Coal Vines

Now as others have said there is something magical about the Plaza during christmas time. I just love it the lights, decorations, stores, people its just a wonderful place. But we dont really care about that right now we want to hear about Coal Vines.

I walked in and loved the persona of this place, it looked hip it looked styling, it looked like a classy wine bar. I sat down as I was the first one there again... adn this time I was alone Erin was in St louis for a confrence. I looked over the menu, short and too the point, but I have learned from other places that, just because there isnt much on the menu doesnt mean that what it has wont rock your socks off.

I looked carefully over the wine list... Whats this? where is the rest of the menu? There is 6 things to choose for in wine and the price... $14 a glass on the cheap end.... No Thanks, I'll have a beer. Now dont get me wrong we are on the plaza and it usually is a bit more to endulge here, but give us poor people a boxers chance. Plus can you really call yourself a wine bar with that few of wine choices? It was a little disappointing.

I ordered a pizza and it was ok... as everyone said crust was quite tasty but everything else, kind of plain, I am not one to brag, but if you want some tasty pizza come ask anyone of my family members as I have attended 3 pizza cookoffs the worst of the worst of our pizza's would knock the pants off of any of those. As usual Sara's Pizza was the best.

Now for my final thoughts. The place was lovely and would make for a great date night. However it didnt "WOW" me and as far as dates on the plazza, there are quite a few I would pick over this place. So if you dont mind expensive wine and mediocre pizza than try this place out. 3.0 out of 5 from me.

A Classy Joint for the Swanky Set

For her December pick, Becky selected Coal Vines Pizza & Wine Bar on the Plaza. This is a nice choice for a quiet dinner for two or four people, although for bigger groups I would recommend elsewhere.

Justin and I walked in, one of us holding Luke and the other his diaper bag, and I thought we would be very out of place. The restaurant is dark and upscale, with bottles and bottles of wine lining the walls (did I mention I was carrying a huge diaper bag?). If Luke cried, where would we take him? How many angry wine drinkers would glare at me? Just what on earth were we thinking bringing a baby to a wine bar?

Not so. The service was excellent and the vibe easygoing. I felt like this baby-toting family was just as welcome as the attractive couple at the next table.

Coal Vines offers 8-10 or so wines available by the glass or bottle. It seemed a good variety to me, although for a wine bar could probably have offered more. Maybe they make it simple and offer the best of the best. Unfortunately I didn’t have wine so I can’t review this aspect.

Their menu is simple: a few appetizer options, a few entrée options and pizza. Don’t expect BBQ Chicken or anything fusion—this pizza is basic with the option to add toppings. I added anchovies, that being the wildest item on the menu.

My pizza was delicious. Great crust and perfectly salty thanks to my little fishy friends (how I loved eating them).

My rating: 3.25 (up from my initial 3) out of 5. I’d probably rank it higher if I could go back, enjoy some wine and an unhurried, baby-free meal. That's Amore!

A Cozy Little Pizza Place

Mr. Ref Here.  We went to Coal Vines this past week for our December outing and it was really nice.  Anytime you go to the Plaza during the Christmas months the Plaza lights are awesome.  It is one of the great Kansas City traditions, that most of us have enjoyed for years and years.  At Coal Vines I enjoyed Rigatoni and it was very good, it had Rapini with Italian sausage and parmesan, it also had broccoli, and every bite was excellent.  It was the perfect amount of spice for me and was the perfect amount of food.

The decor was very cool and unique, I really like all of the wine bottles being displayed on the walls and enjoyed all of the pictures and wood trim filling the atmosphere.  There were lots of other customers enjoying the same things we were enjoying and that is always a good sign.  I did try some of the pizza that the rest of the group ordered and I would have to say it was just fair, however the crust was very good.  I gave Coal Vine a 3.25 out of 5, but would highly recommend you try it and if you enjoy pasta with Italian sausage the Rigatoni is very good!!!

Perfect December Evening at Coal Vines

Ahhh--December!  Chill in the air, bustle of Christmas shoppers, the magical beauty of the Plaza lights, pizza roasting over an open...oh wait that's supposed to be chestnuts isn't it?  Mrs. Ref here to report on our December GAS Club meeting.  The festive evening began as we viewed the Plaza lights (driving round and round and round to find parking!) and a short walk later, entered the corner space previously occupied by ReVerse.  Greeted by a larger than life-sized print of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra on the back wall, Coal Vines rocks a cool vibe with the bar wall lined with wine bottles, a wall of windows facing Brush Creek and dark tables in a dark space occupied by a crowd filled with Christmas Sprint--or wine--or something...  But there really does seem to be a fun, festive, warm feeling in this space.  I do have fond memories of the place when it was Reverse as I spent a few evenings with my work buds over happy hour there. 

