A Taste of The U.K.: Webb's Sandwich Bar - Mildenhall, Suffolk England

Today, while visiting my sister in the U.K., I tried a little cafe called Webb's Sandwich Bar. The town of Mildenhall is kinda small and full of shops and places to eat different types of food including Thai, sushi, a couple places to get fish and chips and I even saw a KFC. My sister and I were early for an appointment so we were just going to stop for a cup of coffee real quick, but when we saw the menu we decided we wanted to try some food.

Part of my intrigue came from having to ask the waitress what a "Bowl and bap" was because even though I could figure out what a bowl was, I asked the server but I also had to ask what a bap was. Apparently, it's a roll of bread slathered with butter or margarine for dipping or just to eat however you want. So, out of curiosity I ordered it and a cappuccino. I was not disappointed.

The cappuccino came first and I think it was probably the best cappuccino I've had in my life. Mostly because after I drink an entire one I'm usually so caffeined out and jittery it's not worth it. Also, this just seemed so creamy and the espresso flavor was just right. What I found interesting was the sucralose tablets they have for sweetener. The tablets dissolve pretty quickly and I felt like they were just a sweet as a packet of the yellow stuff at home back in the States, but for some reason I've never seen them in that form and I thought they were neat so I used them. That's really the only reason I went for those as opposed to the other options that were available like plain white sugar or brown sugar.

Not long after, our lunch came. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the soup because I really wasn't sure how I was going to like it. The soup of the day was a curried chicken and chickpea soup. I must be honest that I'm not usually a big fan of curried foods but I was so cold this morning that I needed something to warm me up so I got the soup and I figured I was down to try something new. The soup was creamy and mostly pureed with a few whole chickpeas floating around and shredded chicken. It was a yellow curry and pretty mild but there was enough of it there to know it was curry. But with the chickpeas and the chicken, curry wasn't the only flavor I noticed, which is much appreciated. I also liked that the chickpeas were pureed but left a little chunky so there was some texture along with the shredded chicken.

I told the waitress how I enjoyed it and she told me the chef makes a different soup daily and the flavor is posted on their Facebook page each morning.  If they're all this good, I want to try them every day. I definitely plan on returning a few times before I go home. 

Abuelita's Mexican Kitchen in Westridge Mall

Shopping always makes me work up an appetite and this holiday season I have the perfect place for those mid-shopping snack attacks. Abuelita's Mexican Kitchen is conveniently located in the Westridge Mall food court and it is sure to fit any shopping budget out there. They even offer $5 lunch deals that come with a drink. I pay more in taxes sometimes when I'm shopping and thought this was a good price.

Today, I went to the mall to do some light shopping for Christmas because it's that time of year, of course. I've been meaning to stop by Abuelita's for awhile now, but I really don't go to the mall that often. I have heard great things about the food so I ventured up to check it out. I already mentioned the $5 meal deals, and really the rest of the menu is not much more expensive than that. I got loaded carnitas nachos for $6 and couldn't hardly finish them all. That's what a shopping buddy would be perfect for.

The menu is split up by the type of meat you want and listed below are prices for tacos, burritos, tostadas and bowls. I went for the nachos with carnitas because I saw someone with the nachos before and knew they looked good. I always get carnitas because pulled pork nachos is one of my favorite things to eat and I went for it. Normally I'd at least get a salad, or something healthy, but not today.

The nachos came with a white cheese queso, queso blanco, pico de gallo, lots of carnitas and sour cream. I also asked for mild salsa. The toppings were piled on and the chips were crispy and plentiful. The white queso had chunks of chiles in it and a nice kick to it, but not too spicy. The pork was juicy and the queso blanco was the perfect touch. These nachos could also be shared with someone as a

snack if you're not wanting an entire meal, especially while out shopping.

The menu also has a few desserts, but I've been trying to avoid sugar as much as I can. I saw where they have chimis, smores and a couple types of cheesecake. I almost got a hot chocolate but it just wasn't cold out today so I couldn't justify it. I hear it's about to get cold again, though so I may have to return just for some of that.

I enjoyed my first visit and plant to return, and probably soon because it's the holiday season and I'm sure I'll find myself at the Westridge Mall again in the next couple of weeks.  Even if you're not shopping, go ahead and stop by, it's worth it.

Mizu Sushi & Hibachi Restaurant

A new hibachi and sushi restaurant called Mizu, just opened up across from Cracker Barrel this week. I've driven by a few times to check it out since I heard that there would be a new hibachi spot coming soon. I heard they were open so I had to get over there and check it out. It's in the building that was originally called The Rib Crib.

The staff was friendly and sat us immediately in a booth. The woman brought menus and a sheet of paper for the all-you-can-eat lunch of sushi and hibachi. It's encouraged to only order one of everything at first, and then ordering more when you are done so food isn't wasted. The food comes pretty quickly so it wasn't a problem for me. There are salads, appetizers, sushi, hibachi, fried rice and Japanese noodle dishes.

Starting off I chose the green salad that comes with ginger dressing. There were other options, too, including a cucumber salad and couple others. I also chose some crab rangoons and chicken dumplings. Each item came out quickly. My husband and I shared the appetizers and also ordered some chicken fried rice. I enjoyed everything and appreciated that it all came so quickly, especially during lunch. The crab rangs reminded me of the money bags at Tuptim Thai only a little crispier. The sauce was sweet, but not real thick like that bright pinkish red
sweet and sour sauce and I enjoyed it. The dumplings came with a sauce of its own and was pretty tasty, too. Everything was hot and fresh.

