Mediterrean Oasis in Westport

Mr. Ref and I made a second foray to Marrakech this evening and brought 2 members unable to make the official dinner club event earlier this month. At 6:00 p.m. the dining room was literally empty, but our host quickly emerged from behind a decorative screen to sit us in a cozy booth. We ordered the Sampler Platter a second time and enjoyed scooping up the eggplant, peppers, carrots with our bread wedges. Delicious as it was unexpected! The chicken kabobs were perfectly moist and savory. We soon noticed some sparks outside the window which became a full-fledged raging fire--a church was burning across the street and the production included at least 2 ladder trucks. The spectacle was being supervised by a helicopter and numerous by-standers as well. Guess we needed a little more excitement to add to the night!

I ordered the lamb shank above at my first visit and tonight chose Beef Tajine. The lamb shank was a great disapointment to me as it tasted gamey and I would swear was goat, not lamb. The accompanying rice and vegetables were tainted by the gaminess that was much stronger than expected. One of our group was happy to take the leavings home, so I am sure it was a well concoted dish--just not to my taste! I much more enjoyed the Beef Tajine which is a moist, fragrant cut of beef reminiscent of roast, but slightly sweet and sprinkled with sesame seed. Apricots, prunes and eggs accompany the dish. I highly recommend the mint tea served hot! or cold--your preference.

This is a delightful restaurant--the wait staff is friendly and efficient. We were serenaded by live Morrocan music which made the evening that much more charming. Tonight we finished our meal by sharing the Baklava, and while I didn't enjoy the banana flavored whipped cream, some in our group found it very appealing.

The church was still burning as we exited the restaurant and passed a young man blasting tunes from his psychodelic bycycle complete with mirror ball (yes, it was lit and rotating!) on the back. One of our guest members commented he could be her generation's equivalent of playing the saxaphone on the corner. She could be right. The sights, sounds, smells, etc... that I experienced in one evening were at once exotic, scary, exciting, strange, delicious and comforting. I am grateful to live in this fabulous city! What a privilege to experience this diversity while safely close to home.

Rating 3.5

Merry Christmas from the Dinner Club

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Gastronomical All Stars! Here we are in front of Marrakech Cafe, our pick for December (I'm behind the camera, Michael couldn't make this outing).

We look forward to many new food adventures in the new year, and of course sharing them with you.

Moroccan Delight!

Before we ate at Marakech, my only association with Moroccan food was from a scene in The Man Who Knew Too Much. Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day are dining in a restaurant in Morocco, and Jimmy's character is taught to eat in keeping with the local custom: holding food with only two fingers, only using the right hand.

Our hosts weren't as strict at Marrakech Cafe, our December pick. Service was excellent, probably the best we've received of any restaurant so far in my opinion.

Those of us lucky enough to enjoy caffeine started with hot mint tea which was sweet and delicious. (I admit: I had a few drinks of it, but only to provide our dear blog readers with a review.) The sampler platter was a nice mix of exotic dips, pita-like bread and the most delicious chicken ever. It was spicy and so tender that I cut mine with a fork.

I ordered the beef couscous as an entree. The beef was chewy and flavorful, with all kinds of spices (maybe even cinnamon?). The couscous was fluffy and delicious and topped with roasted vegetables--carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini and turnips. Yes even the turnips were tasty. (I had to ask the waiter if they were in fact turnips. I just didn't know they could taste that good.) My entree was enough for a huge dinner and huge lunch of leftovers the next day.

I gave the restaurant 4.2/5 stars. I'll definitely be back to order Richard's dish (and their specialty): the beef tagine which was the most unique thing I tasted. Slow-cooked beef in heavy spices with a sauce made of dried apricots. Yum! Kudos to my fellow dinner club colleague (and wonderful husband) Justin for this pick.

Moroccan December

This just in: our esteemed dining club will gather this evening for Moroccan food. Stay tuned for our restaurant reviews to be shared soon. With an emphasis on soon.

Got that, dinner clubbers? Reviews will be posted soon. (You know who you are.)

Lucky x2

I thought I was lucky x 2 at our last meeting: First when I snagged a prime parking spot and managed to slide my car into the tiny spot with no damage, and second when I realized I'd found a pretty good Indian Restaurant. The Westport traffic was heavy that evening, I was running late, and there was quite a bit of Ped traffic, too. I felt like I was walking in the West Village of Manhattan as I passed the funky shops and stepped in the vibe that is Korma Sutra.

