Thursday, April 26, 2012

Chapada Chophouse and Churrascaria

Rating: Thumbs Up from 7 out of 7
Chapada is a relatively new Brazilian Style Steak House at the corner of 21st & Tyler Road.  Six regular members of our group and a guest came this week.  Our experience can be summed up by the following quote "When we have money, I want the Chewbacca (Churrascaria)".  Another quote "This is pretty cool, I Like this place".  Yes, we are a witty group:)  Okay, now for the dish reviews -
I chose the small plate of Crab Cakes.  I wanted to save room for dessert (if they didn't have anything - Orange Leaf was across the intersection!).  This was a wise move on my part.  The two crab cakes were cooked perfectly with a proportionately large amount of crab and just barely enough bread to keep it intact.  It came with an Almond, Apple, Radish salad.  It sounds like a weird combination, but it worked.  I'm not a big salad dressing fan, but this one pulled everything together and the salad wasn't swimming in the stuff.  I'll save dessert until later.
One person chose the Ahi Tuna Small Plate.  This was several thinly sliced Sushimi grade tuna on a bed of spring lettuce.  The tuna was as good as expected and it also had a nice dressing on it.  She also got the Quail and Mushroom Soup.  This was a rich, creamy soup loaded with lots of quail and mushrooms.  Very tasty.
The next up was a Chicken and Sausage Sandwich.  Don't let the dull name fool you.  This is not an ordinary sandwich.  The sausage is a Brazilian sausage called "Linguica".  The sausage was really, really good.  It also had a cheese and pesto that brought the sandwich together.  We talked her into a side of sweet potato fries, of which she is not a fan.  She still is not a fan, but would order again to get the sauce that comes with them.  It was a creamy sauce that had a nice kick to it.  I love sweet potato fries and hers were cooked correctly: soft on the inside, crisp but not black on the outside.
Two people chose the Gourmet Food Bar.  From the menu it looks like a glorified salad bar, but that would be a wrong assumption.  There are lots of salads and salad ingredients, and soup, and lavosh pesto pie, and taquitos, and deviled eggs, and ....  Excellent food and well worth the $15 price.
Two brave souls ordered the meat fest otherwise known as the Churrascaria.  None of us could pronounce it correctly so we resorted to calling it the Chewbacca.  The waiters (?) come to the table with a sword full of meat hot off the grill and slice some for you.  On the beef, you can choose medium rare, medium, or medium well.  The closer to the handle, the rarer the meat.  Just as you finish, they come around with another selection.  There were many, many cuts of meat and a grilled pineapple.  Each selection seemed better than the last.  I got a small bite of the pork with a hint of cinnamon.  Oh My Gosh, it was sooo good and then came the bacon wrapped chicken.  It was so unbelievably good, they had to let everyone try.  That is when Dennis made his quote.  All this and you start with a plate of sides.
Three of us chose to get dessert - yes the three that had not gone the all you can eat direction.
One chose the Mango Cheesecake - the plating was spectacular and she said it tasted almost as good.  A very good choice.
Two of us chose the Cream Brulee Trio.  The three flavors are a Banana, a Raspberry, and a Coffee.  I generally hate banana flavored things and love coffee in any form, so I ate the banana first.  It was so good.  It tasted more like a Bananas Foster with that caramel and hint of bananas flavor.  The Raspberry was somewhat disappointing, it was pink and you could see the seeds but the raspberry flavor was missing except for the raspberry garnish.  It was just a nice creme brulee.  The coffee was very disappointing.  There was no coffee flavor whatsoever and it seemed to dull the creme brulee.  It was creamy and smooth, but very bland.  None of this kept me from eating the entire thing!  Both of us concurred that the banana dish was by far the best.  Next time, I'll go for a Martini instead.
The atmosphere is classy without being stuffy, but it would be nice to see the roasting pit.  They have a lot of interesting wines and drinks on the menu that we didn't try.  I do think the next trip will be for a their special appetizer times.  The waitstaff was friendly and one of the meat cutters was very funny and entertaining.  I had read several less than favorable reviews and so I was a bit apprehensive.  After a great experience, I went back to those reviews and looked at the dates.  They were all just after the opening, so I chalked it up to growing pains. 
We all expect to go back.