The new space seems to maintain a sophisticated aura even if the menu is bit "dumbed down" for this suburban crowd. The menu is brief, but that's a blessing when you're with a group and easily distracted.  I shared the White Pizza with tomotoes, mushroom, and spinach with Grandpa and I loved the crispy, flavorful crust, but I can't say I was really impressed with the pizza---with just five(?) basic offerings I would expect something closer to perfection.  Still,  I enjoyed it, and pehaps the abudant Ricotta and lack of salt would be perfect for someone like Mr. Ref who thought it was quite wonderful.
I like to think of myself as someone who knows a thing or two about wine (maybe not more than 3 things), but I found the wine list thin, moreover, our server seemed to know less than I.  She was friendly and trying--even bringing a sample of a wine that she personally liked, but "unable to find" the one Grandpa wanted.  Not sure if there was much more than 20 bottles offered--but guess that bottle got lost in the "crowd".
Yes, I've eaten better pizza, seen more interesting, extensive wine lists, but I can't say I've had a better time that I did on that perfect December evening when the GAS Club convened at the Pizza and Wine bar called Coal Vines.  Final Score 4 of 5 (extra points for ambiance)

Guadalajara Cafe. Its pretty OK.

Sorry, no poem this month.

Guadalajara Cafe is just on the Missouri side of State Line, near I-435.  The restaurant interior was a typical restaurant, nothing special, no remarkable charm or grit or even roll-your-eyes kitsch - just, you know, the inside of a restaurant.  The interior was pretty OK. 

But margaritas were ordered, and the meal was looking up.  The margaritas were pretty good.

The menu was extensive and promising.  Several delicious sounding dishes (How does a dish sound delicous, you ask? Use your imagination and quit worrying about my contradictory senses).  The menu was pretty good.

We had some non-bloggers last month; their names rhyme with Lerin and Leth (I didn't say I was a good poet).  Asides aside, Lerin and Leth ordered some quesadillas for appetizers, one with squash blossoms, one with mushrooms, I think, and one with something else.  I liked the squash blossom and mushroom quesadillas.  The appetizers-of-shame were pretty good.  The appetizer-of-shame rule is pretty great.

And there were margaritas.  The margaritas were pretty good.

I ordered the Steak Mariposa.  It was cheesy and came with beans (yeah, Sara got to deal with that all night), but it was pretty tough.  The Steak Mariposa was pretty tough and pretty OK.  Sara's night was pretty tough.

I had a bite of Sara's mole.  It tasted more like chocolate, and less like a freckle, than I expected.  But seriously, she should have a doctor look at that before I eat it all.  Sara's mole was pretty good. 

And we had margaritas.  The margaritas were pretty good.

Then I was out of margaritas. and we waited for the bill for a long time, and they couldn't split the bill, and I was out of margaritas.  Their ability to not-split-the-bill when I was out of margaritas, and all my margaritas were gone, was pretty great. I know it is a small thing, but really? Really?! You can't split the bill?! And me with an empty margarita glass! And there were none more margaritas in mine glasses. That stuff was all gone, the stuff with the, with the, you know, with the lime and the salt, you knooooow, with the... and ices inside the saltiness of the... you knooooooow, the.. the... yesssh, yesssh, the margrarinas, yeah, with mine margrarinas all bye-bye and no split was bill. I'm just a bill, up on a capital hill... IF YOU CAN'T SPLIT THE BILL, THEN MAYBE I WILL CAN'T SPLIT MY RANKING, I MEAN RATING, RANKING AND YOU CAN K- WHAT?! Wazz that, shweetie?  There's more what? Do I want some more what?  Oooh, more margaritas! I give this place a 10!  10,0000!!!

And scene.  

So overall Guadalaraja gets a 2.7 and that is pretty OK.  The end.

Margarita Buena, Comida Ok

I was so excited that the GAS club was going to Guadalajara Cafe for a couple reasons.  First, I LOVE Mexican food, it is one of my favorites! Second, I frequently go to the Panera Bread located right beside it with co-workers and we always comment on it and have been wanting to try it, however never had enough time.  

So to start off the night, since I am such a terrible blogger and forgot to blog, I went straight to the appetizers on the menu, since I would be buying one for everyone to share.  There were so many interesting things to choose from.  I am used to most Mexican restaurants having queso, nachos, and small dishes, however Guadalajara had a variety of nice things to choose from. Many had mushrooms, which Becky and I don't like so after looking through the menu I decided on the Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza, a quessadilla with squash.  Beth also owed an appetizer so got 2 other quessadillas.  As we waited for our appetizers we snacked chips (which were unfortunately stale) and enjoyed 2 different types of Margaritas, thanks to grandpa, which were AMAZING! I enjoyed the more traditional quessadilla that Beth ordered.  The squash quesadilla was okay, I felt it was a little bland with not much flavor/  

For my main course, I wanted to try something I had never had before, but I decided to go with my favorite Mexican dish, enchiladas.  I got three chicken enchiladas served with rice and re fried beans.  To be completely honest, I was very disappointed   They definitely weren't the worst enchiladas I have had, but I expected better since Guadalajara was ranked the best restaurant in Kansas City.  I am not sure if some of my disappointment in the food was due to my disappointment in the service and if I went back another time and the service wasn't so poor, I may have enjoyed them more.  The next day when I had my leftovers for lunch, I enjoyed them more, so maybe it was the poor service as to why they didn't taste as well or maybe I was just really hungry the next day at work?!?  I was very dissatisfied with the service.  I waited tables for 3 years, so I often can relate and feel for wait staff.  However, in this situation I felt the restaurant was not overly crowded for it to take as long as it did.

