"Friends" let friends eat Sushi together

Friends Sushi & Bento is in my favorite restaurant corridor--39th Street by KU--where  Gassies often traipse.  On a rain soaked Thursday evening, we braved the elements and the parking situation and opened the door to Friends taking a delightful step into a cozy well-appointed Japanese dining space.  We walked past the Sushi counter to make our way to our table.
I was a little confused about how to order the Sushi and realized too late that I could have paired my Sushi with a Bento box to include soup, salad, veggies and a lite dessert.  I missed that opportunity, but no matter--the real draw for me was another chance to try Sushi.  I'm not a Sushi virgin, but I am definitely on the in-experienced side and didn't recognize anything on the menu except California roll.  I ordered one and added a Volcano roll, which is deep fried before serving.
The Sushi looked attractive enough, but on this day, I didn't find the taste particularly appealing.  The Volcano roll definitely outperformed the California roll on my tongue but it didn't stand up to other Sushi I have tried.  The "deep fry"  made the seaweed outer layer slightly crispy, but not greasy, I guess I couldn't tell how it may have changed the taste.
I was lucky enough to be dining with some non-blogging Gassies, so had an opportunity to try appetizers like veggie tempura, edamane, and shrimp rolls(?)  All the apps were particularly tasty--even the edamane, once I learned how to eat them.
I'm still searching for fabulous Sushi, but in the meantime, Friends is a nice neighborhood place and I'll bet with enough experience, one could find something fabulous on their menu to draw you back.  Service and surroundings were great!  Final score 3.5 of 5 from Mrs. Ref

Zaina was the pick for September, one of favorite types of food, Mediterranean.  Of course Papu's is the nectar of the Gods, but Zaina has some things that meet that high standard.  I ordered the Gyro platter which included rice, rather bland, and a greek salad.  For me a Gyro needs good pita and hot sauce.  Although, the meat was not as good as Papu's the hot sauce was right up there.  Also, the salad was delicious and I would buy it, if it were available.

The restaurant was small with counter service, it was a nice change of pace, plus it was walking distance from work.

I give Zaina a 3.5/5 and would go back for lunch and one of my monthly outings with my co-workers.

Zaina, a nice change of pace

Last month our club dined at Zaina, a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Kansas City. It was great to get back to the concrete jungle where the buildings block out the sunlight and you add ten minutes to your commute to account for limited parking. Seriously!

Zaina was a low-key joint. Justin and I left Luke at home with his Grandpa so we could enjoy a relaxing meal, though this place would have been perfect for a toddler. You order at the counter, and the staff was friendly and helpful.

I had the vegetarian platter: falafel, rice, stuffed grape leaves, salad, pita and hummus. It was good. Not great, but I was pleased enough to eat the entire thing instead of saving leftovers for lunch.

Mediterranean food is healthy (when you eat an entire platter...not so much), which means you can splurge on dessert. I had the rice pudding, which I enjoyed, and Justin and I shared almond and pistachio baklava.

I liked Zaina and would eat there for lunch if I find myself downtown. I don't recall my score at the restaurant, so today I'll give it a 3.5/5 stars.