Next came the thin Japanese noodles and my hubs got the steak hibachi so we could share and get a little bit of both. I got the chicken noodles and the portion was just right. Because of the set up and it being all you can eat, I appreciated the smaller portions so I could have a little bit of everything. Also, once you finish you can always order more if you still want it. The steak hibachi came with
a good portion of meat, sauteed veggies and some fried rice. Again, the portions aren't heaping but they are still generous, and there is the option to order more for up to two hours. We still had sushi on its way so I knew I would still need to save some room for that and didn't order additional portions.

The last thing to come was the sushi. We ordered a spicy tuna roll, a volcano roll and a rainbow roll. The volcano roll was my favorite even though it was pretty spicy, at least for me who is pretty sensitive to spicy foods. This one also looked pretty cool because it was cut differently and stood up to resemble a volcano with the red sauces dripping down the sides as if it has just erupted. The rainbow roll was good, and the spicy tuna roll was alright. I wasn't a fan of the spicy tuna roll because it had too much of the crunchy stuff that's usually on top, on the inside. Maybe if it just had less crunchy stuff I would have liked it better, I just didn't like this one. Other than that the sushi was fresh and full of bold flavors. That volcano roll I would recommend to anyone who wants to try something a little different.


For $12.99 at lunch I felt like the price was perfect for what can be ordered. There is a two hour time limit, but who has two hours to eat lunch most days? I get full pretty fast, too, so I don't even need an hour. I think it would be the perfect place to take a group of friends and order everything on the menu and share it and hang out for awhile. I'm excited that it's local and right down the street and I look forward to returning soon. The dinner for 2 is $30, which is a great price, especially for a date night or a night out with friends.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop, Topeka

Today I tried Fuzzy's Taco Shop in Topeka. It opened last week and I've been hearing about it ever since. It's always busy when I drive by and a lot of my friends have tried it. I have also heard mixed reviews so I thought I'd wait a few days before going.

When I got there the line was almost to the door, but inside was more spacious than I thought it would be. Back when I had last been in that particular building it was Team Sporting Goods and there were racks of sports equipment and lots of stuff on the walls. Now the walls are painted in bright colors with booths and tables all around. It's different than I remember but I like it, and I'm glad another restaurant has come to the College Hill area.

There are so many items on the menu that it was hard to choose. I was glad to have a few minutes to read it over while I was waiting in line. Although the line was long, it didn't take too long to get my order in, and I wonder if it will be like that on a regular basis once it's not so new to the area. The menu has all kinds of loaded nachos, tacos and burritos. Breakfast items are served all day, which is a huge plus for me because I like breakfast at all times of the day.

I got a chicken taco and a spicy pork taco in hard shells, and Ryan and I split some brisket nachos. I

ordered a side of guacamole, too because that's just a must for me. The only thing I didn't like was that the chips with the guac came out with seasoning on them, and I didn't like the seasoning. Next time, hopefully they can just leave it off and use salt. The guac was good, it had chunks of avocado in it, tomatoes and onions that I enjoyed. The chicken and pork tacos come with cilantro, feta cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. Those were tasty, too, although the chicken was just a little salty. I put some guacamole on all my tacos, and they were awesome.

The brisket nachos were humongous and someone could order a platter for their entire meal if they wanted to. This platter could also be shared between 4-6 people as an appetizer, or between two people who are really hungry. I devoured them and my tacos, but was extremely stuffed by the time I was through.

My experience was a good one, as compared to some of the reviews I've seen online. But, to me that's to be expected at any new location and I'm sure things will smooth out in the next few days. If you don't want to chance it, I'd say wait a week or two then go try it out. Or, go when it's not a lunch or dinner rush and really give them a chance. We went today, on a Tuesday at 2 p.m. when it's not necessarily lunch time, but it was still busy. After ordering we only waited about 5 minutes for our order and found a place to sit pretty quickly, too.

I plan to return and check out their breakfast menu soon. Like I said before, I'm glad another restaurant has come to College Hill within walking distance of my house.

Top Dog

Finally, a hotdog spot in Topeka. I mean, a lot of places have hotdogs on their menu and some even have Chicago-style hotdogs, but there hasn't been a place that specializes in just hotdogs that I can remember. Top Dog is now open by Gage Bowl on Huntoon and I got over there as soon as I could. (The map still says it's Mr. Nice Guys' Hot Box, but that business is no longer at that location.)

Elvis Dog

The place looks like an old school drive-in with parking in front, under an awning and a building with large windows and that's where the hotdogs are. You go inside and order, though, so it's not really like a drive-in, but it still looks cool. There are tables inside to eat at, or there is a picnic table outside to sit at, too. It was a beautiful day so I sat outside for my lunch.

The hotdogs are all beef can come off the menu or you can build your own with the toppings you choose. The menu has basic hotdogs like the Perry, which has ketchup, mustard and relish. They even have a Chicago dog and their Sloppy dog is a chili dog with mustard. I decided to be brave and try something different, such as the Elvis dog with peanut butter, crushed corn cereal flakes and bananas. My hubby got the Mexico dog with drunken beans, bacon, lettuce, jalapeno, pico de gallo, tomato, avocado and cheese. Just listing out those ingredients is making my mouth water.