My overall rating is 2.8 out 5.  As always, I enjoyed being with everyone and the margaritas were delicious!  

Dinner Club heads to the Plaza this month

December's pick goes to Becky, and she's taking the GAS club to the beautifully lit Plaza.

What restaurant, you ask? Find out next week!

Margarita, por favor!

Before I begin my critique of my experience at Guadalajara Restaurant, I must confess, I am a California native - so, as you could imagine, my expectations for Mexican cuisine are a bit high.

As an invited guest, I had the opportunity to join the Gastronomic All Stars Dinner Club in dining at Guadalajara Nov. 1.

The Mexican restaurant had a casual, family-oriented ambiance with table and booth seating. We dined on a Thursday evening and there wasn't much of a crowd. The service was slow which was surprising since the restaurant wasn't crowded.

Now, let's get to the drinks and food.

We ordered regular margaritas as well as house margaritas with Grand Marnier. They were exquisite - perhaps the best I have ever had.

The chips and salsa were average. I prefer warm, crispy chips and these didn't seem to be too fresh. As for the salsa, it too, did not seem fresh.

For our appetizers, we ordered a variety of different quesadillas (chicken, mushroom, and squash). The chicken quesadilla melted in your mouth - a true delight. I was excited for the other quesadillas but unfortunately, I thought their taste was rather bland.

I ordered taquitos for my dinner entree. Although I was not impressed, I still enjoyed the flavor of the chicken with some guacamole.

All in all, I rated the restaurant a 3.0 out of 5.0.

Guadalajara is an average Mexican Restaurant - not fabulous, but not terrible either. I say, go for the margaritas and a chicken quesadilla! You can't go wrong with that order.

This month we visited Guadalajara Cafe on 103rd St in South KC.  This is our second opportunity to try a Mexican restaurant.  For me Chips, salsa and margaritas are an important part of the Mexican experience.   Guadalajara far surpassed expectations with the margaritas, and were well below par on the chips and salsa.   Starting with the good, I consider myself a margarita afficionado, mostly because I really like them, and the margaritas are probably in my top 3 I have every drank.  The pitcher we had with Grand Marinier, were especially delicious.   Now the chips, were well below average.  Chips should be warm, thin and crisp and these chips were none of those.  The salsa was a little above average, but I personally prefer a smoother rather than chunky salsa.

The food I thought was very good.   I had carne asada and found it to be well seasoned and flavorful.  The beans were exceptional, probably the best I have ever had, but you can't go wrong when adding heart clogging lard to your beans.  I have had Mole several times, but have never cared for it,  the enchiladas with mole that Sara were very good and I would definitely order it, if I ever went back.

As good as the food was the service was equally poor.   Although I did not make reservations, and we had a large party, the restaurant was not all that full, and the time spent waiting for dinner was unacceptable.   Another issue was the inability of the waiter to split tickets, we had 6 different families at dinner, some did have cash and it made splitting the what each person owed, a pain and added a higher tip than what I felt was warranted for such poor service.

Even with all my complaints, the food was very good and it wouldn't take much for this restaurant to take care of it's service and billing issues.

I give Guadalajara Cafe a 3.5 based on the exceptional food.   I probably should have taken off another .25 for the poor billing practice and added gratuity.

Mahhhhheeeeeeecoooooo

Holla mi amigos! Thats about as much Spanish as I know. Lucky for me I dont need to know spanish to write a review! For the umpteenth time Erin and I are the first on the seen and luckly so as my Mother had forgotten to make reservations, so we made them when we got there and got seated.

As we ordered a few appertizers thanks to two lazy bloggers (Erin & Beth) Quesadillas of all varieties. They actually were not too bad, not fantastic, but not terrible either. As usual I ordered something with a kick as my meal and thought it was good, not great, but good. I tried several others plates and I thought all of it was good, not great. Sara once again picked the best thing out of anyone she has some kind of magical gift to do that, it really isnt fair.

Now to be negative, the service was terrible! We waited well over a hour before getting the food served to us, took forever to get a refil on water and it was just overall poor services.

The positive part, The maragritas were fantastic! Some of the best in KC! SO if you are looking for a good drink stop here, if you are looking for good Mexican with good service and come to think about good cornoritas, get in your car drive a litter farther north to Paparicos!

