Quinton's Bar & Deli

Five years ago, or so, I wrote a review about Quinton's for the Washburn Review when I was an undergraduate at Washburn University. My experience there wasn't the best, but I did return on occasion for drinks and lunch. It was only recently that I realized I didn't have slot on my blog for Quinton's and I kept seeing their ads on Facebook for their specials, so I decided to give them another shot.

As I said before, Facebook kept running the ads and the one about their Olympic Burger really caught my attention. The burger has beer-candied bacon, Granny Smith apple slices, caramelized red onions, sharp cheddar and maple mayo. I was a little hesitant about the maple mayo because I'm not a fan of maple flavored things, but I figured with the bacon it couldn't be too bad. I've had a few sandwiches in the past with Granny Smith apples and for the most part I've always enjoyed them. Also, it's worth mentioning that I went on a Tuesday and after 5 p.m. their burgers are half price.

Since that's what kept catching my eye on the newsfeed, I ordered the Olympian. I went ahead and got it the way it comes since people build sandwiches a certain way for a reason. I figure I can at least try the sandwich the way it's supposed to be and if I don't like it, after that I can remove items. In this case it was the caramelized red onions. I'm just not a fan of onions on burgers so I ripped those off after my first couple bites.

Another ingredient I wasn't sure about was this maple mayo, which would have been pretty difficult to remove. Luckily I didn't hate it. The mayo had a maple flavor but it also wasn't like maple syrup like I had in my mind for some reason. Glad I tried it because I actually liked it -- on the burger, I don't think I could just spoon it into my mouth like peanut butter, but it added a nice flavor to the burger. My only complaint is my own fault -- I should've ordered the burger medium because I'm not a fan of well done burgers, but this one was still juicy so no biggie. I'll try to remember that next time.

What I did like was the Granny Smith apples. They were crispy and tart and added a nice contrast to smoky bacon and maple. It was a nice touch. And bacon. Bacon is always good and this bacon was thick and crispy.

The burger comes with French fries and as I've said in the past, fries are fries. They were nice and crispy, though.

I've seen where Quinton's is now going to start having bands play so I might check that out sometime. I enjoyed the burger, but it's only there until the end of this week so go get it now if you want to try it.

Kim's Vietnamese

Asian food is one of my all-time favorites. Sometimes, though, I can get a little tired of the same thing, and most Asian restaurants in Topeka offer a variety of the same dishes.  In 2010, Kim's Vietnamese opened on 10th Street and at the time I worked for the Washburn Review so, I wrote a review.  I gave it a good review because it was different, fresh and tasty.

Now, the restaurant has moved to 29th and Kansas but the food is still exceptional.

When I first decided to check it out, I thought it was interesting because it boasted Vietnamese food as opposed to Chinese or Japanese, which we see all over the place in T-town. Vietnamese was new for the area. I was intrigued. (It opened in November 2010.)

Scrumptious pork dumplings

The menu features noodle soups, stir-fries and spring rolls. The noodle soups were new to me so the first time I went that's what I tried. The soups come with different noodles and if you ask the waitstaff to help you decipher which noodle is which they are more than willing to help you out. I think they want to educate people so they know what they're ordering, like what they're offering and possibly they will order it again.  The noodles come in a hot broth -- choice of what kind of broth -- with vegetables and herbs. Check out my previous review (linked above) to find out more about the noodle soup.

If you don't want to mess with all that, Kim's also has stir-fries and other dishes you may be more comfortable with. Recently, I tried the chicken lo mein stir fry, crab Rangoon and pork dumplings.

The new location reminds me a lot of the their original location with tons of windows and lots of plants and foliage. I don't remember seeing any booths, but the tables were comfortable enough. Each table is loaded with silverware, napkins, sauces and anything you may need to eat your meal.

The pork dumplings were inspiring. Inspiring in a way that I wish I could make them myself they were so good. Fried dumplings filled with meat and spices I couldn't even begin to describe. Hot, fresh , crispy and juicy I would order them again and again. They were served with a sweet and sour sauce but they didn't really even need any sauce.

The stir fry was good, with a flavor that was a little different than what I'm used to. I love that. I couldn't quite put my finger on what was different but I could definitely tell they used soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and some kind of sweetener, maybe honey. The noodles weren't greasy and they were just saucy enough. The vegetables were cooked thoroughly and so was the chicken. There were carrots, broccoli, onions and cabbage.

My only complaint is I think it would be better if the dish had dark meat chicken. It had white meat and I feel in dishes like stir frys, the white meat chicken gets really dry. Just a personal opinion, I know a lot of people who prefer white meat. But to me, fat is flavor and dark meat always has more fat. I understand if you're watching your waistline, so get this dish, it's got white meat. (haha). But seriously, it was still a good entree I would order again sometime.

