Granite City varies it's menu

Seems like the menu has broadened into different variations since I first came to Granite City in Olathe . Now there are themed entrees which include a more varies menu (prices ranging from $3.99 to $23.59).There are more varied cuisine in the areas of Oriental, Vegetarian, Cajun, Tex-Mex, sandwiches, kid's menu, , fish, specialty lunches , pasta, pork, beef within 9 appetizers, 8 salads, 5 burgers, flat breads (4), small plate (5), special brews (5 also says with meal compliments), Lunch (9) Sandwiches (11) , soups (8) , Luncheon (14) , Pastas (5), Signature selections (18), Kids Menu (6), desserts (6).
I was there for a presentation luncheon and actually got a little chilly in the small area (bring a sweater or jacket) until the place finally warmed up. I had tried one of their steaks before and it was awesome. This time I tried the chicken Caribbean. The chicken was moist but did not have a lot of tropical flavor. Perhaps the chef thought that by just placing a not so inspiring red onion melange on top (it was pretty disgusting) would make it tropical which is didn't. The steamed broccoli was awesome though (how many times have I ever said that?). We might come here sometime for happy hour sometime and try some of their pizzas and other possibilities with happy hour (have to pay once in a lifetime fee though of $10 unless you pay on Monday - then $5).I might try this but I wish the appetizer section and happy hour possibilities were better prices (many places have 1/2 priced instead of $2 off or something else).

First and last time here

I do not think I have been to Domino's ever. Their pizzas do not excite me. However I was interested in their Sweet & Spicy Chicken Habanero sandwich which I took for takeout.

My wife thought part of the sandwich was okay. It was spicy sweet and had a little habanero kick to it. It was pretty small sized foot long compared to Quizno's and others sub places. It also curiously had two small mild jalapeno like chillies which I thought curious.

Based on this times go around, it will be my last. Sarpino's and Spin Pizza are much better and offer more in several ways for good prices.

Gastronomic Musings: In my travels do I compare the food, restaurants and cuisine to Kansas City?

I not to compare the state of the art of food in Kansas City eateries (well maybe except BBQ)and try to tell how better other states and cities are to Kansas City's food and restaurants. I love the food in Kansas City and think the restaurants and the food are just fine. Sampling from other places around the country helps me appreciate many times what we have in Kansas City. But I do like to broaden my horizons.
Having just returned from RI, Connecticut and New York City ( reviews coming), I am even more reminded that I love to eat at other places outside of Kansas City. Scoffing at our restaurants, how they don't measure up to other gastronomes is not my style. There are similarities and contrasts and finding more eateries outside of Kansas City. Analyzing other places outside of Kansas, "picking on" how they don't meet the standards of other cities' cuisines is not my style. However as I perused the Kansas City Star article " Area chefs stir up National Known" (3/21/2009), I noticed that I am 0 for 9 for eating at several of the award winning restaurants noted in the article.

The first two are being considered for the prestigious James Beard Award ( coming up in a couple of days). These are Colby Garrett's Bluestem and The American (with Debbie Gold). The other establishments are fine restaurants in their own right and have garnered considerable notice as : Room 39 (my wife has and liked it), Michael's Smith's Extra Virgin, Krauses Dining in Lawrence, Lidia's (Lidia Bastinanich) and Jonathan Justice's Justice Drugstore (noted for its ongoing litigation to keep the name Drug Store in its title) , Lawrence's Local Burger (Hilary Brown). So have I not attended these places? It's not because I don't know about these places, because I do. I know where they are (I was near Justice Drugstore for a party nearby!) but its money that the factor.

The main factor for me not entering the fray is $$$. Eating at most of these places (well Local Burger is one I can make in the future) requires serious amounts of change. In this economy in particular, I don't have it. I really look for the "hidden jewels", the restaurants in Kansas City and on my travels, that have food with reasonable prices but yet are a level above the normal fare either with ambiance, quality, service, differences in menus and more.

Possibly the first one I will try will be Local Burger and then Bluesteam (I've been dying to at least try happy hour there). The others will have to wait. I hope that our local chefs get the James Beard award. It's another feather in their cap and may inspire Kansas City eateries. I don't have to be inspired as I liked what I see already and what is happening. But if more people know about our (fine) dining and other eateries all the better. That is on the reasons why I started this blog and others write theirs. To spread the word what we liked about Kansas City and how our foods' fare.

