A Taste of Wichita

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I visited Wichita for a Kansas Collegiate Media conference last weekend and the first place I ate was definitely worth noting.
My group and I wanted lunch somewhere near, and Old Town was near. I Google searched for restaurants in the area and found River City Brewing Company. It was the second or third place that came up, then the lady at the front desk had a list of recommended places to eat and it was at the top, as well.
The place was pretty cool and I enjoyed the way it was set up. The bar in the middle with tables and booths all around. The walls featured the names of their beers and what they tasted like, daily specials and various flatscreen televisions. Everything was made out of thick, reddish wood, which made it feel welcoming and pub-like.
The menu includes soups, salads, seafood, steaks, pizzas and sandwiches. Since I was only visiting I could only sample a limited number of dishes, but the ones I did try were worth ordering again some time.
I started off with chips and salsa because I wanted the fish tacos for my entree and wanted to keep the theme going. The salsa was homemade and the menu claimed it was "fire roasted" and the taste and texture reflected just that. The chips were fried in-house and overall I was happy with them. Much better than Pace picante sauce, that's for sure.
I enjoyed my grilled fish tacos even though I was expecting a hard taco and received a soft shell, it was tasty. The chipotle cream sauce was just spicy enough for me but if you are sensitive to heat you might ask for this on the side. The fish was grilled and not crumbly - it held together well and didn't fall out of the taco, which I have had a lot of grilled fish tacos that do that. There was a ton of avocado, which I love, and it was topped with lettuce and queso fresco, (white cheese). The rice that was served as the side was okay. It had a hint of nutmeg that I can't say I appreciated because nutmeg isn't my favorite spice. There wasn't too much that I couldn't eat the rice, but I didn't eat it all. I ate every last bite of my fish tacos, though.
Everything my friends ordered looked good and they all enjoyed their meals. We ordered a beer sampler and tried a few of the beers they make there. I am not a beer critic but I liked most of the light colored beers but I am not a fan of dark beers. It seemed to me that their beer was quality and would recommend checking it out the next time you are in Wichita.
Here is their menu: http://www.rivercitybrewingco.com/rcbmenu.pdf

Facebook's true power revealed to Mr. Stirfry on April Fools Day

 I heard about this and felt really bad for this restaurant and the people that work there. Apparently, someone thought it would be a funny joke on April 1 to post a picture on Facebook. The picture showed a box of Chinese food with what appeared to be a baby mouse inside. The chain has lost 1/3 of its normal business in the last couple weeks due to this accusation. Upon further investigation the photo was found to be a fake, used on other websites such as epicFail.com.

This was definitely an epic fail on the part of whoever posted this photo. I don't know why they haven't told us who this person was, but I would be embarrassed if it were me. I can't believe some people. Facebook and other social media are powerful and can get you sued, and this person has learned that the hard way.



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Best Mexican Restaurants in Topeka

If you are a native Topekan like me you know Topeka has a ton of Mexican restaurants. Instead of reviewing some of them, since there are so many, I thought I would just rank my top favorites in town.

1. El Mezcal

El Mezcal is voted No. 1 in Topeka and I can't argue with that. I have been to their various locations and each time I am impressed. My favorite is the Burrito Gigante and I get that almost every time I visit. I have tried many of the menu items over the years and I don't think there has been anything I was unhappy with. Plus, there are various locations so it's always close.

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The North Topeka location


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The Fairlawn location

2. Cielito Lindo

This place is awesome, especially their lunch buffet. They offer it at a low price and the buffet features a wide variety of items. My favorite is always the white cheese sauce and the guacamole - usually these items are expensive when bought by themselves but here they are included. The fajitas are great and they offer some different combinations, such as their Hawaiian-style fajitas. I would recommend this place over many restaurants in town.


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3. Casa

A long time favorite of mine is Casa. Their lunch buffet is always good and their fried ice cream is something to write home about.