2.75/5

Go for the Margaritas

This is Mrs. Ref and let me start with a disclaimer:  I have experienced the Guadalajara Restaurant before--but I've only been to the Lee's Summit location.  Can't say that this location compares favorably; but there are still some highlights that makes it a worthwhile visit.  First of all, I count my calories pretty close and I often rate food as "worth the calories" or not.  Let me assure you that the margaritas at Guadalajara are worth the calories!  How many drinks make you say "Yum"?  Guaranteed, this one will, so make sure you get a pitcher.
This seems to be an older, probably much more established location.  It feels more like a typical Mexican restaurant, very casual, but the food is not typical KC Tex/Mex fare.  The food served was a little uneven--some quite delicious and some average to below.  We started with several of the quesadillas and the chicken was quite delicious.  Mushroom and squash blossom, not quite as flavorful.  I ordered the Oaxaca Pork which had a tomatillo sauce and side of beans.  The pork was tough and I wasn't impressed with the flavor until I spread the beans on top and the smoky flavor melded so well with the other flavors that I finished off my portion despite my best judgement as the portion was quite generous.  I loved the Mole dish that was layered with flavorful delishiousness on Sarah's plate.
Ultimately, I think you must have great salsa and  crispy chips (preferably served hot) to really call yourself a Mexican Restaurant in Kansas City even if you are authentic!  Guadaljara just can't compete with some of the most common Tex/Mex stations in Kansas City, however.  The chips are very pedestrian and the salsa--despite having fresh ingredients--does not have a complex, firey flavor that rises above most found at the local grocer.  When mixed with the "spicey" sauce you can get if you ask, it achieves an average score.
The service here also failed to achieve the quality of most (certainly not all) of our picks.  But with the tasty Margaritas on hand and fabulous company including California intern,  Portia, I didn't really mind.
Guadalajara scored enough points on my palette for a solid 3 of 5.  (If you're looking for excellent, fresh, authentic Mexican flavors--visit to the Lee's Summit location.  I am certain you will be satisfied!)

Marvelous Molé

The dinner club rang in our 15th meeting by heading south--not quite to the border, but to south Kansas City to eat at Guadalajara.

Ambiance: Guadalajara is a casual family place. You won't feel like your in Mexico or anything, but it was nice enough.

Service: We were a party of eight plus a baby. Handling hot platters of food and balancing large margarita pitchers isn't easy around a huge table. That said, service was on the slow side, so don't go here with a large group unless you can spare a couple of hours. The server made sure we had plenty of water refills, a must when tasting spicy salsa.

Drinks: I mentioned margaritas, and these were fantastic. We tried the regular margaritas and the Guadalaja house style with Grand Marnier.

Food: This is where the place shines. For appetizers, we had a few kinds of quesadillas (mushroom and squash blossom) and cheesy chicken enchiladas. They were really good, especially the chicken. I'm no fan of chicken generally, but the enchiladas were great.

So great, in fact, I ordered more chicken enchiladas for an entree, this time with molé sauce. I have never tried molé, which is made from cacao. It was fantastic. Don't picture Hershey's syrup--it's nothing like that. Think a subtle chocolate-tasting gravy with a hint of cinnamon, but still very savory, and topped with sesame seeds. Delicious, and my fellow diners who sampled my dish agreed. 

I sampled other dishes, and they were all OK. I enjoyed the refried beans very much, but how can you mess up beans fried in lard?

I give Guadalajara a 3.75 stars. It gets a boost from the delicious appetizers and molé sauce. I would go back, but instead of trying something new I would order the same thing again.

Featured GAS Club Member: Grandpa

After taking a month off, Get to Know the Gassies is back. This month's pick is in Grandpa's hands, so let's spend a little time learning about him.

What is your favorite Kansas City restaurant? 
Doesn't have one

Of all the restaurants the dinner club has tried, which one would you like to eat again at most? 
Can't remember

What’s the most delicious dish you tried at a dinner club outing? 
Anna's Oven beef stroganoff

What’s the most unique food you’ve ever eaten?
Fried Eel

Is there a particular food item that, if you saw it in a menu, would make you choose that dish right away? 
Any good Mexican dish

If you could banish any one ingredient or dish from the earth, what would it be? 
Okra

Is there a food that you enjoyed as a child that now you don't like? 
Can't think of any

Is there a food that you didn't like as a child that you now enjoy? 
Spinach

If you could travel to any country for the sole purpose of eating, where would you go? 
Italy

If you could eat dinner with any three people, living or dead, who would they be? 
Teddy Roosevelt Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman

MCBC, ya'll.

Meeting near the railroad tracks.
All the gang was there.
Risotto with scallops offered as the special.
The rest of the menu is mostly sandwiches.
I‘d have the special, but first to quench my thirst.
Need a flight of beers with two kinds of pumpkin ale.

Cozy inside.
Indeed, pretty busy for a weeknight.
They call themselves a brewing company.
Yet, no homebrew available.

Beer: good and plentiful.
Risotto: rich and creamy.
Every scallop cooked perfectly.
Would that I could eat it every day.
I learned it is not easy to cook scallops.
No problem here.
Good.