I also tried the crab Rangoon, mostly because I just love crab Rangoon. I was glad I gave it a chance. Crispy, fresh and creamy on the inside. Plus, there were chunks of crab that you could actually see inside, unlike how most of the time you're not even sure it's there. Yum.

Crab Rangoon

Our waitress brought us a plate of cold grapes to conclude our meal. She said they don't always give grapes but she was able to get some on sale. It was a nice ending to a fine meal.

I plan to return to Kim's Vietnamese and soon.  Their menu isn't typical of what can be found in Topeka so if you're looking for something different but not overwhelmingly so, check this place out. Like I said before, the staff is willing to help you choose something you will like, just ask questions.

Margaritas Jalisco

 I was finally able to try the newest Mexican restaurant in Topeka: Margaritas Jalisco. It's right across from Washburn's campus on 17th Street and has been open for two months. The location was closed for years and I'm happy to see it's finally re-opened and this time as a Mexican restaurant pretty close to my house.

Guacamole Mexicana

The atmosphere is warm and inviting, especially on a cold day. The walls are painted bright shades of yellow and orange. Various shaped gourds are arranged around the room. The building has been slightly remodeled with an added wall in the middle. The bar is still on the west side with booths set up around the rest of the walls and tables scattered throughout the room.

The server brought chips and salsa immediately. The chips were good, not the thin, greasy ones you sometimes get. These were thicker and fried fresh. The salsa was thick and pureed, with a noticeable cilantro flavor that I love.  It wasn't spicy so I could scoop quite a bit on my chip -- I'm pretty sensitive to spicy food and this wasn't spicy in the least, but it still had good flavor.

Chips and salsa

When I try new Mexican restaurants I always like to order the guacamole and this time I chose the Guacamole Mexicana. I must admit, I assumed I knew what I was ordering but when it came out it was something completely different. What I thought I was getting was mashed guacamole with pico de gallo added to it. Nope. What I got was chunks of avocado marinated in lime juice with pico de gallo and grilled jalapeños on top. It reminded me of a deconstructed guac and I loved it. The grilled fresh jalapeños were crispy on top of the smooth avocado and crunchy tomatoes and onions. If you like guacamole you gotta try this dish, it was one I'll be ordering again.

The only thing I don't really understand is the green tomato. 

Normally, I order a chimichanga or burrito but tonight I was feeling like something different. For my entree I got cheese enchiladas smothered in a red sauce with bell peppers and pork. It was served with a guacamole salad (small scoop of guac, lettuce and tomato) and rice. The rice was some of the best I've found here in town, soft with just enough seasoning and none of those hard peas and carrots that I usually pick out. This was just rice and I loved it. The enchiladas were stuffed with white stringy cheese (YUM!) and the sauce on top was tangy. I only wish there was more pork because it was so good. The pulled pork was not greasy or overdone and complimented the dish nicely, but like I said before, I wish there was more. I loved the cheese, even though I'm not supposed to eat it. But if I am going to take a chance and eat cheese, it better be good cheese. This made the cut.

The service was fast and friendly. There are specials every day, which, being right across from Washburn University is a necessity. Hopefully students will go there and the place will stay open because I enjoyed it and plan to return.

Another Chinese Buffet In Topeka

The University Chinese Buffet at 21st and Washburn

I can't say I got my hopes up because I didn't. I figured The University Chinese Buffet at 21st and Washburn would be just another Chinese buffet in Topeka, and I was right. But, that being said, it wasn't a bad Chinese buffet, it just wasn't surprising. The most surprising thing? The variety of ice creams they offer for dessert. Yeah, seriously.

Upon arriving I noticed the restaurant was opened up more than it was when it was a Mexican place. But the decor was the same and the owners didn't change much. I did like that it was more open, especially for a buffet.

My (first) plate.

The food was your typical Chinese buffet food selections: kung pao chicken, lo mein, chicken and broccoli, crab Rangoons, egg rolls, sushi and rice. There's fresh fruit and salad, and I was impressed they had in-shell shrimp cocktail. It's not every day buffets offer that. I have noticed that newer Chinese buffets incorporate sushi as this one did. I didn't try any sushi but it looked like they used cooked fish and vegetables so you don't have to worry about raw fish sitting out on a buffet, if that bothers you. It doesn't bother me, I just wasn't feeling sushi that night.

I got my favorites: vegetable lo mein, white rice, chicken broccoli, sweet and sour chicken, egg roll, crab Rangoon, sesame chicken and some fried rice (pictured at the right). Everything tasted good, but the lo mein didn't seem hot enough to me, temperature-wise. I thought maybe it was because I had left my plate sitting for a minute, but when I went back for the fresh batch they put out, it still wasn't piping hot. Not sure if the steam table was messed up or what, but I thought I'd mention that. Everything else seemed up to temp, so it struck me as odd that it was the one dish that was luke-warm. Fluke, maybe?

