Denis Culinary Tours

The American Restaurant - Nick Wesemann Although my mantra, or at least my desire, has always been eat dessert first, pastry chef Nick Wesemann at the American Restaurant has always known that the last thing that touches a diner’s lips could well be what s/he most readily remembers.  Dessert is the crowning touch, often creating a truly lasting impression.  A semi-finalist for Best Pastry Chef (one of only 20 throughout the country) by the James Beard Awards this year, Wesemann has pointed out that such acknowledgment surprises and pleases him, especially because it adds recognition of the cuisine talent in the Midwest and his restaurant.  I’ve always wondered who actually selects these chefs, and it’s quite a process – this year, there were around 40,000 initial entries,  done in early fall.  The semifinalists, announced in February and finalists, announced in March, are voted on by over 600 people, mostly (I think) restaurant critics, magaz...

Behind the kitchen, beneath the dining room, before the present You sit down, perhaps at a white-garbed table, perhaps not.  Maybe the walls are old bricks, maybe they’re sheathed in drywall.   You enjoy the ambiance, whatever it is, and perhaps even remark on some of the accoutrements – the flowers on the table, say, an unusual picture, perhaps even the bar and its lighting. Sitting there, you’re probably unlikely to ponder the history of your location.  But, as you await your drink, take a moment to think about where you are eating.  You may be surprised to learn some of the history behind a few of our eateries.    Dining at Union Station Let’s start with one you may know about, Pierpont’s in Union Station.  You probably have admired their bar and the elegant dining room, but what you may not know  is that the restaurant’s three story structure originally housed the women’s smoking room (gasp!) and the women and children...

Dip Into Summer Menu Try the BBQ Brisket Cheddar Cheese Fondue, Wisconsin Wedge Salad, Summer Seafood Catch Entrée and our Chocolate Fondue Banana Split complemented perfectly by our Summertime Sipper cocktail and Shandy Flight. DIP INTO SUMMER MENU Cheese Fondue BBQ Brisket Cheddar Cheese Fondue: Where pitmasters meet fondue. Smoked barbecue brisket shredded into medium-sharp cheddar and Emmenthaler Swiss cheeses, then topped with fresh tomatoes and scallions Salad Wisconsin Wedge Salad, A crisp iceberg wedge with sliced Roma tomatoes, Gorgonzola cheese, hardwood smoked acon and peppercorn ranch dressing. Entree Summer Seafood Catch entrée with an Old Bay® boil fondue cooking style, Pacific white shrimp, scallops, lobster & shrimp ravioli, andouille sausage and succulent crab claws served with corn on the cob, red bliss potatoes and a mustard crème fraiche dipping sauce Add a lobster tail $10.95 Add more crab claws $10.95 Chocolate Fondue Banana Split Milk Cho...

Let me get this out of the way:  I have never been a huge sushi fan.  Until recently that is, when I was treated to a huge plate of possibilities by Richard Ng, co-owner and chef at Bo Lings.  It’s mostly a texture thing to me but much to my surprise, I really loved it . . . and here I am writing about it. I always have thought of sushi as a Japanese food, but a quick sojourn into sushi history tells me it started in China as early as the fourth century.  It was introduced to Japan in the ninth century and spread as the number of Buddhists increased, since they don’t eat meat. The pickling process of fermented rice as a fish preservative is akin to pickling and why the sushi kitchen is called a tsuke-ba or “pickling place.”  Sushi really didn’t make it into the United States until the late 60s and in 1970, the first sushi bar opened in Little Tokyo in Hollywood – natch.  Now, sushi has taken off and there are many beautiful and tasty creations a...

$24 per person May 4-7th, 2015 Enjoy a special night of delicious fondue for all you do! Relish in all 4 courses. This includes, cheese fondue, salad, petite entree, and chocolate fondue. Must present school ID or pay stub | Valid at The Melting Pot Kansas City location | Excludes Tax and Gratuity Come in and Celebrate all of your hard work! Choose from any of our cheese fondues, and any of our fresh salads, our petite entree includes Sirloin, Chicken, shrimp, and spinach and artichoke ravioli, and then choose from any of our chocolate fondues. The Melting Pot 450 Ward Pkwy Kansas City, MO 64112 Ph. 816-931-6358            

Long story short: May 5th is NOT about Mexican Independence (that's September 16th) which occurred 50 years before the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla. This was during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867) which was, surprise, about money and France's desire to create a new empire. It is the Mexican victory in Puebla that has given rise to a fiesta day more celebrated in the U.S. than Mexico, other than in Puebla. We encourage you to celebrate the spirit of victory and the culture of Mexico with food, drink, and general carousing and happiness. Kansas City has a large number of people with Mexican heritage here, and there is no shortage of restaurants to fete the day. We recommend three to you especially: Margarita's Boulevard which is celebrating its 30th anniversary of Cinco's there with free tee shirts while they last. Try happy hour menus and the joys of Taco Tuesdays at all five locations. In the spirit of the celebration, t...