
The ABC Cafe (10001 W. 87th St.) in Overland Park is one of those places that keeps popping up in conversation. And as Charles Ferruzza discovered in this week's review, that's because the spot is serving authentic Cantonese cuisine until midnight, meaning that it pulls in a wide swath of the community over its extended dinner service. Ferruzza and a dining companion both also learned why the restaurant's beef tendon should be part of your order list:
She expertly wielded a set of black chopsticks and plucked up delicate, paper-thin slices of translucent amber beef tendon. I used a fork, stabbing the bits of chilled tendon with increasing delight as I found that the rubbery-looking connective tissue wasn't chewy at all but supple. Each bite added to the dish's slowly accumulating fire.
Click here or on the picture above for photos by Angela C. Bond.
In this week's review, Charles Ferruzza snags a seat in the former home of the Bijou movie theater to sample the varied plates coming out of Sama Zama's kitchen. In what he dubs, 'Asian tapas,' Ferruzza discovers a universe built on subtle flavors. As he writes: No one leaves Sama Zama in a cloud of garlic and ginger, and that's fine with me.
Click here or on the picture above for photos of the restaurant and its cuisine by Angela C. Bond.
In this week's review, Charles Ferruzza discovered larger-than-life characters and oversized sandwiches at Michaelangelos Grill in Independence. In addition to loading up on fried meatballs and pasta dishes, Ferruzza found a rarity in the Kansas City area: a good Reuben. Click here or on the picture above for photos by Angela C. Bond.
In this week's review, Charles Ferruzza discovered a righteous Cuban sandwich and had a dining companion mash-up the crab cakes and an avocado salad with outstanding results at El Porton Cafe in Johnson County. As for owner and chef Jose Garcia, Ferruzza explains why he'll have you hot under the collar:
Garcia's explanations of his dishes are passionate and alluring. I'd tasted the spicy beef concoction known as picadillo before but never heard it described with such wild abandon. The night I ordered it, Garcia delivered a poetic monologue, naming every sultry spice and piquant pepper. I wasn't sure whether I was expected to eat it or bathe in it.
Click here or on the photo above for pictures by Angela C. Bond.
The weekend dinner service at Pandolfi's Deli is bringing folks to Columbus Park to dine, as Charles Ferruzza discovered in this week's review. One of the menu standouts was the "vegetarian" carpaccio. Ferruzza wrote, "Tissue-thin slices of deep-purple beets, topped with a jumble of spicy fresh arugula and tarted up with bits of gorgonzola and crunchy walnuts, is a smart and satisfying alternative to beef — one I think I might prefer to the traditional dish." Click here or on the picture above for photos by Angela C. Bond.
The bacon-wrapped shrimp at Martin City Brewing Co.
The brewery component isn't yet operational, but the menu has them lining up at the Martin City Brewing Company. In this week's review, Charles Ferruzza discovered "a talented chef who actually gives a damn about the food," in Martin City's Andrew Parker. Click here to see the photos by Angela C. Bond.
If you're smoking with hickory, they will come and they will be hungry. In this week's Pitch, Fat City's Charles Ferruzza reviewed three barbecue joints that have been under the radar: Brobecks, Biemer's BBQ and the Rub. This is part of the joy of living in Kansas City, as Ferruzza writes, "There's always someplace off the beaten path, waiting to be discovered, like some secret clubhouse that can be found only by following the aroma of burning hickory." Click here or on the brisket plate above for the photos by Brooke Vandever.
Everything inside Seasons 52 is under 475 calories, but that doesn't stop the menu from being creative and varied, as Charles Ferruzza discovered. In this week's review, Ferruzza writes that there's something for nearly everyone:
I believe this restaurant is the only venue in town that offers separate menus for almost every possible lifestyle choice and allergy limitation. There's a vegan menu, a vegetarian menu, a gluten-free menu, a garlic-free menu, a lactose-free menu and a list of low-sodium offerings. All that's missing is a menu dedicated to chronic complainers, which would allow me to finally dine with my sister-in-law.
Click here or on the photo above for shots by Brooke Vandever of the dishes.
In this week's restaurant review, critic Charles Ferruzza offered an education on a classic cocktail and restaurant of the same name — the Brass Monkey. The former has a number of variations, while the latter has no shortage of variety on its menu. Find out why the bar might be "the perfect place to go ape" and discover the fascinating history of the building in the Vivion West Shopping Center. Click here or on the photo above for pictures, taken by Angela C. Bond, of the dishes at the Northmoor, Missouri, restaurant.
There's no shortage of burger choices at Lakeside Tavern.
In the review in this week's Pitch, Charles Ferruzza visits Lakeside Tavern and forks through chili-cheese tater tots, burnt ends, and a host of different takes on pub classics like pigs in a blanket ("frankfurters wrapped in flaky phyllo, baked and cut into tidy segments," served with jalapeño-cilantro aioli). If you want to see a slideshow of menu items from Lakeside Tavern, click on the photo above or here.
A block party in Westport and other weekend possibilities
Sama Zama serves serious snacks where a cinema once stood
Does it bother you to dine alone?
Aaron Confessori plants his Boot in Westport
Chef Charles d'Ablaing wins 2012 Golden Fork Award
Walking the aisles at Natural Grocers
Parkville's Rusty Horse Tavern is now open and serving burgers and beer
New Plaza Bo Lings opens on June 11