Chug down the rest of the flight.
Oh… my.
Merry little Luke was delightful all night - well until the end.
Pleasant waitress.
And mom even paid – thanks!
Notwithstanding the lack of homebrew: 4.1 out of 5.
Yes, Sara drove home.

Mr. Ref here.  As you can see I have waited until the last minute, just like some others do, and I cannot remember where we went last month or what I had to eat.  I believe I enjoyed it, I usually do, but then again I just can't remember.  It was so long ago.  It seems to me if we would all enter our last encounter, as the GAS club, a little earlier that it would be fresher on our minds, and the rest of us could read and enjoy every ones blog before the next outing.  Anyway, I forgot why I am writing on this blog, oh yeah, I don't want to have to buy the appetizers next time I attend the GAS club outing.

Just remembered I had a pork tenderloin sandwich and I think it was pretty good and I enjoyed it, not really sure though, I can't remember.  And I cannot remember what rating I gave the establishment we eat at, but I think it was a 3.5 out of 5.

Everyone enjoy this month, I will not be in attendance due to some referee duties I must take care of.  See you next month!!!!!

Coming up this week (and a clarification)

The club will meet this week at a Mexican restaurant. Which one, you ask? Wait until later this week to find out. Here's a hint: a Kansas City magazine named this joint The Best Restaurant in the City. Olé!

And a note for you non-blogging members out there: free chips and salsa that we've all come to expect at Mexican restaurants do not count as appetizers of shame! If you choose not to blog, you shall pay (in the form of paid starters).

October was the Martin City Brewery.  Living in Peculiar I often go to World  Market and a few of the other shops in Martin City, it is a great little, know mostly for Jess and Jim's steak house. 

The Martin City Brewery was a great little find, though I don't care that much for beer that had an offering of about 5 5oz beers to try.  Two of these samplers were ordered and I tried a couple of the different beers.  The pumpkin was quite good, but can't hold a candle to the Belgium  beer I had at Green Dirt Farm, Lindemans, Lambic Ale.  That is another blog.   I really loved the building that housed the restaurant.  Wonderful paintings and a tin roof.   

The only food I tried was what I ordered, Peppered Scallops with Bacon Risotto.   Although the Scallops were a tad to peppery for me, after scrapping off some of the pepper, they were some of the best scallops I had ever ate.  There are few things tastier than a perfectly cooked scallop.   This was the first time I had ever ate risotto and I thought it was very good.  It was extremely creamy, almost buttery and it tasted as good as the way too many calories it contained.

I would go back again and give Martin City Brewery a score of 4.0/5

A Martin City State of Mind

The dinner club headed south this month to the Martin City Brewing Company. What a treat. I give my compliments to my husband Justin for choosing such a great place.

How about a bit of background for you city folk who haven't ventured to Martin City. What a place. After you cross the train tracks, you arrive in a quaint little downtown. The restaurant's tiny parking lot was full, so Justin and I had to park down a residential street filled with beautiful old homes proudly displaying "Notable Historic Property" signs. It was just as much River City as Martin City, for the Rodgers and Hammerstein fans out there. I could absolutely live here, which would mean I could walk to the Brewing Co. anytime.

Now on to the restaurant. First, we were greeted by the owner. He worked hard as did the friendly waitstaff. The place has charm: the clapboard and aluminum siding walls are rustic, with funky paintings paying tribute to the likes of Billie Holiday and BB King. There's even a loft space above the main dinning area with (what looked like) an original tin roof ceiling. The bar area is cozy, just watch those steps after you've been sampling their beer.

Now that I mention beer, this place has the best selection I've come across in Kansas City. And the prices are unbelievable. I ordered a Tallgrass Pale Ale, which I tasted and declared to be the perfect beer. Seriously, try one.

The menu was impressive, especially the large selection of different appetizers (like risotto balls. Who wouldn't want to try that?). I ordered the egg and sage sandwich. It was pretty good: toasted sourdough with tomato and aioli. I tried Justin's scallop special, and it was very tasty.

One more thing: the music. This place played great stuff: CCR and Led Zeppelin. Yet even with its bustling, beerhouse feel, the noise was just the right level to make conversation easy. I have a feeling our hosts go through quite a lot of trouble to make diners feel comfortable.

I recommend this place to anyone looking for a relaxing meal, group dinner or beer on the patio while watching a band. My rating at the restaurant was 4/5, but I have such fond feelings for the place, I'm upping it to 4.25/5.

A brewski for me ski!

Martin City Brewhouse what to say what to say... First off I was very excited to get out of the same ol routine of westport/plaza/dt KC and I found out that it is only a short drive from my house so I could come back here more often now that I know its so close. 

Since we live so close Erin and I got there first and asked what this brewhouse what is the best homemade brew that they serve... to find out they dont have their own beer... at least not yet, however they do have a very wide selection of beer at a very reasonable price so we order a few beers. DELICIOUS!

