Denis Culinary Tours

I’ve heard of a bialy but never had one – until today. My impression was that it was some kind of bagel-y thing (it’s not, really), but beyond that, I knew nothing.  I am apparently not alone in my ignorance.  Bialys are not exactly prolific in the Midwest.  New York, Miami, Chicago, areas with a large Jewish or Polish population, more so.  Just like people from the east coast bemoan our big, fat, sometimes tasteless bagels, most have learned to live with the absence of a bialy. Until now. There’s a newish place on 39 th street where you can get both a great bagel and a bialy.  It’s called Meshuggah Bagels and they live up to their tag line: “Bringing New York to Kansas City, one bagel at a time.”  What that means is a bagel with a chewy crust but not one that tears your teeth out.  It should include a just slightly firm interior – but not doughy or too soft but still forgiving. These are kosher bagels and there are several kinds – ...

Brunch hating has already trended, peaked, and doubled back in the so-called eating capitals of the United States. But in Kansas City, by golly, we like brunch – and there are many good reasons for our love bites (and handles).  It sometimes seems to overwhelm breakfast, but both are significant dining choices here. Raggmunk from Krokstrom Klubb and Market But while breakfast may be more about sustenance and business meetings, brunch is about eating and drinking. It’s also about spending time catching up with your friends and family, relaxing, and yes, maybe lazing through an entire day based on just one meal.  Whether you call it brunch or blunch like The Westside Local does, what’s not to like? We clearly don’t have to talk about its popularity, but let’s do talk about how this “institution” came to be. Why the Word “Brunch?” All the food historians say its chronicle is a bit hazy after they deconstruct the word (breakfast + lunch, as you no doubt know) as a ...

I don’t live too far from André’s Confiserie Suisse which is on Main and 50th Street just off the Plaza. Both bad and good news for me. This family-run establishment, here since 1955, has another location on 119th Street in Overland Park which they’ve called Andre’s Rivaz, which opened in 2002. While confiserie means a shop selling sweets and confections, André’s has expanded that meaning, believe me. They are especially famous for their truffles and tortes, but there’s so much else, including bars, cookies, chocolate almonds and orange peels, and much, much more. My almost very favorite is the Matterhorn with its creamy inside and dark chocolate coating. One is about two desserts, even if you’re a chocoholic. But, too, the macaroons are a small taste of heaven.  Andre’s expanded a while back and their lunch menu is eclectic and varied – it’s not just quiche for ladies anymore. . . though quiche is usually a choice every day and they do make the best quiche in K....

A sunny Saturday afternoon and being only slightly hung-over from what turned into a late night before (PotPie, always good!), I wanted a burger.  It's not that often that I say that. Off we went to Westside Local for their covered patio.  This is not elegance, picnic tables and benches largely dominate, but our wrought iron table on the side was shaded and protected . . . by a large dog of indiscriminate breed.  We didn't know he was protecting us, and everyone else, when a bulldog shouldered by, thereby causing a thunderstorm of barking punctuated by very loud, mostly useless cries of their respective owners to quiet, stop, no, etc.  Whaddya expect, really? Other than that disruption, the food was good, very good.  One of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in town, hands down. Bill had already started in before I could get my camera out, as you seen in the pic.   My burger came the way I ordered it; fries are great.  Service was OK, b...

Fika is a verb and a noun, mostly in Sweden but now in Kansas City, too.  It’s pronounced fee-kuh.   The easiest explanation is that it’s a coffee break, but not the kind of hurried, stand up and gulp one like we have.  Instead, it means to take a real moment and enjoy your life. With cookies and sweets.  With friends or alone.  It’s basically what we are now calling “mindfulness,” with coffee or tea.  It’s available at the Krokstrom Klub and Market at 3601 Broadway.  It is, at this restaurant, unequivocally delicious – who knew a plate of four different small cookies and treats could be so good?  In fact, so much so, that my portly companion and I, rather than doing the leisurely thing, started right in on it.  The plate varies from day to day and ours came with apple butter for the almost biscuit which was better than any apple butter I’ve had.  After initial nibbles, we began to savor, slowing our pace a bit. We tri...