Our table was tucked up by the window near the entrance and our group was tucked up next to each other. Yeah-- it was almost snuggly! Since my favorite Indian restaurant has closed in Lee's Summit, I'm on the hunt for the next best thing. The naan was soft and pillowy, delicious! My butter chicken was ordered a bit spicy (5 of 10) and had the familiar, smooth taste that melds so perfectly with naan, but brings a drip to my nose. I loved all the dishes I tasted, even Grandpas sweet, HOT HOT HOT curry, but was a bit disappointed in the chicken biryani. It lacked the layers of flavors I've come to expect. Not bad, of course, just mediocre. Although a dish that can define an Indian restaurant for me, the other dishes were so enjoyable that I left with a great impression of the place. Rating 4 stars

Are you there spicy food? Its me Josh!

I will start with saying I have never tried Indian food before, so I was not sure what to expect. I was very excited to try a type of food I have never had before and to be honest i almost did not make it. My schedule was off due to work and thought Thursday was in fact Wednesday, lucky for me my mother called asking where I was and I bolted to Westport, after walking the street 2 times I found Korma Sutra and this is where the story truly begins.

I walked in surprised to see Rich not there, but even more surprised to get to see Michael and his girlfriend Kate. I sat down in my seat and noticed right away that we must have decided to go eat Italian instead of Indian as these seats were very similar to a family style restaurant. (lucky for us we are a close family and Justin wear deodorant)

I was excited to see some type of appetizer which I never got the name of because I showed up late and the 3 different dipping sauces added unique taste to the pallet. I decided to order a native beer and for the first time was not an IPA, it was a tasty beer especially with my dish, however I prefer IPA.

For dinner I was torn between lamb and shrimp (I am a huge shrimp fan) I decided that lamb was probably more authentic, so I went with that. I was asked how spicy I wanted it and as a man who likes his food spicy (if you aint sweating it aint spicy enough) I asked for a 10 the spiciest of the spiciest! The waitress just shook her head no, so I dumbed it down to an 8. I do not make many mistakes but this was one of them. When given the food I was disappointed at the size of this little bowl, I am a growing boy and I need my meat, either way I was ready to eat! I loaded my plate up with a good portion of rice and poured the sauce and meat on top, before I could take a bite I was already being offered samples of other peoples dishes (a pleasant surprise!) I was ready for this first bite and the intensity of the spices, when again I had to wait as they wanted a picture to capture my suffering of the burn of my stupidity ordering something so spicy! I took that first bite and I chewed and waited as I know spices always kick in when you least expect it... nothing... the food was fantastic, but there was no heat there was no spice, just a tender lamb. The lack of spiciness was a bit disappointing, but the food was fantastic as the rice was the best rice I have ever had and the naan dipped in the sauce was divine and might I add the goat was by far the best meat on the table, even my scared mother seemed shocked by the tender and juiciness of that goat, I had to debate going and buying a goat for my own cooking pleasure.

To end the night they brought surprise after surprise of desserts and drinks. A fantastic surprise to end the night.

My final opinion is that for my first taste of Indian cuisine I was quite happy. The food was yummy and the beer was beery and being with my family priceless! 3.8

Delicious... though, not what I expected from Indian food

I must say that the food at Korma Sutra rocked the proverbial casbah (but, I didn't understand the name. It seems some sort of Indian play on words, but I don't get it).

The sauces were super saucy, the spices very spicy, the meat tremendously meaty, and the rice remarkably rice-y. Maybe the riceiest rice I have ever eaten. And speaking of meaty meat, I did expect something a little meatier. Don't get me wrong, it was meaty meat, but the menu consisted of mainly chicken, fish, lamb and goat - I thought Indian food would have more meats like buffalo (not bison, mind you, but buffalo), venison, and the like.

I got the goat, which was super-duper tender (except for the bones, which were the exact opposite of tender - I was disappointed the bones were not more tender). I was a bit surprised that they chose to leave the bones in, but I seem remember from history class that Indians were known for using every part of an animal.

I also tried some of the buttery chicken, which was not very buttery, but scrump-tilly-umptious, just the same. I did not know that Indians used much butter in their cuisine - I wonder if they learned how to churn butter from the pilgrims.

I also tried Grandpa's chicken dish, which was definitely the spiciest thing I had. Spicy food side note: Wasn't it embarrassing watching Josh try to eat his "spicy" food. The sweat was just dripping off his poor forehead, as he lapped up everyone's water, and licked his napkin trying to find relief. If only he could have licked his own tears; there were surely enough to quench the fire. Bush league, Josh. Bush league. Anyways... grandpa's was also really good, and I understand it to be a dish classically reserved for patriarchs of a certain class... it was one of Chief Sitting Bull's favorites. An apt Indian food for grandpa.