We than ordered wings which i wasnt impressed with, not terrible just not as good as Wingstreet or BWW.

We than ordered a flight of beer which is 5 5 oz drinks for $8 and some change and got to sample a lot of different beers which was fun.

I ordered a tenderloin sandwich for my meal that came with steak fries. I have to admit this was one of the better tenderloins that I have had hand battered and crunchy it was very good. I also really enjoyed the scallops that everyone seemed to get as they are easily some of the plumpest best scallops I have ever seen especially since scallops are easily overcooked.

The atmosphere was fantastic a mix between a bar and a sports bar I could see myself coming here in the spring and listening to a band jam while drinking a beer, hopefully I will get to try their own beer next time.

To sum it up the food wasnt great but good but the atmosphere really made this a place I would frequent reguarly. 3.9/5

Babies take over the Brewing Company!

It's me, Luke. I'm back to tell you about my dinner at Martin City Brewing Company. First, I loved it because so many wonderful people held me and played with me. It's much more fun than sitting in a boring-old high chair during dinner.

Second, this was my first time feeding myself. My mom (she is really great, isn't she?) brought me some Baby Mum Mums which are Japanese rice teething crackers. Now I have a pretty sophisticated palette for a baby, so believe me when I say that these don't have much flavor. Still I enjoyed eating them.

Finally, while I had a great time, I want to explain my meltdown. My parents joked to the waitress that I would be on a separate tab. I didn't think that was funny, and I cried. I'm not ashamed. I just don't want to pay my own way, not yet.

Osteria Il Centro

As I promised last month,
A special post for this time.
A gastronomical review
Written entirely in rhyme.

I hope it doesn’t seem silly,
Impractical or obtuse
If my post pays homage 
To Silverstein, Rakoff, and Suess.

Osteria Il Centro,
A nice Italian joint.
Pretty good food and wine,
To get right to the point.

But some GAS business first:
 As we all signed our name
To petition for Josh
To buy the Appetizer of Shame.

He couldn’t get out
Of the pact, though he tried.
The calamari was good,
But isn’t everything fried?

I got the house spaghetti—
Italian sausage my choice.
I grabbed knife and fork
Like a child grabs toys.

I tucked in my napkin
And plunged right ahead,
Stuffing my gullet with
Pasta, wine and bread.

As I came up for air
From this gluttonous session,
I realized I’d forgotten,
My own Italian eatery lesson.

The lesson is this,
Though I usually forget it,
I always order pasta
And usually regret it.

The pasta was just fine,
The meal wasn’t a loss.
But there’s more to Italian cooking
Than pasta and sauce.

Next time I’ll ask Sara
To help in that dark hour
When visions of noodles,
Creams and cheeses overpower.

With an ambiguous sigh,
I considered my sin,
Unbuckled my belt,
Imagined what could’ve been.

But what’s done is done,
Now it’s too late.
Only one thing to do—
Guess I’ll finish my plate!

As to the décor and the mood,
For the most part it delighted,
But some faux Roman motif 
Was a little short-sighted.

But other than that, and
I don’t think this is contentious,
I thought it was rather distinguished,
Without being pretentious.

With good food and company,
Hours pass without knowing.
With another stop to make,
We had to get going.

Off to have ice cream,
And I knew I was in trouble.
Though stuffed to the brim,
My scoops would be double.

Now in a stupor,
I paused and reflected,
“How was Il Centro?
Was it what I expected?”

In the end, I’d say yes.
The place was quite charming.
A little bit pricey,
But not too alarming.

I’d definitely go there again,
Maybe on a date for some lovin’.
But if I had my druthers,
I’d still head west to Anna’s Oven.

But, the food was real good,
And, it certainly wasn’t dive,
Overall I really liked it—
Three-point-eight out of five.

Now, Gassy gang,
My challenge to you,
Make next month’s post
In the form of haiku.

Yum, another very tasty Italian restaurant. We ventured to the restaurant of Beth's choice down on the plaza.  The location was perfect. Nice scenery and next to the amazing Glacé, so when a restaurant is located near there you know the night will always end well because you will have an awesome desert!  I thought the atmosphere of the place was very nice, dressy casual and I enjoyed people watching.
We started off the night with an appetizer, which josh payed for (thanks Justin for starting the petition  to make what was right happen).  The appetizer was huge and a variety of options: calamari, humus, pita, bruschetta and goat cheese.  I was not the biggest fan of the calamari, but I am a snob when it comes to calamari. I absolutely love goat cheese and the mixture of the goat cheese and bruschetta was awesome. I enjoyed a glass of malbec from Mendoza with my food, which was delicious.  I decided to order the walnut chicken with Gorgonzola cheese sauce.  I am a huge cheese head and Gorgonzola is one of my favorites, therefor when I saw this it was a no brainier! As I expected it was very tasty and did not disappoint.  The sauce was creamy with a great flavor, a nice amount of walnuts to add a crunch ANd the chicken was tender. The portion was HUGE so was able to have leftovers the next day, which is always a plus!
My overall rating: 4.3

Where to Go?

