Denis Culinary Tours

Last Friday I was invited to attend a boxing/mixed martial arts event at Harrah's casino in North Kansas City. Now when I think of casino food, the sneeze-guard hog trough buffets come to mind, yet I found this interesting little seafood place hiding around the corner from the front door. I sat down at the bar and asked about half-bottles of wine. They didn't have any. Nonplussed, I pressed onward, requesting a by-the-glass list. I then asked which of the wines had been opened that day, as more often than not, 'by the glass' means 'crappy oxidized vinegar'. None of the reds and only a couple of the whites fit the bill, so I picked a martini. Like James Bond, I like my martinis a very specific way, with the only variable being the brand of Gin. “Sapphire Martini very dry, shaken, up, with a twist.” I got a warm, stirred martini with too much vermouth and 2 olives. Ok, for those unused to my reviews, I have very high standards for my restaurant service. I like...

My boyfriend of three years had never made a dinner reservation in all the time I have known him until two weeks before Christmas. He said he wanted to go someplace nice for dinner. I showed him KC Restaurant Guide online and told him to let me know where he wanted to go. About 30 mins later he comes out of the bedroom and tells me we have 7:15 reservations for Friday night. I was a little shocked. We arrived about 2 hours early for dinner and had planned to walk around the plaza but it was so cold. The staff at Ruth's Chris was able to seat us immediately. We had the shrimp cocktail to start and they had to be the biggest we had ever seen. The salad and the drinks were also good...but not half as good as the steaks! The service could not have been better! Aside from the fabulous food, spectacular service, and wonderful view of the plaza from our table, my boyfriend asked me to marry him following dinner. Our server, who was aware of the occasion, gave us ample time to e...

Nice concept but upon entering the second floor establishment the first thing that caught our eyes was the two dirty ceiling vents ajar and hanging down, as well as an empty hole above the entrance. As diner service started the lobster bisque was an enjoyable starter. However the entrees were less exciting. When the entrées arrived, pheasant breast pink peppercorn and chablis sauce served with the usual potato and veggie. Presentation was fair, but the pheasant was not seasoned and the sauce was not reduced and did not meld together and began to separate, which created pockets of different bitter flavors. Tur other entrée was duck breast in a fig port reduction. Presentation was nice and the duck was seasoned and cooked properly, but the port sauce was slightly overpowering. Service was a bit off as I only received one full glass of iced tea during dinner and our waiter visited the table a half dozen times throughout the evening. One other concern is the menu pricing which we f...