Oh and the naan - superb. Especially the garlic naan. I bet naan was a favorite food of the Indians of olden times. I can picture them sitting around a campfire in the Old West under a full moon, cooking up this delicious flatbread.

The atmosphere was also pleasant, though atypical of my idea of an Indian restaurant. But I am glad they went contemporary - its seems too often that Indian establishments are portrayed with Southwestern patterns.

Overall, I thought it was a righteous meal, but not really what I expected from an Indian restaurant. The food was so exotic, it seemed to be from halfway around the world rather than right here in our own backyard. My first Indian experience can be summed up with the words of General Custer during his last Indian experience (paraphrased): "I did not see that coming."

A Taste of India

Last week's dinner club took us to Korma Sutra in Westport. The setting makes this place: the street-facing windows are decked out in bright blue. When you walk in, the restaurant is decorated like an exotic Indian palace in pink and gold.

I had the Saag Paneer, baby spinach in curry with tofu. It was very tasty with just the right amount of kick. My fellow diners had varying experiences with the spiciness of their food: the waitress answered Josh with a firm "no" when he said he wanted his 10/10 on the spicy scale. Probably for the best. Poor Grandpa's chicken curry dish was one of the spiciest on the table, despite asking for something mild.

The best part about Indian food is the sharing: we traded Vindaloos, Tikka Masalas and Biriyanis along with all the naan bread. Lamb, chicken and goat (see Becky trying Justin's goat dish in the photo below). Needless to say, I was stuffed after the meal.

I like Indian food but admittedly it's not my favorite. This restaurant gained points for the surprises: a fried potato something as an appetizer, rice pudding, mango ice cream and some unidentified dumpling item for dessert and chai to finish. Service was OK but I have to give them credit for consistent water refills (a must when eating spicy curries). My rating: 3.75/5.

My mom used to make a pretty good Reuben sandwich but until recently, that was about the extent of my exposure to German food. Somehow, sauerkraut and sausage just never appealed, and I had never met a beer that I liked. To me, German food was synonymous with heavy, greasy, bland food. I must have been thinking of Polish sausage & kraut at Worlds of Fun when I was 12. That was before the perfect October evening we traveled to the historic Freight House district to sample German Food. There has been a positive buzz surrounding this restaurant, but I entered with trepidation.

The outdoor patio was about half full at 6:30, and the patrons sounded like they were having such a great time that I really wanted to join them. Instead, I crossed the threshold into Grunauer and was impressed with the almost cavernous space. Dark wood, dim light--but beautiful and comfortable. Our server seemed a little cold at first, but soon showed his familiarity with the menu and seemed to always appear just as he was needed.

The Schweinebraten (roast pork) is shown above--the photo a victim of the dim lighting. I learned that the spices used in German food are slightly sweet and perfectly nuanced at Grunauer. Paprika and nutmeg were apparent, the flavors more complex than I suspected. Red cabbage is a favorite of mine and prepared perfectly at Grunauer. If I hadn't known better, I would have mistaken it for spiced apples. In keeping with the Oktoberfest spirit, I tasted a Weisenhoff beer and found it hearty with a fruity undertone--who knew beer could be so tasty? I also tried a martini type cocktail that tasted like Apple Streudel. What could be more perfect?

Grunauer may serve comfort food if you're a German national; but for me, it was a revelation!

Rating 5

October's Outing: Grunauer

After a dinner at Grunauer, you'll want to climb the Austrian Alps singing, just like Fraulein Maria in The Sound of Music.

We gathered at the Austrian/German restaurant for our October outing, and I'm so glad we did. The food, service and setting were all terrific.

I enjoyed the Schwammerl (mushrooms in a creamy paprika sauce with Austrian potato dumplings). It was unlike anything I've ever had and very tasty. And since our dinner club shares everything we order, I got to try everyone elses' entrees: the sauerkraut was the best I've ever tasted (and I've been eating it since birth); the red cabbage was incredible (slightly cinnamon apply but still savory); the rye bread to start was delicious, as were the sausages. I would like to comment on the German beer but sadly I couldn't try any.

The restaurant is in an old rail/freight building with lots of dark wood and mirrors. It's classier than a German beer hall, with low light and 40s-style music that makes it a perfect setting for a romantic dinner (hint, hint, husband).