It’s time once again
For the All-Stars to meet.
To have some good company,
And something tasty to eat.

Please bear my exercise
In rhythm and rhyme,
As I reveal the restaurant;
It’s my pick this time.

But picking for the GAS club
Is no easy charge.
This assignment is sacred,
The burden is large.

And just to top it all off,
To increase my stress,
Dinner club falls on a special day—
Sara’s and my anniversary, no less.

Should I pick a place
That could honor my wife?
The woman who brings joy
Everyday to my life.

Such warmth and kindness,
Such unnerving beauty—
A place worthy of her?
What a daunting duty!

Her deep, soulful eyes, 
A smile powerless to resist—
A place worthy of her?
It couldn’t exist!

Her spirit so vibrant,
Her features so striking—
A place worthy of her?
Not a single one to my liking!

Her presence and grace,
How motherly tender—
A place worthy of her?
Impossible to render!

So thoughtful, selfless,
Creative, maternal—
A place worthy of her?
Not if my search were eternal!

How Luke brightens up,
Whenever she’s around—
A place worthy of her?
It couldn’t be found!

How thoughts of her
Constantly consume me—
A place worthy of her?
The prospect does doom me!

The glow that she radiates,
In which we are lucky to bask—
A place worthy of her?
It’s too much to ask!

An angel in the kitchen,
But a siren in the [inappropriate]—
A place worthy of her?
It’s impossible, I said!

Her touch so [inappropriate]
Her figure so [inappropriate]—
A place worthy of her?
The thought truly does vex me!

The curve of her [inappropriate]
And a gaze so [inappropriate]—
A place worthy of her?
A quest wholly unproductive!

Her humor and intellect,
Her infectious wit—
A place worthy of her?
Yeah, right – I quit!

A place worthy of her,
I knew I’d never find.
I needed a new approach
To decide where we’d dine.

I thought long and hard;
Scratched the old head.
Burger joint? Steakhouse?
Maybe vegan, instead?

How about seafood?
Or what about Lebanese?
Perhaps some café that
Serves wine and cheese?

Sushi is good,
But not everyone’s taste.
The deadline was looming,
I must pick with haste.

A chili dive joint,
All raw and gritty?
Or some posh bistro
Up in the city?

Then there’s Cajun and Creole.
Maybe the cuisine of Peru?
Even Pizza or Pakistani.
How about fondue?

Who would have thought?
So many choices, it hurts.
Maybe I could pick a place
That serves just desserts.

Where could we go for our 
Tastebud celebration?
Maybe I could figure it out
By process of elimination.

Thai, Mexican – done that.
Jamaican – been there.
Even had German, Moroccan,
And Ethiopian fare.

Indian’s already been picked,
Ain’t that a pity?
And barbeque two times –
Well, this is Kansas City.

Vietnamese was quite good.
Asian fusion, too, of course.
Italian was liked so much,
We had it twice without remorse.

We’d been so many places;
Most sweet, some sour.
But what would I do with the
Responsibility of my power?

So many great restaurants;
Such hard acts to be followed.
I sat down with a beer
And thought as I swallowed:

“We have eaten all kinds
Of foreign flora and fauna.
What we needed was a bit
Of good ol’ Americana.

“Not only that,
But the places we’ve selected
Have emphasized solids,
While liquids were neglected.”

I knew just the place,
No longer disheartened.
It would be the Brewing Company
In the City of Martin.

We’d seen our friend’s band there,
This Saturday last.
Jervis Jort was their name,
And they totally kicked behind (this is a family blog).

We could have some good food,
And domestic ale treasures.
Plus a couple of imports,
Just for good measure.

So please let me know
Who will attend the occasion.
Then I can take care of
Calling in the reservation.

It’s at five hundred east
One hundred thirty-fifth street.
Right near the train tracks,
That's where we’ll eat!

Now, it’s bit of a drive,
But don’t make a stink.
A good selection of beer
Is what’s important, I think.

Location Location Location

This month we visited an Italian restaurant just off the Plaza.   The restaurant was small and cozy, not many folks had stopped for dinner yet.   We began are meal with Josh providing the appetizer, since he had not followed the rules to the letter, in August, he made up for it in September.  The appetizer a whirling dervish of taste sensations, was a large plate including pesto, calamari, hummus, bruschetta, pitas and bread.  It was a wonderful start to dinner.  I ordered a delightful Moscato to drink with dinner...mmm, mmmm, mmm.  It was delicious.  I ordered the Walnut Chicken with a Gorgonzola sauce.   The sauce was creamy with just the right amount of garlic.  The serving size was so large, I was able to make 3 meals out of my dinner.   The bread that was served with the meal was also very good.   I would highly recommend this restaurant and definitely would go back again.   Now to the title....location, location, location.   We were only 2 blocks from Glace,  which of course increases my rating for any restaurant that close, and were able to finish the night with a triple dip bowl.   My rating is 4.25

Italiano!