If you order a meal your hotdog comes with a drink and a choice of a baked potato or chips. The baked potato even comes with butter, sour cream and cheese. I got the chips but the hubs got the baked potato and it was fat. I couldn't have eaten one so I'm glad I went with the chips.

The Elvis dog is definitely something to write home about. I have always loved peanut butter and

Mexico Dog

bananas, so why not on a hotdog? The combination was so good that I ate the entire thing, bun and all. I haven't been eating bread much, but this warranted an exception. The creamy, earthy peanut butter with the sweet banana contrasted with the juicy, salty hotdog perfectly. The peanut butter would kind of coat my mouth but the with the texture of the hotdog and bun and the crunchy cereal flakes, it wasn't hard to eat at all. I would order this again.

The Mexico dog was loaded with all kinds of stuff and is one that I will have to return and order for myself. It looked pretty good but I was so preoccupied with mine I didn't even taste it. I hear it was tasty and the guy working said it was his favorite hotdog to order. It has avocado on it so you can't really go wrong there.

The people working were very friendly and happy to answer any questions we had. Their hours are pretty awesome, as their drive-thru is going to be open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays for all those people leaving the bars across the street who want to eat but don't want to drive all the way across town. I know it's going to be an option for me. I plan to return many times to try other items on the menu, and I saw where they have BYO nachos so those are a must.

Porubsky's: A Taste of Topeka History

I ventured down to Porubsky's, in Little Russia, on the outskirts of Oakland in the northeastern part of Topeka for an article I'm writing for TK Business Magazine. I decided I should order some food, just in case I decided to write a review. Of course, my experience was a memorable one so I had to write about it.

The full name is CW Porubsky Grocery and Meats, but most people just call it Porubsky's. Even though the area was populated by Germans before the Great Flood in 1951, people called them Russians because a group of them had previously settled in Russia, and the area became known as "Little Russia". People still call it that today. The restaurant and grocery has been here since 1947, and at that time main bridge to the Oakland part of Topeka was right there, instead of to the North, where it is today. Then in 1951 the flood came along and destroyed the bridge, but it didn't destroy Porubsky's.

If you mention Porubsky's to anyone in Topeka they will immediately talk about one of two things, the hot pickles or the chili. For me, it's the chili. Monday through Thursday, Sept. 1 to April 1, they make it fresh daily, which means, next week there won't be any more chili until September! I just realized this as I was typing it and it makes me a little sad inside. A lot of people like the hot pickles, but I'm not much into hot pickles, my favorite are dill and bread and butter and I'm not much into spicy foods. Although, over the years that is changing some.

The chili definitely is one of a kind and so good. It's got beef and beans and so many spices and seasonings I could't tell you exactly what is in it, but whatever it was, it was tasty and I can't say I've ever had chili like it. It comes with a slice of cheese on top, saltine crackers and a cup of raw onions on the side. I got a little slice of a hot pickle, too, but not a whole one, I honestly am not a big fan of horseradish and that's what they use to make these particular pickles hot. It wasn't as bad as I'd remembered the last time I tried one, but I don't think I'll be ordering one any time soon. The chili,
however, I will be back this fall for another bowl.

Their menu has more than just chili, and there's an entire deli on the other side of the store. Deli
sandwiches and a cold plate, and in the summer a special hoagie sandwich replaces the chili. I'm not sure where else in town you can get a pastrami on rye from a local restaurant, where it's sliced fresh daily. Please enlighten me if you know of a place.

When I was in there today, not only was I interviewing Cecilia Porubsky but there were a couple of students from Washburn University there interviewing her, too. They were asking questions about the history of the deli and I got to hear some interesting stories about the flood and the people who lived in the area who have supported the deli over the decades. Cecelia said that about 75 percent of the people who come in are regulars and the rest are people from out of town who have read or heard about the place from people raving about the food. Kansas state legislators and law makers come in during the legislative session on the regular and people venture out into the snow and sleet to get chili for home. If you haven't been to Porubsky's, you're truly missing a wonderful experience. The people and the food will keep me coming back every time.

Josey Baking Co.

This post was originally published on www.EverythingTopeka.com. Check out the website for information about what's going on in Topeka. 

A cute little bakery recently popped up in Westboro in the little shopping center on Huntoon and Oakley. It's been there for a couple months, but because I've been avoiding carbs, I haven't gone yet. I finally decided to venture over there today and I wasn't disappointed.

The first thing I noticed was the overwhelming smell of freshly baked bread and cinnamon rolls. Oh the bread! The items available ranges from sweet and savory kolaches, cinnamon rolls, cookies, croissants and much more. The lady working said they've been busy and even as the baker was bringing out fresh kolaches, people were ordering them just as fast because it was lunch time.

Before ordering I looked at everything that was to offer, and although it was lunch time, there was still a nice variety. As an advocate for locally sourced foods, I noticed Josey Baking Co. sells Hildebrand milk and uses the cream for coffee, too. On the Facebook page I learned the bakery also offers strawberry, chocolate, 2% or the mocha-chocolate milk at retail prices. Hildebrand milk comes in a glass bottle, though, so be prepared to pay the bottle deposit. Of course you get that money back when you return, or just get a new one without repaying that deposit fee. It’s simple. I have five bottles laying around on any given day because I forget them but it’s always nice when you

remember and end up with an extra $10.

