Starker's Restaurant

Where do you go for that consistently great... great space, great service, great food... dining experience? For Susan and I, that perfect every time place is Starker's Restaurant. Very early on in our forays into finer dining as a couple we "discovered" Starker's. Susan, being of a more knowledgeable social class than I, was aware of the place, had heard nothing but high praise and knew it to be an establishment that we would appreciate and enjoy. So for a birthday treat (for which of us I don't remember) we went... and fell head over heels for the joint.

For me, this was honestly my first truly luxuriant, "grown-up", dining experience. Don't get me wrong, I'd been to nice restaurants as a child and in my teens, but this was another level, and with much more appreciative taste buds. Dining like this is old hat for Susan, but again as a child and teen. There's nothing like a little age and experience to make the palate fonder.

I'm not going to get into specific meals with this post because the Starker's menu changes seasonally with a short list of mainstays. This can be problematic for those out there that crave or fall in love with a specific dish (think lobster gnocchi or lobster ravioli, fois gras with a summer berry reduction or cider gastrique, pork with seasonal vegetable variations). That dish will most likely not be on the menu the next time you go (unless you go a lot), but it will be back in some form on future menus. There's nothing like an extra pleasant surprise on a special night when you show up and the lusted after item makes an appearance on the menu. This is another place to enjoy a few cocktails before, with and after dinner. Think variations on bourbon. They also have an extensive and comprehensive wine list. Usually several different rieslings for Susan to select from.

One of the loveliest aspects of Starker's is their service. It is impeccable. You will be seated and served with professionalism dedicated to making your dining experience truly memorable. I honestly cannot give higher praise in this area.

Remember that question I asked in the first sentence... where do you go for that perfect place, on that special night, where two people or a family can experience that special bond over a shared, beautiful meal? Go to Starker's.

Lulu's Thai Noodle Shop

How does one approach the subject of noodle nirvana? Susan and I are huge fans of Asian cuisine in general and Thai food in particular. I'm specifically the noodle whore and Susan is a rice girl. Thankfully Lulu's Thai Noodle Shop nails them both. I'm not sure what started my fixation with noodles (pasta, dumplings, gnocchi, etc.) but I am constantly on the lookout for noodle joints to try.

Lulu's simply does it for us. Admittedly, this is a regular lunch spot for me so I go with more frequency than Susan, but we make a point on going when we have days off together. The space manages to be hip, funky, divey and somewhat elegant all at once. This is one of the very few places where I've never had a cocktail, but they have a full bar and are known for their evening hipster/drinking crowd.

It's the food at Lulu's that is the draw for us. In addition to being a noodle whore, I'm somewhat of a chili head, not freakishly so, but I like the hot stuff. Susan does not and regularly admonishes me for what she considers self-abuse. This is another area where Lulu's hits the mark. Perusing their menu you will note that many of their dishes are notated as spicy, but you also get to determine the level of heat you want (mild, medium, hot, or blazing). The menu is VERY extensive, possibly the widest selection of Thai specialties in town as well as a good showing of Chinese standards for the less adventurous. Here are a few outstanding examples; Pad Thai, Rainbow Peanut Noodles, Khun Ma Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, Panaeng Curry, Ma Po Noodles,Thai Sesame Noodles. The Wok Specialties and Curries ask for your choice of proteins. I usually get, and highly recommend, the pork but all are excellent in whatever combination you prefer. The appetizers are pretty standard Thai/Chinese fare but are stellar examples in their own right. Another area where Lulus' excels is their soups; Chinese Roasted BBQ Pork,Tom Yum Soup, Tom Kha Gai Soup. Steaming bowls of rich, homey deliciousness that are perfect for a winter day or providing that potent brow sweat to cool you off from the inside on the hottest days of summer.

Lulu's Thai Noodle Shop is usually packed at lunch, but if you miss one of those sweet spot lulls, I recommend enduring the generally short wait to be seated. You should know, I usually refuse to wait anywhere, but Lulu's is one one of those places that is actually worth it.

