Slideshow, Pitch

Paradise Locker Meats shows how the sausage is made (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:00:10 -0500

The subject of this week's cover story, Paradise Locker Meats in Trimble, Missouri, is at the center of the rebirth of the local butcher. The Pitch accompanied chefs from both coasts and the staff of Heritage Foods USA, which takes weekly mail orders for the Heritage pigs that Paradise Locker slaughters and processes, on a tour of the Missouri butcher earlier this month.…

MetropolitanKC should attract downtown diners to the Marriott

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:00:23 -0600

MetropolitanKC arrived with the makeover of the downtown Marriott (200 West 12th Street), and in this week's review, Charles Ferruzza calls it "the best thing to happen to this Marriott in 20 years." Here's his take on the barbecue salmon:

The kitchen's subtle sense of invention is evident in the barbecue salmon.…
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Woodsweather II serves up big plates of comfort (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 08:54:32 -0500

Big plates of comfort food get a star turn in this week's review of Woodsweather II, the second incarnation of the home-style cafe in the West Bottoms. Fat City's Charles Ferruzza found cooking in the style of a classic diner in the Northland, and as he noted, "The fries here are hand-cut, the slightly sweet Sicilian sugo is simmered in the kitchen, and even the salad dressings are made in-house."…

Poco's has a new look and an ever-evolving menu (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:25:11 -0500

The whirlwind of cameras and designers has come and gone, and now Poco's on the Boulevard must discover what life is like after Restaurant: Impossible. And as Charles Ferruzza found in this week's review, Poco's is finding its footing: "I say this new Poco's is the best of both worlds: Restaurant: Impossible meets the spirit of Lorenza Gutierrez.…

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Magnolia's Contemporary Southern Bistro is good for your soul (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 07:45:49 -0500

Magnolia's Contemporary Southern Bistro (2932 Cherry) has shrimp and grits, collard greens and macaroni and cheese, but chef Shanita McAfee has made each dish her own in the former Cafe Seed space. In this week's review, Charles Ferruzza found that her "stylish versions of classic soul dishes are nothing less than outstanding."…
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ABC Cafe is keeping folks up late to eat in OP (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:42:49 -0500

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.…
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Sama Zama is another whole kind of variety show in Westport (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 04 May 2012 09:19:04 -0500

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.…
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Michaelangelos Grill is putting filling back in the former Independence filling station (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:15:01 -0500

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.…
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El Porton Cafe brings a taste of Central and South America to Johnson County (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:15:02 -0500

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.…
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Pandolfi's Deli has Columbus Park diners digging in on the weekends (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:00:34 -0500

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.…
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The menu is hopping at the Martin City Brewing Company (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:15:15 -0600

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.…
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A trio of lesser-known BBQ joints (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:19:43 -0600

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.…
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Seasons 52 has no shortage of choices (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:35:25 -0600

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.…
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It's a little funky at the Brass Monkey (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:30:25 -0600

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.…
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Taking in the view from the Lakeside Tavern (slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:30:02 -0600

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.…
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Chai Shai's Delicious Samosas (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:30:35 -0600

In this week's review, Charles Ferruzza suggests that Chai Shai (651 East 59th Street) in Brookside has the best samosas in Kansas City. He also has high praise for the lamb korma and masala paneer roll coming out of the tiny kitchen that's popular with nearby University of Missouri-Kansas City students.…
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The cult classics of Kansas City (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:30:27 -0600

Some restaurants are frozen in time, and that's just the way the regulars like it. In this week's print edition, Charles Ferruzza set out to uncover the secret formula that has kept Villa Capri, In-a-Tub, Don Chilito's, Sharp's and YJ's Snack Bar in the hearts of Kansas Citians for years.…
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Houlihan's classic comfort food (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:30:37 -0500

Houlihan's is the classic comfortable sweater, the original neighborhood bar and grill. Check out this week's review, in which Charles Ferruzza notes that the menu "is a likable hodgepodge of familiar bar food" and "some of old standbys are pretty damn good."…
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Mazatlan piles its platters high (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:30:27 -0500

Charles Ferruzza climbed a bluff in the Northland to reach the restaurant for this week's review. Mazatlan in the Northland is dishing up shrimp quesadillas, carnitas and the kitchen sink in the form of the Botanas Platter (chicken fajita nachos, quesadillas, taquitos, guacamole and queso).…
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Nica's 320 adds unexpected flavors to the Crossroads (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:30:54 -0500

In this week's review, Pitch critic Charles Ferruzza went to Nica's 320 and discovered a theatrical addition to the Crossroads. While he wasn't keen on the restaurant's signature beignets, he had high praise for the "best bread pudding" in Kansas City.…
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The 32nd Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:40:51 -0500

Make sure you've got your lunch in front of you before you click through to our slideshow of the 32nd annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue. Got a sandwich?…
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This week's review is Lulu's Thai Noodle Shop (slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:30:38 -0500

The bigger, better space of Lulu's Thai Noodle Shop is this week's review by Charles Ferruzza in The Pitch. Learn why the Drunken Noodles is the restaurant's most popular dish and why the banh mi is, well, "lulu."…
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Blue Yuu has no shortage of personality in Raytown (Slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:40:38 -0500

The idea of Asian fusion means that you never know exactly what you're going to get when you sit down to eat at a restaurant. And that's certainly the case with Blue Yuu in Raytown as Charles Ferruzza discovered in this week's review.…
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River's Bend is treading water in Parkville (slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 11:47:52 -0500

Charles Ferruzza reviewed River's Bend this week -- the restaurant that has taken over the former Power Plant space in Parkville. But without an attached brewery and an uninspired menu, Ferruzza came away unimpressed.…
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Pho Hoa is a find on Independence Avenue (slideshow)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:45:53 -0500

In this week's review, Charles Ferruzza finds Pho Hoa tucked away on the backside of a brick building on Independence Avenue. Once inside, the big bowls of pho and delicate spring rolls were worth seeking out.…
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