Overprices burgers , it's just not my type of place

One of my friends asked me to meet them at this restaurant for burgers. It wasn't my idea and you can bet that it won't be my idea on my on. Yes there are many type of burger combinations here but they are all way over priced. Yeah they come with fries (all you can eat?) but that does not excuse jacking up the prices so much. I had one of the lower prices burgers and got onion rings instead of the disgusting fries. Its a little noisy as there are always children which is fine but why drag them to this overpriced place ( just to eat more fatty fries?). I had a good time with my friends. I see this place from the road all the time but you can bet I won't be entered it. I have better places to eat. Sorry to be a downer on this review but "it just did not set well with me".

Restaurants are cutting back because of economy- which ones and how?

First one up was that at Ruby Tuesday, one person did not like that they are cutting corners at this restaurant (at least at this particular one) by not bringing out the whole steak sauce bottle but just some.
Last week we again went to RT in Olathe, KS as their 2:1 coupon for specials and steaks can’t be beat and the salad bar is awesome (It is now in my top 3 salad bars in Kansas City). My wife does not take sauce but I usually get A-1 or some other sauce to go with the steak. However this time I did not as the steak came with a cheese- mushroom sauce (I decided to try something different).
Some restaurants (PF Chang’s in this article) are cutting corners by not putting out steak knives cutlery but we were brought ours for our steak dinners.
At one Outback, they are not serving a dinner salad and it is extra. At RT, there are veggies with certain entrees but many entrees include the salad bar. I decided not to get some other entrees because the salad bar is extra for some entrees so I stuck with the steak which came with the entree plus had mashed potatoes and some veggies and tiny onion ring bits which were nice and crunchy (seems like little bits of Bloomin Onion from Outback Steakhouse which I have always wanted to get but the cholesterol and the calories are so high these are not recommended. But little bits would not hurt!).
There are 58 slides to go through this slide show (haven’t you noticed how AOL and others are doing things like slide shows and videosto increase revenues to make you stick around longer , looking at the ads on your desktop so that they can charge more for their services to the companies?) .
I don’t have time to go through all of them now but you can. If you noticed any of these “cutbacks” or others let me know.
http://www.walletpop.com/specials/i-spy-restaurant-tricks

Only good items here are fajitas -forget the rest in fact go someplace else

Buffet is all you can eat which is the good thing. The bad is that most of the food is horribly fried. The best are the real good chicken and beef fajita which you can all you want and that is what I have focused on. The enchiladas and the other dishes are average at best and fried so that you can hardly taste anything. There are other mexican specialties but they are not really good . There are sopallias ,condiments and other stuff but it does not really make the buffet tastier, There are several Mexican restaurants nearby that very good and that is where you should go (except if you want all you can eat fajitas).

I thouight the salad and breadsticks included soup?

We have been here for dinner and lunch several times. This time, dinner with all you can eat breadsticks and salad. Advertising says it includes soup but that is probably only for lunch possibly. We decided to add a tomato and veggie pizza and test out how the pizzas are compared to others. The salad is not bad with a spicy Italian dressing. (My preference is for caesar salad but that is not one of the AYCE options. We noshed on several helping of salad. Breadsticks are long, chewy but not particularly enticing but we ate a few anyway. The pizza was nicely baked, had tomatoes on it and with the olives we wanted. Definitely not thin crust pizza, not chicago style but chewy and good. The waiter was attentive and "talked us into" ordering a dessert. There were several choices and we narrowed it down to the gelato and a chocolate cake (which we took).
It was dark chocolaty, creamy with different types of chocolate. We finished every little shread of it as it was so good. After thinking it over, I would not get this bread sticks and salad thing deal again. For just a few dollars more, a meal comes with an entree and the salad and bread comes with it. So this might be the last time we do the salad and breadsticks ploy with/out a pizza. Still we had a nice time. But OG is not my favorite Italian place (Cinzetti's is) but this restaurant is closer. But if they throw in the soup for lunch I might come again.