Cafe Provence

We could probably argue all day about definitions of "upscale" and "high end" when it comes to dining. Some folks would base this strictly on expenditure... if you spend over a C-note on dinner for two it had better be "upscale". Personally, we've dropped that C-note and more at places that will never see our faces again. Susan and I tend to place a premium on quality, on both service and gastronomics, Cafe Provence is one of those places.

Chef/owners Patrick and Daniel Quillec once managed a small dynasty of quintessential french restaurants in the greater Kansas City area; Hannah Bistro, Cafe Paris, Cassis and Cafe Provence. The venerable Cafe Provence is all that remains. You may want to compare notes from the previous french review then toss that out the window. To fully enjoy Cafe Provence you need to prepare yourself for what Susan describes as "stuffy french". This can understandably be an immediate turn off for some, but the french stuffiness is paramount to the dining experience. Intimate seating, white tableclothes, candles, old people in Prairie Village, impeccable service... this is 50% of upscale for us. Then comes the food. Think classic french bistro fare, smaller portions, and beautifully prepared and presented. As with so many of our meals, Michael starts with a cocktail, here a Manhattan or Vodka rocks three olives, and a white wine for Susan. Endive and blue, Caesar salad, foi gras and charcuterie to start, each somewhat austere in the presentation but stunning in the simple perfection of their flavors. Cafe Provence tends to have a set menu, with regular specials to highlight what's fresh and in season. I honestly recommend going for these specials as often as possible, but do not neglect the perfection on the regular menu; Filet Mignon aux Roquefort, Escalope de Veau aux Câpres, La Sole de Douvre, Flétan Philippe (how's that for fancy french typing). Perfection every time, the impression that this is what these classics are supposed to taste like, you're sure to find something that will leave you craving your next visit.

Bo Lings, Chinese Please!

How exactly does one review an institution? When Susan and I first started dating this was our anytime place for dinner. When we moved in together, bought a home together, and started a family together, Bo Lings was a constant (like weekly) in our lives. When baby came along we were overjoyed to discover that Chinese Please! was on his menu also. Bo Lings, www.bolings.com, in our opinion, is the best Chinese in Kansas City. I realize these are potentially fightin' words, but we've honestly found nowhere better. The favorites are represented; General Tso's Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Sweet and Sour Pork, Egg Drop and Sweet and Sour Soup, all of which are stellar examples of familiarity. The lights really shine with the not so familiar; Lamb and Scallions, Beijing Roast Duck, Cantonese Whole Flounder (with chili sauce), Singapore Curry Noodles, one cannot really go wrong with any offering. Bo Lings also offers a traditional menu in some locations if you ask for it. This is where you'll find some more adventurous eating; hot pots, chicken feet, seafood and livestock combinations not normally encountered. We've sampled so much that I can't honestly point to singular favorites, just that everything we've had has been excellent. Even the adventurous items that weren't exactly what we thought have always been delicious. Bo Lings has locations all over town, find one and go. At this point I'm going to diverge a little from traditional reviewing and make a request... Bo Lings also has a traditional Dim Sum on weekends, it is phenomenal from what I understand, but since I've never been, I would like Miss Tex Houston to maybe reply with her capable and knowledgeable thoughts. You out there Tex?

