Hidden Lunch Gem

Johnny C's is a go to lunch spot for me. I regularly order way too much food. Today, I ordered the italian trio, which is a trio of italian meat, tomato, onion, cheese, italian dressing and mustard on a soft italian roll. Order it hot for the perfect sandwich. I rounded out my lunch with macaroni salad and cannoli. All this, with chips and a large iced tea for $14. You can't beat the value, and the food is delicious. It has to be fresh because of the bustling lunch business they do.

Other favorites on their menu are the mostacolli with spicy meat sauce and meatballs, and the tomato salad (which is only available on certain days - Wednesday or Thursday I believe). In fact, I love the tomato salad so much that my friends have bought me bottles of their zesty tomato salad dressing for my birthday!

Although there is nothing particularly unique here, it is hearty, satisfying and delicious. The service is friendly and fast. And frankly, I don't think you can find a better italian sandwich in the city.

$14 for sandwich, macaroni salad, chips, and large iced tea

4/5 stars

Solid Dining at Bristol Seafood Grill

Last night I had my probably hundredth dining experience at Bristol Seafood Grill.  We were given the semi-private room off the bar, which was ideal for my daughter, as she could play happily in the corner without bothering other patrons or the wait staff. 

I ordered the cioppino.  The dish was solid, with a lovely sauce, and healthy portions of several kinds of fish, mussels, clams, and perfectly cooked scallops.  I did however get several bites that were overpowered with tarragon.  But for the most part the dish was strong. 

The atmosphere was nice, as Bristol has a live band in the bar every Sunday evening.  They rotate between two bands, who alternate Sundays.  Because we had a wall in between us and the bar, the sound wasn't overwhelming.  It was really nice to hear live music.

My lovely daughter enjoyed a peppery dish of sweet potatoes, and guzzled spoons of lobster bisque.  She seems to be liking richer, and more full flavored dishes these days.  I even tried some spoons of the cioppino sauce.  Though the sauce is on the milder side, it does have a bit of spice.  The little one loved it as well (I can only assume she didn't get one of the particularly tarragon filled bites)!

All in all it was a very nice evening.  Though I will say I did NOT enjoy the Merlot selected! 

Bristol never fails to supply an enjoyable meal.  Seafood in the Midwest is no small feat. 

And the crab cakes are the best you can find in the city.

4/5 stars

J'Adore Le Monde

My love affair with Le Monde bakery in North Kansas City began by accident when I was walking along the street. I noticed their sign out front touting Chicken Curry. Curry at a French Bakery? Trust me ...

It is spicy, rich, clearly cooked for hours, and delicious.

The curry is their star. It really hits the spot on blustery January days, such as today. After a two block walk to the restaurant due to the street's terrible lack of parking, the smell of the curry rejuvenates you.

Onto the pastries, which are also superb. Try the croissants and come back for the apple strudel. Or do both. But DON'T MISS THE CURRY! I wish you could scratch and sniff the photo.  It is the sole reason I keep coming back. And complement the chef, it makes her smile.

5/5 Stars

Happy Gillis Makes Me Happy

I find myself at Happy Gillis Cafe in Columbus Park nearly once a week these days. Yesterday I had a perfect butternut squash soup with chorizo. I wished I had bought three cups of it. The only fault I would give the restaurant is that it is too small. So every time I go, I tend to go by myself and get takeout, because I don't like to risk bringing friends and ending up not being able to get a table. This is especially a concern on Fridays.

But regardless, I've never had a bad meal here. They seem to appeal to my eating sensibilities, and even carry Republic of Tea iced teas - which are my favorite. Try the meatloaf sandwich, the chicken salad sandwich, the arugula sandwich - try them all!

In my humble opinion, there is no better way I could spend $15 than at Happy Gillis for lunch.

5/5 stars

Paradise India

Update: On a whim, we visited Paradise India again this past weekend.  We had the opposite experience to the below!  Service was great.  We were in and out within 45 minutes, and the food was fantastic.  Perhaps our experience below was a one-off.  Only time will tell.  But I am revising my rating of the restaurant to 4/5, because the food really is worth a visit!

Original Post: I have visited Paradise India under three circumstances.  My first visit was to get takeout during my pregnancy.  I craved Indian food nearly constantly and that was how I happened upon Paradise India.  I called, placed my order and they told me it would be ready in about 30 minutes.  Approximately 7 months pregnant, I came to the takeout door and let them know I was ready to pick up my order.

I was informed it wasn't ready, and took a seat to wait.  And wait.  It turned out there was a large catering order right in front of me that was also late.  I believe I recall that their order was nearly an hour late! 

All in all, I waited nearly 30 minutes for my order in the restaurant while my husband was out in the car. 

Once we got home and started eating, I lost my concern over the wait as the food was delicious.

Our second visit was just a week ago for the lunch buffet.  I am trying to encourage my now 1 year old baby girl to try new food.  She happily dipped her naan in the butter chicken sauce and ate that for the entire meal.  The buffet was a very good value, and service was excellent (as they weren't cooking to order I suspect).  The selections were diverse and interesting, and I tried several dishes I had never had including mutton, fruit and cream salad, and butter chicken.

Our third visit was just last night for dinner.  We were informed when we were seated that all of the full tables had arrived within about 5 minutes, and all the menus were being used by those tables.  We sat and waited about 20 minutes to place our order.  60 minutes after our arrival, we finally had food.  They were unable to make our naan order more quickly.  Therefore, we had nothing to snack on.

Keeping a 1 year old occupied for 60 minutes without food in front of her was quite a challenge, I must say.  Though the food was delicious - I ordered chicken tikka masala, and paneer naan.  I walked out rather dissatisfied.  Although I did say to my dining mates, "it was worth the wait."  In hindsight, I probably will not visit the restaurant again except for the lunch buffet.

4/5 Stars (revised!)