Aaron Confessori and Richard Wiles are busy men. They own Westport Cafe and Bar, the recently opened Boot, and they are operating the Westport Street Fare, a food truck parked at the corner of Westport and Pennsylvania in the parking lot just to the west of Harry’s Bar and Tables. The truck serves up mostly […]
Read the rest of this entry »Rudy’s Tenampa Taqueria
For the longest time, Rudy’s was our go-to Mexican restaurant. A favorite of my younger son’s, it was always his “pick” when it was his turn to choose what restaurant our family would visit on the weekend. But once I started reviewing restaurants we stopped frequenting our old haunts, spending our time instead checking out […]
Read the rest of this entry »Esquina in Lawrence
Note: I just received an email from the owners alerting its customers that Esquina’s concept will be changing…..the cuisine will be Mediterranean in focus, and will offer table rather than counter service. The restaurant will close temporarily on Feb. 10 and reopen for business on Feb. 19. I’m posting this anyway, but be aware that […]
Read the rest of this entry »Tamale Wizard
Some of you may recognize the name of this new little spot in the River Market: Tamale Wizard started as a food cart that frequented farmers’ markets and the Crossroads Truck Stop. Having achieved enough success to know they were on to something, the owners decided to open a brick and mortar location. The narrow […]
Read the rest of this entry »Mestizo
Aaron Sanchez of the Food Network recently chose Leawood as the site of his first restaurant outside the New York City environs. In keeping with his roots (he grew up at the knee of NY acclaimed restaurateur Zarela Martinez),Mestizo features upscale Mexican fare with a flair. The contemporary interior comes alive with bright colors, red light […]
Read the rest of this entry »Nica’s 320
Nica’s 320 recently took over the old Shiraz space on Southwest Boulevard. The original Nica’s Cafe was out south before its owners negotiated for a bigger space in the Crossroads. Loaded with the same charm and a courtyard as Shiraz, Nica’s 320 looks like it’s been around forever. The menu is quite unique. Diners devise […]
Read the rest of this entry »El Patron
It was a real struggle to get my husband to go to El Patron with me. He remembered vividly, as did I, our last visit there several years ago and it wasn’t pretty. Though it occurred right after the restaurant opened, our meal was so abysmal I made no pretense of eating my dinner and […]
Read the rest of this entry »Zocalo
Zocalo is the new Mexican restaurant that recently opened in the space vacated years ago by Mi Cocina. I was so happy to see another independent restaurant open on the Plaza and it was time that building saw new life. The good news is that it’s been packed since day one. It’s attractive and lively. […]
Read the rest of this entry »Empellon–New York City
Empellon is located in the West Village, along one of those cute little streets that makes me think I’m far from the Big Apple. (But could someone tell me how West 4th St. and West 10th St. can logically intersect?) Recently opened by Alex Stupak, the former pastry chef of WD-50 is garnering some nice […]
Read the rest of this entry »Indios Carbonsitos
I’ve definitely joined the food truck craze, and have been trying to sample as many of the vendors as I can. Just like not all restaurants are the same, neither can food trucks be lumped together. I prefer those that are a cut above the rest, with either upscale (as is the case at Port […]
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