 I ordered the Monte Cristo kolache and a cup of the tomato basil soup. I didn't want to go too crazy on the bread but I do wish I could have tried the bierock or even the BBQ pulled pork kolache. Everything available sounded tasty but I couldn't get it all. Even all the sweets looked amazing, I just can't eat all that or it will make my stomach upset anymore, so I passed. Everything I've heard about the cinnamon rolls and other sweet treats has been positive, though.

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The Monte Cristo kolache was sprinkled with powdered sugar and stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese. Served on the size was a little cup of jalapeno raspberry jelly that had a nice kick to it because there's little chunks of jalapenos throughout it. The bread was soft and fluffy but nice and crusty on the bottom, not soggy. I loved it, and the jelly had just enough spiciness that it wasn't overpowering and went smoothly with the powdered sugar and Swiss cheese.

The tomato soup was chunky and seasoned just right. I love it when there are chunks of tomato and not completely smooth. I love texture.

My only complaint is that my schedule doesn’t mesh well with theirs and most of the time I have driven by, they are closed. But, it’s a small, locally owned business and a bakery. Usually bakeries close after noon, but at least these guys stay open until 5 p.m. most days except Saturday when they close at noon.

I’m excited to return and try the other pastries, but slowly, so it’s going to take awhile because there are so many varieties to choose from. I hear the cinnamon rolls are amazing and they’re huge.

Here's a direct link to my post on Everything Topeka, http://everythingtopeka.com/the-topeka-newsletter/667-experience-restaurants-with-tricia. 

A Taste of Lawrence: Ramen Bowls

 Ramen Bowls is my new favorite restaurant in Lawrence. I've been there twice in the past month and I want to return as soon as possible.

Chicken and Kimchi Tacos

Located on 10th Street in between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Ramen Bowls is in a two-story building with tight space. Downstairs is the kitchen and two small tables that can be scooched together to make a six-top. Upstairs are more tables and a small waitress station, and it's really more of a loft than an upstairs because there is a railing and it opens up and you can see downstairs. If you get there when it's busy, you may have a waiting period but it's worth it. We waited for 30 minutes the first time we went because we had four people, but we just went across to the Replay Lounge and had a drink. The host texts you when your table is ready so it was convenient, too.

The menu consists of traditional ramen bowls, modern ramen bowls, fried rice and dumplings.

For an appetizer we ordered the Chicken and Kimchi Tacos, soft, flour tacos stuffed with braised chicken, kimchi, micro greens and bread and butter pickles. The sweetness of the pickles and the spiciness of the red pepper aioli and the tanginess of the kimchi go together perfectly. The micro greens were a nice texture. I could just order these tacos as lunch someday, but I had to save room for my noodle soup, as this was just an appetizer.

For my entree I ordered the Goddess Bowl, which could be a vegan dish but instead of tofu I asked

Goddess Bowl

for chicken. I'm just not a fan of tofu. It's something about the texture, and sometimes it doesn't have much flavor. Other than the tofu, or the chicken in my case, there is half an avocado, somen noodles, mushroom miso broth, spinach, Napa cabbage, scallions, local micro-greens and roasted red pepper aioli. When the bowl comes out, the cabbage and other veggies are are just kinda piled on top of the noodles and broth so everything is nice and fresh. The broth is always piping hot so the cabbage wilts down and the scallions soften up quickly. The red pepper aioli has a little spice to it so it gives the noodles a nice kick.

My favorite dish is basically a bowl of fried rice. The Hawaiian fried rice is amazing and I wish I could make it myself so I could just make it for dinner every night of the week. It may sound weird at first, but once you try it you will jump on board with me and never look back. It's called the Hawaiian fried rice because it has pineapple, fried Spam, peas and carrots in it. The Spam is salty and seared crisp and the pineapple is sweet. The rice is fried just right and it's perfectly fluffy so you can scoop up nice sized bites onto your chopsticks.

Hawaiian Fried Rice

If you're not one for Spam, which I realize there are some of you out there, there are various types of fried rice on the menu and you don't have to get the Hawaiian variety. I'm sure those fried rices are tasty, too, I just haven't tried them because I always want the Hawaiian rice.

I can't wait to get back to this place. I just wish there was a location available in Topeka so I didn't have to drive all the way to Lawrence. Still, it's worth the drive and the possible wait time for a table.

Tequila's Mexican Restaurant in North Topeka

I work at a local bar part time and I've been hearing regular customers talk about the new Mexican place near the cloverleaf on North Topeka Blvd. I had to go see what they were talking about because half of them don't even know the name of the place, just that it's new and it has Mexican food. The name of the place is Tequila's and they have an original location in the Brookwood Shopping Center on 29th Street. I have never been to that location so this is my first Tequila's experience.

I went at lunch and I believe they had just opened their doors because there was nobody else in there, but after about 20 minutes the lunch crowd showed up.

The place is large and open with booths along the sides and tables set up in the middle. The bar is in the back corner and looks to be fully stocked. There are a few chairs at the bar so people can sit there and drink, eat and watch sports. We sat in a booth.

I started off with some guacamole as an appetizer. Avocados are one of my favorite foods and so guac is definitely up there in the top 10 so I always order it when at a Mexican restaurant. This guac was good, I enjoyed it but it did need a little salt and maybe some more cilantro. The chips always came out warm and fresh with lots of salt on them so that helped but I still found myself sprinkling a little in the guac itself.

