Denis Culinary Tours

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...

MUSIC LINEUP ANNOUNCED! Friday/Saturday, Sept 30th/October 1st Saturday Festhaus Musikanten 1-4:30pm KOOL KAT ACCORDION ORCHESTRA   5-6pm The Bavarians - 6-9pm The Happy Wanderers - 9-11:30   Sunday Festhaus Musikanten 1-4:30 The Polka Dots - 9-11:30 Grunauer 101 West 22nd St.  Kansas City, MO 64108  Ph. 816-283-3234