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4. Taco Casa

My grandma Pat always brought me to the Taco Casa on Sixth Avenue. It's mostly microwaved but at least I know it's real meat and not some powder mixed with water and grilled. I love the family atmosphere and you always know what you are gonna get. I love the tostidos, the queso and their burritos, without the black olives, of course.


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5. Pancho's

This is a great late-night spot for some Mexican food, especially if you don't want Taco Bell. The menu offers items that can normally be found on most Mexican restaurant menus and prices are low. I have been here a few times and I never left unhappy or hungry. Their portions are huge and I can never finish my entree. They also offer Jarritos in various flavors and that's a huge plus for me, I love Jarritos.

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6. Taco Villa

Yeah, yeah. Some would say this isn't a "Mexican" restaurant but I still like it. The food is mostly micrwaved, or so it seems, but the food is fresh and not packaged. The service is fast, the food is cheap. The Thing is a popular choice on the menu and I like to order that as well as the taco burger.

www.tacovillatopeka.com


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Ellen Stardust Diner - New York City

I had many good experiences in New York City, but the one that stood out the most was the worst experience, of course. I would have to say that it was the single worst dining experience in my entire life. I must tell you that I was extremely hungover and had just woke up. My friend Kelly and I walked around Manhattan in search for a place to eat where we wouldn't have to stand in line for an hour before getting seated.

We found a place called Ellen Stardust Diner that looked nice enough and there was no line out front, score. We walked in and were seated right away, score. The seats were cramped and we were next to the server station and bar, no score. Usually this wouldn't be a problem, but at this restaurant, it proved to be a hazard. The music was loud but wasn't that big of deal, at first. After ordering off of the extremely over priced menu, $21.99 for a freaking cheeseburger, and getting our drinks, I realized that our server, instead of serving us, was singing and dancing around the restaurant.

Our food didn't take long, but some other person than our server served it to us - she was too busy dancing around. The food was ok. The cuisine offered is that of your typical diner food, burgers, fries, shakes and meatloaf. I wouldn't say it was great, nor would I say it was worth the money they wanted. Kelly ordered chicken fettucini Alfredo which didn't seem to have any sauce or flavor. The burger I ordered was like two inches thick and reminded me of a hockey puck. The fries served were crispy and good, but nothing special. Nothing was special about this place, except for the singing waitstaff. I guess I should be nice, they are trying to get on Broadway, and I mistakingly patronized it unknowingly - this is not their fault. BUT, I would never go back. I don't like people singing in my face, nor do I appreciate being ignored by my waitress so she can sing and dance. On that note, the music was so extremely loud, Kelly and I couldn't even talk to each other, let alone ask a member of the waitstaff for extra sauce. I also had a problem with the servers sanding on the back of my chair and dancing, kicking my seat while I was trying to eat. Not only that but I also had someone singing in my face and jangling bells and just causing me to want to bolt without paying. I did pay, but after the waitress chased me down to demand more of a tip, it made me want to rethink paying for this horrible experience. 

Normall, I have something good to say about the restaurant, but not this time. This restaurant offended and appalled me in a way that I can't believe this place is popular. I guess if you like people singing in your face while you try to eat instead of serving you, go to this diner. If you are like me and want to actually get service when you pay over $20 for a cheeseburger, go to another restaurant, even if you have to wait 30 minutes, it will be worth the wait.
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Recent food I have eaten

Look forward to my review on Mad Eliza's, a new cupcake shop on Wanamaker.

One can expect to find yumminess at LaRocca's

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LaRocca's surprised me with awesome pizza and mozzarella sticks. The service was great too. The people that worked there were friendly and willing to accommodate their guests. I noticed the owner working right alongside the employees. The husband runs the second location on Gage and his wife runs the original location on Urish Road. I went to the one on Gage.