For my entree I ordered the Chef's Special Enchiladas with two over-easy eggs on top and it comes

Chef's Special Enchiladas

with rice and beans. It is $2 added for the fried eggs, but I think that still put my entire meal around $9, so I went with it. I wish the eggs would have been runnier as they were cooked more over-hard than easy, even an over medium would have sufficed. I think maybe their grill was too hot for an over easy egg because it was pretty browned. The meal was tasty, although I felt everything needed a little more seasoning, like each item was lacking something. That being said, I still ate my meal until I was full because it was good, just not "special" as the name of the item promised.

The enchiladas were made with corn tortillas, ground beef and red sauce. It was served with rice and beans. For lunch the portion was a little large, but I could see it being just right for dinner.

The atmosphere and waitstaff were friendly and inviting and the food was good. I've heard a lot of positive things about the food, maybe it just wasn't my personal favorite. Everyone in this town has their favorite Mexican spot because there are so many of them; not everyone can agree.  I'd still recommend checking it out for yourself.

Wing Fling 2016

My father in law won tickets to the Wing Fling at the Expocentre and I ended up with them, lucky me. All you can eat wings from eleven restaurants in Topeka on a Saturday sounded perfect to me.

When I walked in, the person at the door handed me a cardboard drink carrier, like the ones you get at McDonald's. That way you can just sit your container of wings in the holder and it makes it easier to carry around with one hand. I thought it was a clever idea. The guy also handed me a red ticket for voting so I could vote for my favorite wings at the end.

Mike's Bar & Grill, BBQ wing

I hit three booths first, Henry T's, Mike's Bar and Grill and the Pallette Restaurant. I've been to Henry T's many times and had their wings and they're always good.  The wings that stood out to me the most was their Christmas wings. The sauce seemed to be like a chocolate cinnamon flavor. It was more of a dessert or sweet flavor, and it was good, but when I want to eat wings, I want savory. I did like the flavor, though and the wings were juicy.

Mike's Bar and Grill had my favorite barbecue flavored wings in the whole place. Although they had my favorite barbecue wing, they still weren't my favorite wings of the whole day. The sauce was sweet and tangy and I believe they make their sauce. I went back for another one, and it was the only wing I had seconds of.

The Palette Restaurant had chicken and waffles wings. Interesting and they were served with whipped cream. Maybe I would have liked them a little more if there hadn't been so much breading on it, but the flavor was good. There was just too much breading and it made it hard to get to the meat on the drumstick. My sister in law really liked it though and she said she would eat more of them. So, it just wasn't my preference because I haven't been eating much bread or breaded foods.

Next, we went to The Burger Stand and HHB BBQ booths. The Burger Stand had an interesting take on

The Burger Stand serving up
 their PB&J wings

peanut butter and jelly. The peanut butter wing was my favorite of the two because it was like a Thai peanut sauce which was a little sweet but not too much. I love peanut sauce. The jelly, however, was not my favorite. It was sweet and extremely spicy. I tasted the sauce and knew immediately it was going to be spicy, but I still insisted on trying it. I could only take one bite and it was enough for me. I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to spicy foods so I was done.

My favorite wing of the entire day came from HHB BBQ. Their Strawbenero wing was the belle of the ball for me. I liked it because it was spicy, but not so spicy that it burnt a trail down my throat, but just enough that there was a kick. I thought it would be worse than that because the name implies habenero and those are spicy. I'm glad I still tried it despite my hesitation. It was also sweet and I could taste the strawberry so that's why the spicy wasn't so intense. I think what helped is that they were serving huge drumsticks that seemed to have a ton of meat on them. This wing stood out to me above the rest and everyone in my party agreed.  I could taste the smoke, the sauce and the chicken all together and it was just a well executed wing.

HHB BBQ's strawbenero wing

I tried all the other booths but really none of the other wings stood out to me. All of the wings were good, just nothing that I just need to tell people about. Abigail's won last year's Wing Fling but their wings were all breaded, and like I said before I'm not a big fan of heavily breaded wings so I wasn't a fan of the wings.

Overall, I enjoyed the Wing Fling and plan to return next year. I liked that it was all you can eat, although I couldn't have gone back through even if I'd wanted to, I was so full after hitting every booth. I also enjoyed being able to sample eleven restaurants at once and being able to compare wings side by side. If you like wings and eating as many of them as you want, I'd recommend getting tickets.

I'm not sure who won this year, but I believe there are various categories. Really, all the wings tasted great and I'm ready for next year.

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.

Monsoon.Express on College Hill

Today I tried the Monsoon.Express on College Hill. It's been open for a couple months, but it's taken me a minute to get over there even though it's in my neighborhood. I shouldn't have waited.

I remember back when this location was the Boca Cafe, and although I was sad to see it go, I'm also glad to see a new restaurant open. I like the College Hill area and hope it continues to thrive. As a Washburn University graduate, I spent a lot of time in the College Hill neighborhood, eating at the Burger Stand and checking out the Pizza Pub when it first opened. Plus, it's close to my home and that's always a plus.

Although it's called "Express" implying carryout or on-the-go eating, there are booths and a couple tables to sit at if you so choose.

