Denis Culinary Tours

New Bakery Ashleigh’s Bake Shop In delightful addition to one of the favorite K.C. places to shop, Pryde’s Kitchen & Necessities in Westport, you can now find Ashleigh’s Bake Shop which is offering all kinds of goodies on Thursdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Cookies and pies and apple galettes, oh my. And much more. Call 816.598.3283 for large orders or stop by, shop first, then eat. Or reverse.              

Cheers to 40 Years at The Melting Pot!  SEPT. 22 - NOV. 17, 2015 We’re celebrating 40 years of fondue with special menu items including 40-Award-Winning Cheese Fondue, Ruby Salad and Anniversary Edition Surf & Turf… Don’t forget dessert! Our Limited Edition Molten Lava Fondue is a unique chocolate you’ve just got to try. Also, try new twists on classic cocktails of the last 40 years including a Must-Have Mojito and a Fuzzy Navel! Make your reservation today: 816-931-6358 or  Open Table

Kansas City culinary students awarded nearly $34,000 in scholarships in preparation for next generation industry leaders The Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association continues its commitment to education and leadership with scholarship presentations The Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association (GKCRA) presented 15 scholarships to area culinary and hospitality students at the 2015 Gilbert Robinson (GR) Leadership and Awards Dinner presented by Sysco on Sept. 30. The scholarships will help prepare Kansas City’s next generation of hospitality and restaurant leaders as they continue restaurant-industry education. The GKCRA presented scholarships ranged from $250 to $2,000, in addition to matched funds through the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation and the Missouri Restaurant Association. Because of these matched fund contributions, the GKCRA was able to award a total of $33,900 to Kansas City students seeking a degree or certificate in a hospitality or rest...

Just a few tickets remain for the third annual Brewat the Zoo & Wine Too on  Saturday, October 17. From 6 to 9 p.m. enjoy an evening of live music, delicious bites, and a variety of beer and wine from local breweries and vineyards.  This event is for ages 21 and over. Appetizers,  music, beer and wine samples as well as two drink tickets are included with your ticket. Last year's event sold out, so don't delay! Tickets are $35 for FOTZ Members and $45 for Non-FOTZ Members. Sign in with your FOTZ Member number to receive your discount. Brew at the Zoo and Wine Too proceeds benefit Kansas City Zoo's conservation programs at home and abroad.

Kansas City Patio Last night I was on McCormick and Schmick’s very comfortable and very large patio overlooking the Plaza, enjoying enough of a breeze, wine, and their delish fish tacos, with two friends.  We commented that now is really the best time to enjoy Kansas City and for at least the next month, being outside is usually just a joy. McCormick & Schmick's   We talked about where we like to go best before we’re forced back indoors for our too long, too gray, and too cold winter.  Kansas City does have many good places to eat outside.  Since sidewalk dining seems so much more glamorous when I’m away than when I’m home, patios that are some way or the other surrounded by cars, moving or not, are not among my favorites.  I like a lot of greenery, a little not-too-loud music, a lot of conversation and laughter, and the vista to be, well, somewhat serene.  Yeah, I know I’m picky. The one that came to my mind first is relatively new...

THE SEASON STARTED OFF RED HOT AND NOW WE'RE ON FIRE AT   EM CHAMAS ! $10 OFF PER PERSON CELEBRATE THE THE BOYS IN BLUE'S FIRST CENTRAL DIVISION CROWN!!! THIS WEEKEND ONLY September 25th-27th (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday) FOR LAST NIGHT'S 10 RUN VICTORY Take $10 off per person (up to 4 People per table) FOR EVERY RUN THE BOYS IN BLUE  SCORE DURING A HOME GAME YOU WILL RECEIVE $1 PER OFF YOUR $36.95 RODIZIO! AGAIN, FOR EVERY RUN SCORED BY OUR HOMETOWN HEROES  THE REST OF THE SEASON'S HOME GAMES YOU WILL RECEIVE $1 PER POINT OFF THE $36.95 RODIZIO, GOOD UNTIL THE NEXT HOME GAME. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS, PROMOTIONS OR DISCOUNTS. NOT VALID WITH EARLY BIRD $24.95 or Guys Night Discount. NOT VALID WITH GROUPON OR ANY OTHER CERTIFICATES. MUST PRESENT THIS TO YOUR SERVER.

12 Baltimore Kansas City Restaurant 12 Baltimore is the place to see and be seen in downtown Kansas City. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days per week with great happy hour specials. You won't find a better place for a power lunch, pre-theater snacks or to relax over a specially crafted cocktail. Daily specials include hearty sandwiches, refreshing salads and house made soups. Taking advantage of the partnership 12 Baltimore has with Boulevard Brewery, our Executive Chef uses many of their locally crafted beers in his recipes, creating unique, flavorful offerings sure to satisfy anyone's appetite. Call for reservations at (816) 346-4410  or reserve a table online   5-Bucket Beers & Hometeam Appetizer Trio! Available September 13- October: Enjoy a great deal on a bucket of beers to cheer on our Kansas City teams! $15 Domestics, $18 Imported. Hometeam Trio Appetizer Sampler: The perfect solution to your gameday cravings....