My only regret (aside from a beer-free meal) was not trying the dessert, which was impossible after such a large meal. A trip back for a cup of coffee and a strudel or two is a must.

My ranking for this restaurant: 4.9 out of 5 stars. Pretty darn impressive. So Danke schön, Grunauer. Just like Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger would say, "I'll be back."

November's pick

Ah, November: hearty food. Apple cider. Turkey and stuffing. Curry--wait, curry?

Yes the club will have our go at a local Indian restaurant in November. Stay tuned for our reviews. Some of the dinner club members have never had Indian food before, so this should be a real treat.

This just in: October's pick

Start working out those arm muscles to handle steins full of beer, because the Gas Club's October outing will be German/Austrian food! Sauerkraut, veal, spaetzle, sausage and some wonderful new things we've never even heard of. Prost!

Oklahoma Joe's Review

I stepped into OK Joe's with all the excitement of a labrador finding an unexpected morsel at the foot of the table! I had read about the awards and winnings over the years that came with the BBQ brand. I knew OK Joe had captured 1st place at the recent KC Star casual dining contest. My mouth was already watering when I wiffed the air from our car to the entrance. The restaurant itself was grand inside--naaah; it was just another BBQ restaurant--but to the power of 3--much larger than the typical BBQ on the Missouri side. That is because the JoCo residents stampede the place in their fervor to suck down those juicy ribs!

I walked to the back wall and studied that menu so long I could recite it backwards. The house specialty was Pulled Pork--hmmmm. It's not everyday I drive across the state line for award winning barbeque. Probably should try the house specialty. Then I saw it--the blackboard proclaimed Thursday Rib night. Surely this was the sign I was looking for.

Tables were filling (you can't sit down until you have already ordered--yeah, it's a rule there) and I'm not a patient person, but I joined the queue and was pleasantly surprised how quickly the line moved. I have to hand it to the genuinely friendly people behind the counter--thier patience never wavers no matter how much dithering comes from the patron.

We made our way to the back where grandpa was keeping a table warm. (Grandpa is exempt from No Sitting Down rule; while we were dithering, his oxygen was getting heavy and he was getting thirsty.) The table was a high top and a big screen was nearby. The table was set with a couple rolls of paper towels and 2 types of sauce; Spicy and Not. To prepare my plate I put a small squirt of each so I could taste test with my french fry.

I may be our only blogger who rates a BBQ joint by the fries and that is to OK Joe's detriment. The fries were disappointingly skinny and saturated in salt. That didn't keep me from wiping the salt off and consuming an obscene number of them, however. They were crispy enough and quite tasty when dipped in a slurry of the 2 sauces mixed together. The crown jewel of OKlahoma Joe's is not the Pulled Pork I assure you. A bite of Mr. Refs sandwich proved bland. But the ribs! Those ribs were pure perfection! A thin honey glaze was divine as I delved into the meat. Moist, delicious, flavorful and tender. Definitely worth a one time visit across the border. Overall, a bit of a disappointment. That is the danger of the overhyped restaurant.

Rating 3

Oklahoma Joe's: OK by me

What transforms a good sandwich into a great one? Top it off with onion rings.

That’s the lesson I learned at last night’s dinner club. This month’s restaurant pick went to Uncle Richard, who chose Oklahoma Joe’s. Though most KC folks argue Gates vs. Arthur Bryants’, I’ve heard a fair many say O.J.’s is the best.

I ordered the Z Man: a brisket sandwich topped with provolone and onion rings. It was fantastic. The side of red beans and rice was delicious, and they didn’t skimp on the tasty dill pickle slices which were mandatory if you tried the hot BBQ sauce. The fries were tasty (but huge; one bag served five of us), and the ribs were some of the best I’ve ever had.

What would have topped it off best would be a beer: I abstained, but Josh sure enjoyed his. And how smart is this: each table has a roll of paper towels (shouldn't all BBQ joints, really?). All in all a great pick for BBQ. Needless to say this wasn’t one of the healthier dinner club outings, but we sure had fun.

Dinner Club Kickoff at Sung Son Vietnamese Bistro

I had the honor of choosing the restaurant for the inaugural club dinner. I selected Sung Son in Westport. I don't think any of us has ever had real Vietnamese food before, and we were impressed.

I enjoyed the beef pho, served in a bowl big enough to serve a small family. But still I didn't have any trouble finishing it all. The pho was served with basil, bean sprouts and peppers on the side which made for very complex flavor combinations. I'd head back to this place for good comforting soup any day.

Sorry, no original photos this time. Thanks to the folks who posted these shots online.