The menu is pretty simple. The Tikka Tacos were the first item on the menu and stood out to me because I love tacos. Who really doesn't? I have yet to meet that person. The fact that these were tacos and not Mexican tacos had me intrigued, so I went for it. I love chicken tikka masala and that is usually what I get when ordering from an Indian restaurant for the first time. Usually, you can't go wrong with this item, but I knew from the original Monsoon Grill on Wanamaker, their tikka masala is always good.

If you aren't into tacos, there are other options. Biryani bowls are on the menu and their Express Box. The box is probably the most popular because you choose 2-3 entree items and it's served with jasmine rice and some naan bread.

But, as I said before, I got the Tikka Tacos. Soft flour tortillas, stuffed with chicken tikka masala, lettuce, sour cream and a spicy salsa of some sort. I enjoyed my choice. I had to eat it slowly because I'm sensitive to spicy foods, but have found that I like spicy as long as I take my time. The tikka is kind of a light curry with cumin, garam masala, coriander and yogurt. Garam masala is used in many Indian dishes -- it's a blend of many spices and varies by region. That's probably what was causing the heat. These tacos were pretty messy, so don't wear a white shirt like I did. Luckily, I didn't get any on my shirt, but I did get it all over my face and hands and it was a mess. I'd still order it again, though.

I'm hoping they start delivery soon, so I can sit at home and order it while watching a movie or whatever. I think that's in their plans, or so I have seen from their Facebook page.

If you are scared to try Indian food, I'd recommend trying Monsoon Express. Go get the Express.Box and try a couple entrees with rice and bread. the price isn't bad, only $7, which is better than going to a sit-down restaurant and spending over $10 on one entree you may not like. Monsoon Grill on Wanamaker also has a buffet where you pay a set amount and could try multiple menu items. Either way, go check it out and give it a shot.

Capital City Family & Food Truck Festival

The second annual Capital City Family and Food Truck Festival was today, Saturday June 11th, 2016, in Gage Park. I've been looking forward to this ever since last year when the first one ended. I knew that this year would be something to look forward to. How can you go wrong with over 20 food trucks from three different states, entertainment for the entire family and a beautiful summer day? You just can't.

I arrived early so I could get a good parking spot. For those who came later, Visit Topeka had free shuttles set up with Topeka Metro to get people from Hayden High School to Gage Park, that way people didn't have to fight for parking within the park. Smart move. Still, there seemed to be a few spots here and there so if you were intent on parking inside the park, you probably were able to.

This year, the trucks were all lined up on the same side of the road, pointing the same way so the lines were all formed easily and it was easy to figure out which line went to each truck. Last year I know there was a problem with that, but that wasn't even an issue this year. Also, because there were so many trucks, lines weren't long and wait times were short and sometimes non-existent. I hardly waited for anything I ordered, so that was nice. I've waited as long as an hour before for a food truck.

For my first venture, I tried Twisted Asian. This particular truck

was at last year's festival and was one of the first trucks to run out of food because it was so popular and everyone wanted to try it. I didn't get any then and was looking forward to trying it this time. It was the first truck I went to and I ordered something different than I originally planned because I asked the guy what he recommended. He said to get the Twisted Lomein and I did. The noodles were sauteed in what tasted like a peanut oil with cabbage, fried egg and just a little bit of Sriracha sauce on top for a nice kick. The noodles were tender and fried just right to where they weren't chewy at all. My friend Kelly got the Chicken Fried Rice and that looked amazing as well. She even let me try a bite and I think that's what I'll be getting next time, only with the pork. The fried rice is on the bottom, then it's topped with shredded meat of your choice -- they have pork or chicken.

Next, I wanted something cold and something sweet, so we went to Coffee Cake KC. I've been to this food truck in the past but that's okay, I remember loving their coffee cake and had to get more. I also tried the Baron, a frozen chocolate coffee drink that's to die for. I told the lady I wanted something with chocolate and coffee and asked her what she would recommend. She said, "The Baron," and it was perfect and exactly what I was looking for. I got my caffeine fix and my chocolate fix at the same time, while also cooling down with something frozen.

I walked by a tent where fourteen chunks of fudge of all flavors were lined up for sampling and purchase. I had to try some and I sure did -- I probably sampled six different fudges before settling on the Black Cherry Bourbon fudge to take home. This place was called Chocolate Moonshine Company and I'd never heard of it before. I was happy to sample their fudge and would love to do so again in the near future. Note to fudge lovers: Ants love fudge, too so don't leave your bag of fudge sitting anywhere because ants will swarm and steal said fudge before you blink an eye. So yeah, don't do that.

For my next meal I wanted something different. I'd been walking by this one truck all day that kept catching my eye. The name: Fine Thyme Foods. The menu featured items that seemed a little different than the other trucks I'd seen at the festival. Their Blueberry BBQ Pulled Pork had me intrigued but even more were the crepes. Made fresh inside the truck, the crepes were filled and topped with interesting flavors I just had to try. I went for the Good Vibrations, a vegetarian option. I felt like most places had pulled pork on their menu so I chose something that would be a little harder

to find elsewhere. This crepe was filled with quinoa, topped with a kale mixture and dressed with a lemon poppyseed sauce. The crepe was light, fluffy and warm and I would love to eat one just alone, maybe with some powdered sugar on it or something like that. The poppyseed dressing had a honey flavor to it that I enjoyed and the kale had a slight crunch to it. I do wish there was a little more texture to it, but overall I enjoyed it. I look forward to trying their other menu items, too.