Finding Nemo in this great aquarium, the restaurant has ambiance and very good food

Pro shop. Named after the "purple isle" string of islands in the Florida Keys, this restaurant transports you to Florida for fish and much more. It's huge and this restaurant has a bright interior due to the tall glass windows. The menu has a varied menu and good looking fish entrees and more. So I thought this place would be a good place for our little group to come during a Sunday. I was right and made a good choice. We were seated in a cozy little room for our little group. The outside seating looked good but here we had a little solitude. Plus one side of the wall had side of the smaller part of the aquarium so we could "FIND NEMO" in other words look at the amazing fish too as they swam by. My friends were here before and tried the chicken & salad entree. Those were good but we came for seafood. The waitress was very courteous and helpful. I asked about the Islamorada signature famous fish The Smoked Wahoo (a white delicate fish) wrap but it was dip like paste on tortilla and did not sound good to my liking. The fish and chips sounded good to me even thought the waitress admitted she did not eat fried foods and did not know if it was really good. It did not sound "boring at all" so I went for this English staple food. We wanted to go light with the meal and with entrees. My wife chose the Blackened ahi tuna wrap sandwich with sesame slaw. Her tuna sandwich was cooked perfectly. I had been doing Tuna wrong for years and finally learned how to grill or bake it right while in Providence, RI. You have to leave the center tender and pink and that is how my wife's sandwich came - perfect - and she loved. I took a bite and it was good (I love tuna anyway). My beer battered three huge fish and chips pieces were lightly breaded, golden brown from the fryer and were just like this "mate" likes it. Flaky and moist inside the fried exterior, they were delicious. Plus the waitress brought the malt vinegar to the table without asking which was nice. It gives the fish a little extra zing ( and it also good on fries). I usually don't have french fries but I thought well I would go fried all the way today. The fries were long, crispy and delicious. The pieces were so big, I decided to take home two of the big pieces. While watching the fish, the waitress suggested we try the bread pudding which she said was really good. We deliberated but since I love bread pudding I could not pass it up. It came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and with the sauce a good dessert. Not the best I have ever eaten but it was still tasty. I would definitely come back here and try the other entrees. The menu also have steaks, chicken, more sandwiches, appetizers, other salads and more so even those the title says "fish" there are more options at different price ranges and depending on your appetite Watching the fish in the aquarium is very peaceful, the ambiance is very nice and the place is quite. I don't hunt, shoot or fish, b ut I can always come here to capture some good food and ambiance.

The chicken and sides are tasty

We love the chicken here. When we have a craving for some "fried chicken" this is where we come because the rest is good too. Its juicy and has a lot of flavor. It ranks up there with the Colonel's but we think we like it better. (The Colonel's coleslaw is slightly better though). We like the spicy kind which gives it an extra zing with the hot sauce. Wings, thighs, breasts - all good with lots of flavor. The dirty rice has bits of meat with the rice and cajun reasonings are just right. The buns are flaky and have the right consistency.

Sonic's Java Chiller is awesome but the foot long Hot dog is "not so hot"

The Java Chiller is an awesome coffee drink. The Mocha flavor is smooth and mixes well with this chilled drink. Even my wife liked it and she does not drink coffee. There are two other flavors too but they does melt as well. The onion rings are not too bad but they are fried a little bit too crispy. I feel that some of the items are overprices (like the regular burgers without lettuce and tomato). But watch out for the foot long hot dog. It probably is the worst hot dog I have ever tasted. It tastes too loose, its kind of slimy,soft and does not taste like a real hot dog. (I prefer good all beef ones). The onion rings are not too bad but they are fried a little bit too crispy. I feel that some of the items are overprices (like the regular burgers without lettuce and tomato). There is a new dollar menu but I have not tried any of the fare. I am not much for dining in my car, especially in cold winter. But I would try the Java Chiller anytime.