Make that when I’m at North Italia Restaurant . (Which, as you probably know, is really south in Leawood at 119 th and Roe.)  This Italian bistro is always upbeat and bustling but the other evening, make that late afternoon, I went for their happy hour, which I haven’t done for a while.  Their happy hour ends at 6 p.m. so going at three when it starts or a bit later makes sense.  At least to confirmed happy hour devotees like me.  Drinks, at least wine and sangria, are cheap – five bucks for a glass and $16 for a bottle and beer is four dollars or the same $16 for a pitcher.  So I can start out pretty pleasantly.  My favorite things are on the HH menu, short as it is.  First, the zucca chips which are light, crispy, and salty.  You get a big bowlful for three tiny dollars and I think only about the healthy zucchini I’m eating, not the oil and salt. Their chef’s board is $10 instead of $16 and the assortment fluctuates.  Va...

If you’re not a visitor to Kansas City and staying there, your first thought for breakfast may not be the historic President Hotel’s Walnut Room . But whether you ARE a visitor to K.C. or a resident, your first thought should be, let’s eat here. This beautifully redone hotel opened in 1926, closed in 1980, and then reopened as a Hilton in 2005. The memorabilia in the hallway downstairs make it worth your trip all by itself in my opinion. The restoration of the Walnut Room to “high 40s glamour” makes it easy for that eggs benedict or the standard American breakfast or the omelette (that’s the French spelling you know) you’ve created for yourself to be enjoyed. That’s after the coffee has been delivered – my first priority in a breakfast place.  I tend to go to divish places for breakfast so this was a nice diversion. The problem with the aforementioned dives is that the coffee is always bad. In fancy places, the meal is always pretty expensive. I think I’ve found an a...

From October 1st thru October 20th we are celebrating our 20th Anniversary for Sullivan's Steakhouse nationwide. We have a special menu we are featuring in order to celebrate 20 years. On Thursday October 20th we will be having a finale party in our bar and lounge, so save the date!! Check out their menu!  Sullivan's 4501 W. 119th Street  Leawood, KS 66209  Ph. 913-345-0800 

Welcome Frederica! Frederica has lived in the United States for four years. She is from Castelvetrano Sicily and comes from a family of cooks. Frederica was raised on an Italian farm that produced Olive Oil .  Delicious Pastries  Frederica began cooking at a very young age and is passionate about food.  Before arriving in America, she worked in Milan and Venice. Her pastries represent every corner of Italy and are baked in the Pezzettino kitchen several days each week. Pezzettino Italian Deli & Market 2101 Broadway Blvd.  Kansas City, MO 64108  Ph. 816-612-8333 

One Great Dish VII:  As told by Martin Heuser By Chris Becicka Chef Martin Heuser at Affäre is known for, among other dishes, his savory meats of all kinds, from sausages to bison, usually with a new German flair.  So when I received this recipe, there were two things I thought of immediately.  The hardest one is, not being a hunter like he is, where does one get venison? Turns out McGonigle’s often has it, or will order for you, as will several of the local butchers around town.  The second thing:  like all great chefs, he weighs rather than cups.  But I’ve put both in so you don’t have to translate. He tells me this is a simple recipe, one even I could probably do.  I think it’d be perfect this fall! Herb Crusted Venison Loin (printed version) Herb crust: 250 g butter (soft-room temperature) [1 c. butter] 1 egg 1 yolk 100 g mie de pain (bread crumbs from white bread without crust) [2 cups] 1 tablespoon each of...

The Meaning of Local in KC Anyone who has eaten a home-grown tomato from his or her own garden knows at least one advantage of locally raised food-taste. Big science, big business, big farming has changed the way we eat, often not for the better.  In many ways we don’t even think about it: for instance, strawberries and bananas year round?  Fresh caught shrimp in the dead of winter?  New potatoes in February? There’s both good and bad to that source-ability. And there is another way. Perhaps. Gift baskets of heirloom tomatoes from Kurlbaum’s Heirloom Tomato Farm For years now, we’ve all been hearing about all the reasons to only eat locally produced foodstuffs.  And by that, people usually mean food grown in smaller farms, outside, and preferably without pesticides, hormones, or any of the nasties that have made our food bigger, easier to transport longer distances, cheaper usually -- and probably more tasteless. For restaurants in the Midwest, it’s a di...