Denis Culinary Tours

Boudreaux’s located in the New Mission Farms area in Leawood. They feature unique Cajun and Creole inspired cuisine. We were seated within the large, open dining area which is the perfect setting for a casual and relaxed dining experience. If you prefer outdoor dining, they also have a very large, comfortable patio which overlooks the beautiful golf course. Our extremely friendly servers made every effort to assure our comfort and provide us with a fun and enjoyable experience. Owner Robert Boudreaux was also there to greet us and answer any questions we had. He was very nice and went to each table to personally introduce himself to everyone in our group. We were served several interesting appetizers to start us off. We were all impressed with our appetizer of Fried Alligator. These bite sized nibbles have a mild taste and texture and are served with a side of cream style gravy for dipping. Most of us had never tried alligator before so it was quite a tasty treat! The Crab Bisque ...

EBT is the acronym for Emery Bird Thayer but after our March Dine Around, I would venture to change that to stand for Extraordinary, Brilliant and Tasty! Our large group of diners was treated to an awesome sampling from this exquisite menu amidst the beautifully remodeled interior. When we first entered the restaurant, we could tell right away that this was no ordinary place! The ambiance bellowed luxurious yet relaxing. Our servers were very friendly and knowledgeable. The food was incredible! As we dined, we were entertained with the soothing sounds of live piano music. Our meal started with a few appetizers including an Artisan Cheese Plate, and melt in your mouth Maryland Crab Cake served with remoulade sauce. We were then treated to a sampling of beautifully prepared and presented entrees. The Parmesan Breaded Chilean Sea Bass was amazing! It was served with large spiral pasta with a sun dried tomato cream. Being the seafood fan that I am, I would say that was my favorite. Ho...

When reviewing restaurants, I often find myself becoming something of a curmudgeon. I seem to expect failures, and so they often happen. It is the ultimate fate, I believe, of any critic, to be eternally disappointed. It is this resignation to destiny that makes a surprise so spectacular. Two Saturdays ago, I received such a surprise at Room39. I had dined there many times before at lunch, and always found it to be a charming little coffee house/bistro, but nothing earth-shattering. If I had any idea what a wonder this place became at night, with white-linen clad tables and low light, I would have dropped everything and come running. My wife and I had been out to the Auto Show and decided to get something in town, but, with it being a Saturday night, all the usual haunts were booked solid. I knew that Room39 had a dinner menu, so I suggested we stop in. . All of their tables were booked, but a seat at the bar was kindly suggested. We took it, and found ourselves transported...

CAFE DES AMIS At this time I feel that I need to right a wrong. I have read an unpleasant review of one of my ‘perfect restaurants of Kansas City’ on this blog, and, after further review (by dining there repeatedly), must come to their immediate defense. Café Des Amis is still a perfect restaurant. My brother and I attended for my birthday, in January, and my wife on the weekend after Valentine’s Day, so I must testify with the following evidence: Exhibit A: Guillome. Guillome is the hardest working man in show business, from what I can tell. He’s always there, sometimes cooking, usually serving, mixing drinks, opening wine, a true jack of all trades. Didier has a jewel with this guy, and, let’s face it, he’s the reason why H1B visas were created in the first place. From the H1B visa regulations: “requiring theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge in a field of human endeavor”. Exactly. Exhibit B: Food, glorious food! Best Escargot in the world...

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...