La Mesa- back again with tasty Mexican entrees

We've been to many Tex/Mex/ Mexican restaurants. Most of them have had good Mexican fare. So how do you choose one? Sometimes we just want to try a different one to see what it is like , does it take any of the dishes to a different level other then your regular restaurant. We had sampled the Mexican fare at a La Mesa (at least that is what the name was) in Overland Park a couple of years ago. There was also one off of I-35 in Olathe, KS and gauging their progress the place were doing well. The one in Olathe always had cars in the parking lot if that is an indicator. But then they closed for some reason. I am always mystified when by restaurants that seem to be doing well but then close. Recently the Olathe location opened up (now 1 of 3 in Kansas) so we decided to try a coupon (hey I'm all for saving a little money). And we found that (at least) this one is better then before.
A waiters were attentive and helpful. I thought we'd try the Margaritas which are on sale on Wednesdays. Both my wife and I enjoyed the limey salt rimmed Margaritas with lots of Tequila kick. She had the icy/frozen one and I had the regular one (little more potent not as diluted) and they were both green colored and excellent.
The prices are very reasonable and there are lunch specials. The menu is pretty extensive and has appetizers, salads, sides, Mexican entrees (fajitas, grilled, burritos, quesadilla, enchiladas and more) , combinations, fajita fiesta (for 1 or 2) , steaks, chimichangas (my favorite), variety of chicken dishes, vegetarian dishes and much more. So there is much to choose from and I always have a hard time making up my mind on huge and versatile menus like this ( or was it the Margarita).
We ordered and dug into the excellent crispy chips. There were two types of salsa (spicy and regular). We really liked the tangy tomatoey flavor of the salsa. The spicy had a little extra heat (not hanero heat but possibly serrano not jalapeno?).
I really like Chimichangas (deep fried flour tortilla with beef / chicken or etc ) but I wanted to forage with something different tonight to sample the differences in the menu. My wife enjoyed her Pollo Asada (marinated chicken served with creamy avocado, lettuce, tomato, bell peppers, onions and 3 tortillas which were supple and easily filled the tomatoes, avocado, meat for little mini mexican sandwiches. Many dishes looked great but I wanted to try the different flavors, textures, meats etc of this restaurant. What better way then the the Special Dinner which was sort of sampler. Nice soft chicken tamale, one chili rellano (nicely flavored fried mild green poblano low heat pepper stuffed with cheese), tasty one chicken enchilada (nicely done with red sauce), one shredded beef taco, and one small tostado. All these sampler dishes had a nice (cumin?) flavor. Each was distinct in flavor, meats were tender.
The mashed refried beans were exceptional. This side dish had an unusal extra creamy flavor and the "bean" taste was not heavy handed. It was different then your regular refried bean mash. Maybe a little extra garlic in it, it was hard to "put my finger " on this extra nice taste
Another reason to like this restaurant is that the portions were quite large so there was more to take home and finish later. And the dishes had good flavor when we reheated them. I hope this place sticks around. We'll be back.





China Buffet - it is my chinese "fix" why? good buffet

 I like this buffet for the food which quite good and. When my appetite hungers and I want some Sweet & Sour Soup and am lusting for some Asian fare, I usually go with my "chinese fix" by coming here.
Its reasonably priced, its not too far away for me, the food is consistently good. Meaning that the food, at least that which I ate on the buffet, has good flavor, tenderness and has the flavors.
I get to sample some Chinese fare I don't ordinarily make, like the hot and sour soup, which I should try to make myself. This one is not bad with just the right sour and a little heat. The wonton soup is a little mild but the silky wontons, which I like very much, are soft, supple and light.
I don't bother with salad and other non chinese fare most of the time. I head for the appetizers like the crunchy and meaty chinese wings (seems like a little Chinese spice in them), the crab rangoon (good).
For 2 extra dollars you can have all you want of the thin crab legs (which is a good price).

China Cafe just has very unspectacular buffet/food

I tried it once when it first opened. I can't say anything that I really liked about any of the dishes. Nothing really stood out for me at all. The entree/dishes were truly unspectacular. Not a very large buffet either. Nothing was really spicy or flavorful.

Hop on over to Jumpin Catfish for great food and prices

We have eaten at this place for several years. Each time the service is great, the food is nicely priced and the seafood ( there is more then that ) is terrific. The menu is large and there is quite a variety, fish , seafood, chicken, game, and much more . There are specials like all you can eat quail ( many ways to have it your ways ), all you can eat fried chicken (awesome) and 2:1 lobsters. The fried chicken is succulent, juicy on the inside and right on crunchy on the outside, The quail has great flavor (the lemon pepper is different ) while the elk steak was very different and had a great taste. The service is attentive and they bring you and keep bringing you all that you want of great tangy coleslaw (we love it almost as good as Kentucky Fried Chicken's ), navy baked beans with bits of ham, and superb hush puppies ( they are made very well here). It does get crowded sometime but the wait is not long. There are always families and sometimes kids but the place is not noisy. The catfish is probably is very good (all you can eat if you want to) but we don't eat catfish so I can't pass along information about how good the lobsters are either. But if these are like the other parts of the menu offerings, it will be spot on good like the other entrees. Jump on over to catfish and try it . There is always something that will make you happy here at qreat prices.