Next up:  River City Brewery.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

N & J Bakery

Rating - 4 out of 6 people
I usually eat lunch at N & J, so this was a very different experience.  At lunch, the place is crowded, the service is quick, and the food is fresh.  At dinner, none of those things are true.  We went on our usual Friday night at 7pm and only half of the tables were filled.  We had called ahead so we had a larger table set aside for us and we were seated very quickly.  Our server took our drink order and most of us just wanted water, but two wanted lemon.  We had to ask three times to get receive the forgotten lemon.  The table was edges were sticky.  They wiped the table again for us, but it is the finish on the table not the cleanliness.

Each peson ordered a different item, so I'll go over each one.
We started the meal with a large Hummus and Pita bread and Za'atar Chips.  The Hummus is the among the best in Wichita which says a lot, but tonight it was a little runny.  Their Pita is made on-site is wonderful.  The Za'atar Chips were baked just right but had little Za'atar seasoning on them so they were a little bland.
First order was a Gyro (pronounced  GEY Row With a Hard G not Gi Ro) Sandwich and sides of Tabouli and Baba Ghanouj.  The Baba Ghanouj is made like Hummus but substitute eggplant for the chickpeas.  It is not as runny and has a great tanginess.  The Tabouli (finely chopped parsley with lemon, onions, olive oil tomatoes and cracked wheat) was bright and has a zing - as usual.  The Gyro meat (roasted lamb) was slight over-cooked.
Next the Mixed Grill - The Chicken and Kafta (ground beef with parsley) were cooked nicely and tasted very good, but the steak was over-cooked. You are going to read this several times.  Much of our meal was overcooked.
Our third person ordered the Combo Platter off the appetizer menu - I've already talked about the hummus, baba ghanouj and tabouli and she agreed with the first person on these items.  Next on the plate were cabbage rolls. which are ground beef, rice, and spices cooked in a cabbage leaf.  These were very bland - lots of rice and very little spice.  Followed by Grape Leaves; these are essentially the same as cabbage rolls but in grape leaves instead.  This combination worked better because there is a lot more flavor in a grape leaf.  Not just in the leaf, but the vinegar.  Last was a couple of Falafels.  These were so overcooked that they lost all flavor and looking at the inside they appeared to be lacking in spices.  I found it really sad because falafels are one of my favorite foods and I've always favorably compared N & J's to ones I've eaten in Israel and New York City, but these puppies were burnt beyond recognition.  She also had some Labneh (cheese yogurt) which we encouraged her to spread on the last three items.  It helped, but not enough.
I got a small appetizer of Hummus Shawarma (chicken).  This and the Vegetarian Combo are my go-to meals.  Mine had lots of flavor and the chicken made the hummus not seem as runny.  My only issue was the meat was again over-cooked. 
To my right was the Gyro Platter.  This is the lamb meat served over a bed of signature rice.  The meat was so over-cooked that parts were crunchy.  The rice however was perfection.  It was cooked right and had spices and vegetables mixed throughout.
Last was the Shawarma Platter (beef).  This is the Shawarma meat served over a bed of the signature rice.  This was a flavorful dish and was properly cooked.  It was the best dish of the evening.
Three of the meals came with a House Salad which everyone really enjoyed.  The vegetables were crisp and the house dressing had a great flavor. 
Four people chose dessert - Two had Baklava (which you can choose walnut, pistachio or almond) and both liked.  The others had cheesecakes - Tuxedo and Raspberry Chocolate.  I was surprised to find out the cheesecakes come from the Cheesecake Factory.  Both were generous servings.
I ended the evening with a Turkish Coffee.  I love the N & J turkish coffee.  They serve it black and hot.  I try it wherever I travel and no one beats N & J. 