Not only did the service impress me, so did the food. I loved the mozzarella sticks because they were baked, not deep-fat fried like most, and they didn't take forever, either. Five come with an order and they are accompanied by marinara sauce or ranch dressing - I chose marinara sauce. The pizza was a small meat lovers without the beef, because my friend doesn't like beef. I personally would have been happy with the beef, but you know how that goes.

Anyway, Larocca's offer much more than just pizza. What caught my eye were the baked sandwiches, called submarines. I am looking forward to trying one of those soon. Additionally, lasagna, spaghetti, cannoli and salads are offered on their menu. It's a pretty standard Italian menu with no big surprises and everything I have tried has been good. I plan to return for one of their submarine sandwiches and maybe some lasagna.

If you want to check out their menu, it's available on their website, www.laroccaspizza.net, and their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/topekalaroccaspizza?fref=ts where you can find more photos and information about the place.  I look forward to returning and maybe even driving across town to the one on Urish Road.

Boca Cafe

A new place called Boca Cafe opened last month in the College Hill area, across from the Burger Stand. When I first walked in, what caught my eye was the local art on the wall and the cheese grater lamps hanging form the ceiling. There are various tables and chairs and booths around the room with a counter to order at.  The menu consists of artisanal sandwiches and salads, a soup of the day and three vegetarian options. There are also breakfast menu items available as well. Although it may seem simple the menu items each have a special twist and tons of flavor.

            The first salad I tried was called the Drunken salad with marinated tomatoes, sliced artichokes and brandy-soaked mozzarella tossed in mixed greens. The dressing is a simple balsamic vinaigrette that compliments the ingredients nicely. The sun-dried tomatoes seem to be made on-site as well as the croutons that are made out of their focaccia bread.  I like their croutons because they aren’t hard like pre-bought croutons. They are crispy on the outside and spongy on the inside and soak up the dressing just enough so they aren’t soggy, and at the same time, they aren’t so crispy they cut your mouth. It’s called the drunken salad because the mozzarella is soaked in E&J brandy and when eating the salad the taste of brandy is there, but not overpowering, either.

For lunch, the salad came with a small cup of their soup of the day. That day, (and the second day I came back, actually,) it was tomato-basil. It was thick and bright red, with a hint of basil. I was impressed with the soup and salad so I decided to come back for more.

            I am very happy I decided to come back. On my second visit, I ordered the special of the day, a Monte Cristo sandwich. This sandwich had sauerkraut, which I personally don’t like but kept it on there, smoked turkey and provolone cheese. I also chose to have it made on focaccia bread – if you don’t like focaccia bread, they have several kinds to choose from. The best part is the raspberry jam, spread on the bread, but I also like to have it on the side for dipping. I ended up liking the combination with the sauerkraut so I am glad I forgot to ask for none – some things are just meant to be, and I really think the sauerkraut is one of those things. It pairs nicely with the sweetness of the raspberry jam and the smokiness of the turkey. No one flavor overpowered the other, they blended well together to make a perfectly balanced sandwich.

            The other sandwiches offered include a Cuban sandwich, which consists of pork, mustard, sweet pickles and provolone cheese; the B.L.A.T., which is like a BLT only with avocado, herb aioli, lettuce, tomato and a choice of prosciutto or bacon; and the Affamato with smoked ham, salami, pepperoni, mozzarella and sun-dried tomato marinara. For sides the café offers the soup of the day, rice chips, chickpea chips or a salad. There are many other choices on the menu than what are listed here and in the next week there will be a breakfast menu featuring waffles and waffle sandwiches. Also, in six months, the menu will be changed completely.

            I highly recommend checking this place out. My husband and I really enjoyed this place and plan to go back many times in the future. I want to return and try their waffles and other breakfast items because I hear they are just as amazing as the rest of the food.

Ok, so the address is 1414 SW 16th Street, here in Topeka. I can't get the Google map to generate the correct map. In the future when it works, I will post it. And here's their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Boca.Cafe.at.College.Hill