So... what to say about this little place. First off I really liked the location for multiple reasons! It had a nice atmosphere more so of what you are use to when you go eat Italian.

As I was ordering our my food I somehow got talked into paying my debt of owing a starter all though i shouldnt have had to do such a silly thing, it is not my fault that I am grandpa's favorite and he wanted to pay for my mistakes. But that is neither here nor there. When I got this starter lets just say it started the meal off on the right path. It was a huge portion of all of your favorites calamari, hummus, and much more and to be honest i enjoyed it much more than the actual meal.  As for my meal which i enjoyed with a delicious wine, I had the seafood ravioli and I hate to say it I was rather disappointed. It had no seafood taste to it, no chunks of shrimp or lopster, just cheese and the Sauce I am sure was poured from a cambells tomato soup can. Now I may be being a bit negative towards this place as I did enjoy the food and if I had for my lunch today I would not complain. However, compared to Anna's and cost for what I got back... I just didnt think it was quite as much bang for your buck.

To end the night we did enjoy some glace which is top 5 best ice cream in the world... or at least KC!

Overall I would go back if it was a date night and maybe dress nice and show off my lady, but for just going back to grab a bite I'd head up the road a ways to Anna's overall 3.510012344232133333333.

Il-Centro: Another great excuse to drink wine & eat ice cream

This little Italian restaurant captured my attention with the interesting architecture of the building and doesn't disappoint on the inside.  It feels more formal than the typical pasta joint, but cozy and comfortable nonetheless. Although they have an extensive wine list, they post a small list of featured wines which helps one from feeling overwhelmed with choices.  I ended up with a lovely Moscato, sweet, sparkling, delicious!
A great start to go along with the lovely combo appetizer platter Josh supplied our table with.  Goat cheese and warm pita was the best!  The menu had several delicious looking pizzas, but it is hard to pass up seafood ravioli.  I haven't realy met a ravioli I didn't like, and this one was no exception.  I liked it just fine; but it wasn't special and I was hoping for special.  I got sucked in by the atmosphere and the appetizers but was disappointed in the bland pillows that didn't hint of fresh (or otherwise) seafood, just ricotta.  I had to ask for fresh parmesan cheese and was sad to see glass shakers of dried parmesan sitting on our table.  Il Centro didn't seem like a "Pizza Hut" joint, so the shakers seemed out of place.
All was not lost, however!  Crispy eggplant parmesan ordered by Sara had such a generous serving Sarah shared with the table allowing me several heavenly bites.  Ravioli forgotten, I enjoyed my appetizer, Moscato and eggplant and wouldn't mind returning to try one of the pizzas.
Final score 3.5 of 5.  It doesn't hurt that Glace' is just down the street!

Il Centro - A little slice of Italy

Mr. Ref here and this time we dined at a real Italian restaurant and it was great.  When I go eat Italian, I always order spaghetti because it is my favorite meal and this was no different.  I had Veal Meatballs and it was delicious.  I have never had veal meatballs before, I usually get meat sauce or regular Italian meatballs, however the veal meatballs were very good and I was glad I ordered it.  I also tried some of the other dishes that were ordered and I will say the eggplant parmesan that Sara had was the best eggplant parmesan I have ever had and the chicken Walnut pasta that Erin had was also very good.  I did try Mrs. Ref's seafood ravioli and did not think it was one of the better dishes that was ordered.  I felt the decor was very nice and I thought the waitress did a very good job taking care of us.  I would definetly recommend Il Centro to anyone that wants a nice Italian dinner.  My only compliant is it is a little pricey compared to other Italian restaurants, but the food is very good.  I gave it a 4.25 out of a possible 5.

Il Centro: no red-checkered tablecloths here

 On Thursday the club ventured to Osterio Il Centro in the south Plaza area. This place comes highly recommended and for good reason: it's delicious. I've wanted to try it since I first drove by and saw this quote painted on their window: "Garlic is the catsup of intellectuals." (Flattery will get you everywhere.)

It's exactly what it's presented to be: a casual nice dining place. It's pricier than most dinner club restaurants (entrees in the $15-$20 range), but well worth it if you're looking for a special night out. It's small with dark wood and bright art. The waitstaff wears long black aprons and ties, so you know it's legit.

Josh started us out with a delicious appetizer sampler platter, with goat cheese, pesto, bruschetta and lots of bread. We all had wine--I had a malbec which was delicious.

The menu noted their eggplant parmigiana as a customer favorite, so I thought I'd test out just what these customers liked so much. (Usually when I order anything eggplant at a restaurant, it's delicious.) It stood up to the status. The eggplant was lightly breaded, topped with lots of cheese, and served with fettuccini with tomato sauce. There was enough for a large supper and leftovers for lunch.

Il Centro is not the type of family-style Italian joint you'd see in a Martin Scorsese movie. I recommend it for a quiet, special dinner for a couple or group of four. My rating: 4/5 stars.