All in all the service was slow, much was over-cooked, but there were flashes of brilliance.  I will go back, but I think I'll stick to lunch.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Thai Traditions

This weeks choice was Thai Traditions, one of the oldest Thai restaurants in town and certainly one of the most elegant.  Eight of our group attended this week and even though they have an extensive menu, many of us ordered the same thing.  The prices are very reasonable and there is enough variety and you can find something to fit your budget.  It received 8 thumbs out of 8.

A couple of people started off with Egg Rolls.  They were steaming hot and very flavorful with a mix of pork and vegetable.  Three eggrolls are served on a bed of red cabbage and with a red sweet and sour sauce.

Two people ordered traditional Pad Thai which is rice noodles stir fried with chicken and shrimp, beansprouts, onions, topped with crushed peanuts.  One ordered vegetarian Pad Thsi which substitutes mixed vegetables for the chicken and shrimp.  Both the traditional and vegetarian were generous portions of rice noodles cooked perfectly and with a nice balance of other ingredients.  After some bad experiences with Pad Thai at other restaurants, I didn't order it but now I know where to go when I crave Pad Thai (It does happen!)

Two people ordered "The Great Eight" described in the menu as "unable to choose which meat to have for dinner??? Don't. Great combination of all seafoods and meats: where the land joins the sea to create an exciting dish".  Described by my dinner companions as a carnivore's heaven.  Bite sized meat and seafood morsels tossed with a brown sauce and a few sneaky vegetables and spices   There is a side of Sticky rice.  It is served with the idea that you would put some sticky rice on a small plate and ladle on some of the meat mixture and eat from the small plate.  The reality is that with eight people it was too crowded so most of us with this style of dish sat our large plate on top of the small dish and then spooned in the rice.

Our youngest person ordered Thai Noodle Soup with Seafood.  It is Rice noodles in a broth simmered with onions, star anais seeds, topped with beansprouts, cilantro and green onions.  To say this bowl of soup is gigantic is an understatement.  Think of cutting a soccer ball in half and using it as serving bowl.  It was fun to see what kinds of seafood were lurking in the bowl - sort of like deep sea fishing.  Not even a third of the bowl was eaten at the restaurant, but shrimp, crab, mussels and scallops were found.  Fortunately. there is a to-go container that can hold the leftovers.

The most beatiful dish of the evening was curry dish called Gang Gang which is coconut milk simmered with red curry paste, bamboo slices, and fresh basil leaves.  You have a choice of chicken, pork or beef.  My dinner companion chose chicken. It is served in a blue and white china bowl with the basil leaves decorating the top.  We all went "oooh"  when it was served.  He had eaten Gang Gang here before and so knew what to expect and wasn't disappointed.

I had a hard time deciding but finally went with Shrimp and Scallops with Snowpeas.  The seafood is stir-fried with fresh snowpeas and bamboo slices in a tasty garlic sauce.  Everything was cooked very well and the garlic sauce was very tasty but a little runny. There was lots of shrimp but very little scallops.  I love scallops so that was a bit of a disappointment.  I was reluctant to order anything spicy but I should have requested medium instead of mild as it was a little too bland even for me.

We were all given the choice of mild, medium, or hot - if you want Thai hot you have to ask.  We had a couple of people order mild or medium with a bowl of Thai hot on the side.  The waiter brought a condiment dish that had red pepper flakes in one compartment, jalepenos in one,spicy red curry paste in another and the fourth held the tiny Thai peppers.  The green ones were tolerable, but the red ones brought tears to eyes of all who tried it.  In other words - a little goes a long way.

For overall experience, I would rate this very high.  The restaurant was busy, but not crowded so that we were able to sit and talk after our meal without feeling rude.  The waiter was efficient without being intrusive.
As mentioned before the restaurant is elegant with lots of wood, white linens, beautiful traditional blue and white china and light Asian music playing in the background.