After all this eating I was thirsty. I kept seeing people walking around with these huge cups of fresh-squeezed lemonade and knew that I wanted one as soon as possible. Later, when I looked at the temperature gage on my car it read 97 degrees, so I know I needed something cold and refreshing. The stand was called Poppin Squeeze and had all sorts of flavors for their lemonade and they sold kettle corn. I got a regular lemonade because I'm not much for the syrup that's used for flavors. Half the fun is watching them make your drink: They cut the lemon, squeeze it with a hydraulic press then add sugar, water and ice and shake it up until the sugar dissolves. Yum. It's so sweet but that's okay. As it melts it doesn't matter because the ice doesn't really water it down or anything.

I was pretty full at this point so I took a break. It was cool because a few friends and I were sitting on a curb and all of a sudden, this guy showed up and started juggling fire and doing tricks and entertained us for over 30 minutes. At one point, I looked around and saw a good sized crowd of people gathered around applauding and oohing and aahing and I felt like I wasn't even in Topeka. It's pretty cool that things like this are happening in Topeka.

After hanging out for awhile, I decided it was time to eat more food. Kelly wanted tacos so we went to Taqueria Mexico Lindo. I ordered two tacos, one asada and the other pastor, both came on fried corn tortillas topped with fresh cilantro and onion and a side of hot salsa verde. Ah, so good. The tacos are exactly what I wanted, fried but tender, stuffed with meat and cilantro, (I take most of the onions off, but leave a few). I stupidly didn't taste the salsa before pouring it all over my tacos. Bad idea. It was spicier than I would have liked it, although the flavor was undeniably tasty. I got over the spice and ate them anyway and enjoyed them still. Next time I will sample the salsa before drenching my food in it. I should know better!

For my final two stops I decided to get items to take home since I was so stuffed and it was hot. I knew as soon as I cooled down I would be hungry so I wanted to be prepared. I went to Torched Goodness, which I've talked about in the past at a different food truck festival in downtown Topeka last fall. I think I even tried them at another festival in Lawrence, KS. This time I asked for just the custard and no brulee because I can do that myself at home. I just wanted them for later. He happily obliged and sent me on my merry way. I have those beauts in my fridge for later tonight and tomorrow.

My last stop was at the bacon food truck. The name is Bacon Wagon and they're from Ozawkie. I had heard someone talking about their pulled pork donut and was intrigued. I know I said pulled pork seemed to be on every menu, but this was being served in a unique way and I wanted to give it a shot. I found out it was called the Maple Bacon Pulled Pork Donut. At first I was hesitant about the maple part of the whole thing but the guy let me sample it before ordering and it wasn't that corn syrup stuff that's sold at stores, this is real maple syrup and I can get down with that. The donut as built like a sandwich with pulled pork and bacon in the middle and the maple syrup drizzled on top. It all sounds so strange but went together pretty well. The pulled pork and bacon were smokey, the donut sweet and the maple syrup complimented both. I do think a knife is needed to eat this one, since you can't really pick it up with your hands unless you want to be sticky for the rest of the week and the bacon is hard to cut with a plastic fork. Still, I enjoyed it.

The entire festival was a fun time for me and my friends. Everyone seemed to be happy with the layout and the variety of trucks. I had no complaints and can't wait for next year. I saw where the shelter houses around the park were open to the public and those are air conditioned. That was a great option on a 100 degree day in June. I'm exited to see what's in store for next year.

Herman's Meat and Smokehouse New Location

Herman's Meat and Smokehouse has been in the Topeka area for many years and today they opened a brand-new location. I've driven by the spot for the past few months, watching the building as it was built and slowly put together. I've been anticipating its opening since last fall when it was just an empty lot with grass and wild flowers.

The building is all newly built, with a patio and outdoor seating. The inside has room for dining room with booths and tables for people to eat at. The other half of the building is set up like a deli and meat counter with an island of shelves with condiments and odds and ends, charcoal, bags of chips and much more. There's even an entire shelf that has yet to be stocked, so I'm curious to see what will go in there.

This new location opened June 6, 2016 and I decided to go on

opening day. Usually, I wait until a restaurant has been open for a few weeks before trying, but like I said, I've been waiting for quite awhile and didn't want to wait any more. I did go in the afternoon around 3:30 so I wouldn't have to deal with a lunch or dinner crowd and it was a good idea. I waited a few minutes in line before ordering, then another few minutes for my order to be filled. I'd say I didn't wait any more than 10 minutes.

I wanted to try the ribs, so I made sure to order three of those with one other meat of my choice, (pork, of course) and two sides. I chose the cheesy potatoes because I saw where someone had commented on the Topeka Restaurants Facebook page that they were on point. For my other side I chose mac and cheese, because how can you go wrong with that? The meal cost around $15, which is a little expensive for one meal, but it's barbecue and ribs at that, so I didn't mind paying the money. You can always go cheaper if you don't order ribs, and Herman's also offers family size meals where you order meat by the pound, so you can feed more people for less.