I scream, you scream.

As I mentioned before, I was excited about the ice cream selections. Usually, at Chinese restaurants they offer vanilla soft serve, and who knows if it's any good. Here, at University Chinese Buffet, they have a variety of ice cream to choose from. strawberry, chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip and for those of you who like traditional, they also have vanilla. I am not supposed to be eating dairy but I went ahead and tried some strawberry and mint chocolate chip. As a person who's worked in food service most of her life, I have to say I appreciated that the ice cream wasn't rock hard. It was soft and easily scooped so you didn't have chip away at rock hard ice cream. I've had to, and it's awful.

The buffet line the woman was complaining about.

Overall, I enjoyed the buffet. I will go back in the future since it's only a few blocks from my house. If you're looking for a large variety, go to King's Chinese Buffet, but if you're happy with the classics, this place is for you. I don't mind not having a million items to choose from because I usually get all the same stuff anyway.

I also wanted to mention that I went at 8 p.m. on a Monday night, when they close at 9:30 p.m. All the food was fresh, the cook was putting out new, fresh food on a regular basis and the waitress, even though she was cleaning up for closing, was attentive and helpful.

There was a lady at the buffet who was complaining about the selection, but I couldn't understand what she was complaining about. The lo mein needed replaced, (which they did like 3 minutes later) and everything else was full and looked fresh. I guess I just don't know what she was meaning. Her family sat there for another 20 minutes, then left. As if they were waiting for something and never got it. So... I guess for some the buffet wasn't worth it, but to me, I thought it was.

Taco Bell Breakfast -- No Surprises

This morning I decided to try Taco Bell's new breakfast items. I wasn't too impressed.

Sausage, egg and cheese A.M. Grilled Taco

There are only a few items on the menu, so far but I am sure they will continue to add more in the future.  There are four entree items that you can order with a choice of bacon or sausage with sides consisting of potato hash browns and/or a 12-pack of Cinnabon Delights, which were already on their menu. There is also Tropicana orange juice and coffee, which they don't have packets so they pour it in themselves. I don't know if I like that because I want to control what's in my coffee. I don't like leaving it up to some person I've never met to decide how much creamer I need, especially in a drive through, like I was at the time. Regardless, I ordered the coffee.

The coffee reminded me of the bold roasts from other fast good joints like McDonald's and Hardee's -- strong and in need of a lot of cream and sugar. It was okay, but I am not a fan of Starbucks if that tells you anything. This coffee was strong, and it made my stomach upset, which sometimes happens with certain coffees, including Starbucks, which is why I brought it up in the first place. Next time, I'll probably just get the orange juice.

I ordered two of their breakfast items -- the Breakfast Burrito and the A.M Grilled Taco -- both with sausage. I didn't see the hash browns on the menu when I was ordering or I would have ordered one of those but it didn't stand out so I missed it. I've had the Cinnabon Delights before and they were too sweet then so I knew they would be too sweet in the morning.

Sausage, egg and cheese Breakfast Burrito

The Breakfast Burrito was nothing surprising. The tortilla was soft, stuffed with eggs, cheese and sausage. There was a lot of cheese so if you love cheese, this will be the item for you. The A.M. Grilled Taco was again, nothing surprising. It consisted of scrambled eggs, cheese and sausage stuffed into a soft taco shell that was grilled on a flat top. The grilled tortilla gave it a little extra flavor but nothing too exciting.

I want to go back and try some of their pricier items like the Waffle Taco and the A.M. Crunchwrap sometime soon. Those items seem to be a little more dynamic and probably why they cost more than $1.50 each.  I wanted to try more than one thing so I went for the cheaper choices.

Honestly, I was disappointed. Taco Bell is supposed to be like Americanized-Mexican fast food. These items had no zest, flavor or appeal. There needs to be something taco-y about each item and all I see is eggs, sausage and breakfast meat offered in a few different ways -- in a tortilla, in a grilled tortilla and a waffle. Jazz it up a notch, Taco Bell.

So I guess the point of Taco Bell doing breakfast is to compete with McDonald's breakfast. One of the taco joint's ploys is they are staying open a half hour later for breakfast than the burger place. I don't know if they will be successful, personally I love me an egg and sausage biscuit from any place, Micky D's, Hardee's and even Burger King. I see TB sticking with burritos and crunch wraps, though, so who really knows what's going to happen.

Either way, now Taco Bell has breakfast, or "Firstmeal". Are you going to go try it? Or do you prefer to stick with lunch and dinner and get your breakfast elsewhere? Comment below and let me know.