Thai Traditions is located a 620 N. Carriage Parkway.  General directions are from Central and Edgemoor go east and turn between Taco Bell and El Rodeo.  There are lots of medical offices in this area. Follow the road about 1/2 block north to a strip mall.  It is in the center of the mall.  Also located here are Sake Japanese Steak and Sushi and Toni D's (Lunch and Catering).  You cannot see it from any major street, so your GPS will come in handy.

Next outing is April 6th  - N & J Bakery and Restaurant.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Tanya's Soup Kitchen

Rating - 7 Thumbs up out of 7 people
Here is what we chose: Soups - 5 Tomato curry, 1 Fisherman's Stew and 1 Cuban Black Bean and Sandwiches - 2 Cindy the Boy, 2 Grampa Rubie, 1 Milano and 1 Lulu.
First about the soups - There is a good reason this is Tanya's SOUP Kitchen.  Each and every one of the soups was excellent.  Everyone that selected the Tomato curry raved about it.  It comes with a scoop of rice on top and has a bisque base.  This is not a boring tomato soup.  The Fisherman's Stew was full of vegetables, shrimp and white fish.  It was really pretty with a swirl of puree on top.  The Cuban Black Bean had a lot of flavor and a little kick.  The only drawback was the texture.  The beans had been coarsely chopped instead of remaining whole.  It looked like a very meaty chili, but it was all beans.
Now to the sandwiches - Cindy the Boy is a ham, havarti cheese, apple chutney on ciabatta bread.  The ham was not too salty and the ciabatta bread was flavorful and baked perfectly.  We were not quite sure what to expect with the apple chutney because as you probably know fruit chutneys can be hot or sweet.  This is a sweet chutney.  With the natural sweetness of the ham and the creaminess of the cheese, both people that ate this would have preferred just a little heat for contrast.  The Grampa Rubie is a traditional Rueben Sandwich - on toasted black rye.  Both people ordering this sandwich are big fans of Rueben sandwiches and enjoyed this one.  There was less meat than most restaurants which is healthier and more balanced, but guys do like their meat!  The Milano was the star sandwich.  It is roast beef, parmesan cheese, basil mayonnaise and romaine on ciabatta bread.  The basil mayonnaise makes this sandwich excel.  According the person that ordered this sandwich, the mayonnaise tastes handmade and is a great contrast to the meat and cheese.
The Lulu was another hit.  It is edamame & roasted garlic hummus with spinach, roasted peppers, toasted almonds and avocado on wheat toast.  In Wichita, we know our hummus and this hummus did not disappoint.  The overall sandwich flavors blended nicely together.  We all enjoyed our meal but next time we all want to try the Flight of Samples of Soup and the Bread Pudding.

Prices - The Full Sandwich with pasta salad, potato salad or small bowl of soup is $9 or you can get 1/2 sandwich for $7.75.  (Hint - get the full sandwich and save half for lunch the next day)  None of us tried the salads but the little salads run from $3.50 to $7 and big salads from $4.50 to $9.  Soups come in three sizes - little (10 oz), Medium (16oz) and Big (24 oz.).  A Flight of Soup is $5.  Bread Pudding is $6 and other desserts are $5.  Tonight there was also Vegetable Strata, Biscuits and Gravy and a Maya Sandwich on the Special Menu.  Wine is also available.

Hours:  Monday - Thursday 11 - 3, Friday & Saturday 11 - 3 and 5 - 9
Tanya's does not take reservations, but if you get there before 7, you should be fine.  Be prepared to wait at lunch time.  There is no kid's menu but a little bowl of soup was perfect for the 6 year old.  For younger kids, there is a high chair, I didn't see any booster seats.  The atmosphere was really nice.  It is light and airy, just funky enough to be fun without trying too hard.  We could laugh and talk without feeling like we were bothering our neighbors.  We all plan on making a return visit.

Next visit in two weeks - Thai Traditions