Outback has good beef

I come from out East originally. Beef here in the Midwest just tastes better for some reason. Went we go to restaurants, it is usually for ethnic, not beef and usually not chains. If it is beef (I like Golden Corral and I did like Fire Mountain before it changed to Ryan's), certainly not a pricey steakhouse. But when we get a coupon, we use it. This was the case to try Outback again for dinner. This chain has been pricey but the meals have been good. I really wanted to try a "Bloomin Onion" appetizer but since I heard the cholesterol and calories are "sky High", I passed on it.I was not going to go for the salads, fish, appetizer. My wife tried the small prime rib. It was succulent and she enjoyed it. I chose the Outback special the 12 oz center cut sirloin which was sensational. My wife liked her steamed veggies while I went for the Caesar salad (which I love). I went for the back potato and she did. The portions were generous and we even had some to take home. I mean this makes "a good thing" last for the next day. And it was still tasty. Like I said we don't go here often but when we do it is good.

eat more beef- only kidding- this places best is the chicken

I have been here several times to nibble on their small "chicken -little" (get it?) sandwiches. They are toasty have the right amount of crunch and nice chicken meat inside their flaky . Very tasty and the chicken is moist and has a lot of flavor in their biscuits. Each order is made while you wait (not long). There are sandwiches, breakfast items and more. The prices are reasonable. It is difficult to know what times they are open though. I will stop by for little nibbles in the future and maybe something bigger. I love their cow ads BTW. Creative. But its the chicken that stand out.

Tasty subs and much more at Mike's

We have eaten at all the sub places in the city. I am more "into" the subs with the "double meat " portions or the meatballs otherwise you are mostly getting bread and some veggies and not much more. We don't go for subs often but I usually go when there are coupons. There are quite a range of prices for the different subs so it takes a little while to make up your mind (at least mine). This place has more then subs (pizza, salads, cold subs, wraps and more). The Grilled Pastrami Reuben sub caught my eye as I was in the mood for pastrami. This was a great choice. This "regular" sized sub ($6.25) is more then the other chains who are promoting their foot long sub specials. The taste of this one was exceptional. I usually don't like sauerkraut with pastrami but it "melded" way with the thousand island dressing.I wonder whether the other ones are just as good? I'll probably come back and try sometime soon.

Jose Pepper- for a chain the Mexican food is mighty fine

 I like Mexican fare but I usually won't go to the chains. The quality can really differ from the different chains or even ones within a city or town. However we went with friends to the Jose Pepper in Olathe (off of Black Bob and near I35 . This one is has superb food. It is always packed, full of people, since the day it opened and rightly so. I can understand that because it has very tasty food and good portions at great prices. Great "tomatoey" salsa and chips. Good enchilada and other entrees. We were all happy with our dinners. I do like this place and is really good for a chain. But I will look elsewhere unless my friends call again. I could see coming here while watching some ballgames on the big screen. Its probably just a matter of time until I come back. I mean a lot of people pack in this place at dinner or lunch and I know they are repeaters. Someday when there is a good game.

Good BBQ : looks like Bug Bubba's is gone : too much competitiond?

12/23/08 I have eaten here twice and liked the brisket sandwhich and the burnt ends. Meaty lots of smoke. They were always doing a pretty brisk business. I spoke to the owner during the Spring and it seems things were going okay. However today I went over near there and saw that in the front door that they are out of business! wow. There is even a note from one of the workers who did not even know they were skipping town! Wow!

I think the competition was accelerated when the second Oklahoma Joe's, a few miles north in Olathe, came into town near I-35. I liked Bubba's and am sorry to see them go. I like BBQ but it is not my top choice for eating except in the summer when I judge competitions in MO and KS for the KC Barbecue Society competitions.

I am truly am amazed how many restaurants there are in Olathe and all over. I know not all of them stay in business (50% close after a few years I think an article said). We eat out a few times a month, mostly with coupons when we find them or in the coupon booklet. We just can't afford to go out all the time besides I like to find recipes and cook myself all the time and try new and different recipes.

There is the good and the bad at Corona Gardens in Olathe, KS

Corona Gardens

This restaurant has been here for several years. I had never seen them doing much of a business especially with Mexican restaurant competition very close by. But I decided to give it a try. I've been here a couple time with my wife and once without her. The buffet is all you can eat which is the good thing. The bad is that most of the food is horribly fried. The best are the real good chicken and beef fajita. This you can all you want and that is what I have focused on. Wrapped in tortillas, you can make a meal of just this entree at a good price. The tacos and the meat are fine but how badly can you ruin tacos (well there was one place over in Missouri that did). I had them at a luncheon for staff at one of the schools and it was not bad fare. The enchiladas and the other dishes are average at best and fried so that you can hardly taste anything. There are other Mexican specialties but they are not really goo . There are sopapillias, condiments and other stuff do not really make the buffet tastier. They are just fillers for your belly. There are several Mexican restaurants nearby that much better and are just as reasonably priced. I will go elsewhere for Mexican next time unless I want all you can eat fajitas.