My favorites were the pulled pork and the cheesy potatoes. The pork wasn't greasy like a lot of pulled
pork can be and there weren't any huge chunks of fat or gristle I had to remove. I was able to just eat my meat and swallow it, so I was appreciative of that. The sauce is tangy and sweet, but had no real spice to it. I looked around for spicy sauce, but didn't see any, although I could have just missed it. The cheesy potatoes are different than others I've had around town. These are chunks of potatoes with bacon and cheese melted on top. The potatoes are soft and smothered in cheese with chunks of bacon throughout. The side dish is a little greasy from the cheese, but who cares? I think it's wonderful.

The ribs were smokey and tender. They weren't "falling off the bone" but I don't think ribs should be to be good, as long as they are tender, and these were. The smoke was just right and I didn't have to use any sauce. Sometimes when ribs aren't good I slather them in sauce, these needed none. The ribs also had a lot of meat on the bones so I ended up with a little over one left over for later.

The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the mac and cheese. It tasted fine and there was nothing wrong with it, I just probably won't order it again. The sauce wasn't creamy enough for me seems to pool around the noodles instead of stick to them. I felt like I had to spear my noodles then scoop up some sauce to get them together. That being said, it wasn't bad, just not my favorite.

The menu features your typical smokehouse items, brisket, turkey, chicken, pulled pork and ribs. They also have deli sandwiches to-order and an actual deli and meat counter. Now that the location is
closer to my house and more centralized in Topeka, I'm sure I'll be getting my raw meat there more often. I also plan to come back for the smoked meats and cheesy potatoes. I think it was worth the wait.

The Wheel Barrel -- NOTO's Newest Addition

After all the great things I've been hearing since it's opening last weekend, I had to check out The Wheel Barrel. I heard they ran out of food on Saturday night and had to close early they had such an awesome turnout. Tonight they were packed as well. I hope it keeps it up. I've always loved NOTO and I'm excited to see a new restaurant open there.

The place is small and probably seats around 50 people, but there is a huge patio area outside, too, that I'm sure will fill up easily in the warmer months.

After seating ourselves our waitress came and took our order. The beer list is impressive and takes a second to take in. Some were from Kansas City, and most were a variety of craft beers.

Most items on the menu are grilled sandwiches, soups and pretzels. The charcuterie plate was what

caught my eye, but alas, they were out of that item at the time of my visit. The waitress said that's been happening a lot because they've been so busy. So we got the pretzel and cheese dip instead, which was pretty good, and they make their own cheese sauce, so it's not that fake, orange nacho cheese that usually comes with pretzels. There is also some salsa or green chili in the cheese so there's a slight kick, but nothing overwhelming, just enough to know it's there.

For my dinner I ordered the Monte Cristo with a cup of their house-made tomato bisque. As a teenager, the first Monte Cristo sandwich I ever had was battered and deep-fat-fried and I've been trying to find one like it ever since. This sandwich wasn't deep-fat-fried, it was grilled, but it was still crispy on the outside like I wanted it to be, and probably with less fat than if it were fried.  The sandwich was sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with grape jelly. Inside is turkey and gruyere cheese, which is one of my favorite cheeses because it's not Swiss cheese. I like

Swiss cheese, but Gruyere tends to be a little creamier and softer than the sharpness of Swiss. I would order this sandwich again, but first I plan to try a few others that sounded interesting.

For my side, I ordered the tomato bisque. I always love me some tomato soup, and the waitress informed me it was made in-house, so that was even more intriguing. This soup is on the menu daily, and in addition they have a soup-of-the-day. Today it was French onion soup, so I went for the tomato. I enjoyed the soup, but I do think it needed quite a bit of salt. After I added what I thought was enough seasoning, it was bangin. It was creamy, tomato-y and not that Campbell's soup crap.

I enjoyed my first visit to The Wheel Barrel and plan to return. I can't wait for it to warm up so patios open up around town. The waitstaff was friendly, the atmosphere was welcoming and the food was good. I think you should check it out, too.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Sunday Brunch

For Sunday Brunch, The Wheel Barrel features Bloody Marys and mimosas for $4 and a limited menu. I went with six other people and were able to get a nice table on the patio. It was a beautiful day for patio dining, too, so we got lucky.

I ordered a Bloody Mary because I can't seem to find one in this town that isn't full of horseradish and Worcestershire. This one had neither, at least that I could tell. If it did, they used just enough so I didn't taste it. All I needed to add was a little salt and it was good to go. The rim is dusted with some sort of spicy celery salt, which I wasn't a huge fan of, and it came with a lime, green bean and a whole pickle spear. I think that was my favorite part, the pickle. I'm usually not a fan of a bunch of food in my Bloody Mary, but this wasn't bad. It's when you get an olive, a pickle, a lime, a piece of sausage (yes, I've gotten sausage once) and all that other crap. I just want some spiced up tomato juice with some vodka in it, (oh and that pickle apparently).

For brunch I ordered the Breakfast BLT. A fried egg, cheddar cheese, bacon and baby greens all on brioche was a nice twist on a regular BLT. The added egg was nice and the cheddar added a nice creaminess to the sandwich. The brioche was toasted and crunchy and I loved the thick cut bacon. This sandwich I would order again.

As before, the waitstaff was accommodating and friendly. Our waitress was quick and helpful when it

came to questions on the menu.

For those of you who have children, the patio on a nice day is the perfect place to take your kids to eat. There is a playground of sorts with toys and sidewalk chalk for your little ones to take advantage of while you're waiting on your food or chatting with friends after dinner.

I think this is going to be one of my new favorite spots in NOTO.