Le Fou Frog

"Where are we going for our anniversary dinner?" "I don't know, how 'bout that new steak place?" "That's a chain, we have plenty of great steak places local to KC." "OK, how 'bout the new Brazilian meat extravaganza?" "So you can be a carnivore and drink to much?" "Point taken...". This is exactly the dilemma that finds us going to Le Fou Frog, www.lefoufrog.com, time and time again. Usually a first choice and constantly our fallback, easy choice for a great date night, special event dinner, Le Fou makes us feel at home each and every time. Reminiscent of a divey, Parisian bistro, it's constantly changing menu has a few staples (always a beef, chicken, fish, seafood, pasta, etc.) but even those staples get dressed and redressed on a regular basis. Unlike places with a seasonal and/or rotating menu, Le Fou Frog ALWAYS has something we want on the chalkboard. A Lillett Blonde for Michael and a lovely white for Susan starts every meal (except that one time about a week before baby came along). Seared foi gras, mussels, sweet breads, endive salad, onion soup and charcuterie are always in the mix to start and all are executed simply and perfectly each and every time. Entrees are usually something beefy, porky or offally for me (this is also where a rye or bourbon cocktail of some sort is added) and something chickeny, porky or pasta(y) for Susan. It's always different, always something new, and always, ALWAYS delicious. Finish up that excellent meal with a simple and/or decadent dessert with coffee and that special evening can either wind down or proceed into the wee (or WHEEE!!!) hours as the mood strikes. Le Fou Frog also has a killer happy hour and hosts several events every year. Well worth looking into for any occasion.

"R" Bar and Restaurant

Ho-Lee smokes, "R" Bar and Restaurant is fantastic! Our most recent Saturday escape and probably the newest spot on our immediate list, "R" Bar is a stunner. We ran across a write-up and recommendation in Tastebud Magazine, I checked out their website, www.rbarkc.com, perused the menus (and cocktails) and decided we needed to try the joint... and in it's interesting way, a joint it is. Reservations were at 7:30pm and we promptly started with a Corpse Reviver No.2 for Michael and a riesling for Susan. For starters we mixed it up with foi gras, pastrami sweetbreads, sweet potato soup and the mixed greens (with apples, Humbolt Fog blue cheese, and candied pistachios). They were all fantastic starters - the foi is a mousse/pate version which was delicious but disappointing when you want a seared chunk of goose liver. The pastrami sweetbreads were miraculous as an almost tempura fried epiphany... I didn't get the "pastrami" per se, but luxurious nonetheless. The highlights were the salad (perfection) and the soup, a soothing concoction of pureed sweet potatoes, cream and light stock. What was best about the soup? It wasn't overtly cloying in it's sweetness, the sweet potatoes were there, just not candied with marshmallows. Our entrees were a work of art; the smoked hanger steak with parmesan hashbrowns and the braised wagyu with potato gnocchi... RAPTURE!!! I'll also emphasize that a classic rye Old Fashioned works beautifully with any beef dish, but back to the meal. The smoked hanger was perfectly seasoned and delicious, the rarer side of medium rare, and a kiss of smoke that only emphasized the quality beef. The parmesan hashbrowns were a little closer to a parmesan frico with potato but delicious anyway. The wagyu? Succulence on a plate. Braised beef becomes meltingly tender, make it wagyu beef and it is dreamy tender with the added unctuousness of insane marbling. The gnocchi were a little heavy, but serviceable in this presentation. Top it all off with a shared slice of pecan pie, smoked vanilla ice cream and caramel and the decadence is complete. Blend all this with an old school, West Bottoms saloon with live music after 10 (on this Saturday anyway) and you have a recipe for a great Saturday date.

We'll start on a positive note...

As we go through the extensive list of offerings that Kansas City has to offer (at least the ones we've been to so far) we'll fill you in on the good and the bad. Great food and service will get kudos, but we won't spare the grisly details of a bad experience.

Back to that positive note... we'll start with our top ten current faves. The following list is in no particular order and the goal is to create a blog entry for each one, hopefully one or two a day.

"R" Bar and Restaurant
Le Fou Frog
Bo Lings
Cafe Provence
Lulu's Thai Noodle
Starkers Reserve
Piropos
Jerry's Woodsweather Cafe
Mamas on 39th St.
Piccadilly Cafeteria

You may notice, with a certain amount of trepidation, that this list lacks barbeque. Don't fear, that will be the next group we get to.

Bringing you our thoughts on the KC restaurant scene.

This will hopefully be a continuing endeavor in which myself, Michael, and my wife, Susan, will give our thoughts and reviews of Kansas City restaurants and food institutions.

From The American to Mama's on 39th, Le Fou Frog to Sneads BBQ, we hope to bring our perspective and insight to foodie couples and families.

Where to start...?