One Great Dish:  As Told by Erik Hyre at Hereford House Corporate chef Erik Hyre of the Hereford House admitted to me recently that his go-to, standard favorite is a burger.  Yep, the lowly burger.  But not just any burger of course, it’s the Herf Burger which you can get for lunch or dinner at any of the four Hereford Houses.  He shared the recipe recently and the only thing I would add is if you want the true HH flavor, you’re going to have to grill this burger, expertly, over a hot charcoal fire.  So give it your best shot and see if yours looks as pretty (and tastes as good) as the picture. The Herf Burger Hereford House Restaurant Group Serves 4: 4-8oz. Ground Sirloin per burger 1 Tbls. Salt, Kosher ½ Tbls. Pepper, White 4 Slices Cheddar Cheese 4 Hamburger Buns 8 Slices Bacon, Cooked 4 Eggs, fried 4 Lettuce leaves, cleaned 4 Slices Tomato 4 Slices Red Onion 12 Pickle Slices Season the patties with the salt an...

Story Restaurant   is an elegant, upscale neighborhood restaurant serving fresh, local, seasonal creative American cuisine with Spanish, French and Italian influences.  In August, Story’s wine list won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence , an honor that’s been bestowed upon just 10 Kansas eateries. Story was one of just a handful of the 3,800 restaurants to make this year’s Award of Excellence list to get a feature in the magazine.  Some meals are just so special you can hardly write about them. Or take pictures. That’s apparently what happened at Story last night. This time we brought good friends, good eaters. The sun was out, and the breeze was light which made for a pleasant evening so we decided to seat outside on their nice patio and our service was delightful.  Jeff Thrall, manager and sommelier at Story, came to our table and talked about wine. In September 29, they are having a wine dinner that sounds amazing. For more information, go to ou...

Being responsible for four Hereford Houses and Pierpont’s is all part of the day’s work for Corporate Chef Erik Hyre.  What does being a corporate chef mean?  Well, perhaps fewer late night hours (except during holidays) and more decision making to ensure all five restaurants move smoothly, create delicious meals, and train responsive staff, all necessary for happy customers.  Chef Hyre began working in restaurants in high school and soon decided he liked it and wanted to move up.  That meant school and he graduated from Johnson County Community College’s extensive culinary training in 2000.  From there, he began climbing, working his way up from the line, to sous chef, to chef, to executive chef and now being the guy who’s in charge of entire group.  To that task load, he’s also currently the general manager for the Zona Rosa location where he’s adding extensive front of the house experience.  The major difference from the whirlwind in the ki...

Lunch at Pierpont's  If you haven't been to the Gridiron Glory Exhibition and you call yourself a football fan, get your fanny down NOW to Union Station. The Pro Football Hall of Fame, as part of its 50 year anniversary, is touring the largest traveling exhibition in its history and it's billed as "The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame." There are hundreds of artifacts, many exhibited for the first time, from the Hall of Fame's collection and for a few moments, you could maybe feel like Will Shields. To celebrate,  Pierpont's  is offering a $10 Gridiron Lunch Special which is a 12 hour short rib sandwich and side of fries, poblano coleslaw, and fried pickles on a potato bun. The exhibit leaves September 7th and so does this special. Don't drop the ball - go now! 30 West Pershing  Kansas City, MO 64108  Ph. (816) 221-5111  Check out their menu here

Walk The Bourbon Trail To Smooth Flavor and Legendary Football Thursday Aug. 27 | 5:00pm - 7:30pm | $40 per person Come walk the Bourbon Trail and experience Hall of Fame Football on August 27th at Union Station. This one-of-a-kind event hosted by Union Station, Pierpont’s at Union Station and Sports Radio 810 WHB is one night only and will not be repeated . The Gridiron Glory Bourbon Trail will feature six bourbon stations and food pairings, entry into Gridiron Glory the exhibition, one drink ticket (cash bar available), a customized tasting glass and autograph signings by Chiefs Football Ambassadors. Learn about each featured bourbon from the experts. Taste the custom creations from Pierpont’s Executive Chef, Matt Barnes . Bourbons include: Buffalo Trace Eagle Rare 10-year Blanton's Colonel E.H. Taylor Rye W.L. Weller Special Reserve 7-year Bernheim Kentucky Wheated Whiskey Walk among the most ...

Beer of the Craft Variety by Chris Becicka We’re talking craft beer here, the now nearly ubiquitous beer whose popularity has soared.  Regional craft breweries, microbreweries, and brew pubs (the total category) have really taken off from the mid-90s, rising from 537 to 3,464 in 2014. Hence, all the noise about them – it’s a battle out there. In Kansas City, beer aficionados are familiar with the huge variety of choices, from the local area to nationwide. In fact, a friend just showed me a picture of a restaurant’s menu in Beijing that was featuring Boulevard Beer.  Biergarden at Grunauer So what constitutes a craft beer? The Craft Brewers Association defines it as small (fewer than 6 million gallons annually), independent (less than 25% of it is owned or controlled by a bigger company who is not a craft brewer) and traditional (a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and...