Jia Joy

We visited Jia Restaurant in Leawood for Chinese takeout after noticing the 100% positive rating on Urban Spoon.  The menu is extensive and covers most Chinese American favorites.  We ordered Lemon Chicken, Kung Pao Beef, Chicken Lo Mein, pork fried rice, and Steamed Dumplings.

The takeout packaging was smart, with my lemon chicken sauce separate from the breaded chicken, which kept the breading nice and crispy.  I was also pleased that they offered brown rice as an option.

My rice was slightly overcooked, and the breaded chicken was more dough than chicken.  However, my guests raved about the Chicken Lo Mein and dumplings.  My little daughter was grabbing lo mein and chicken pieces off that plate.  She clearly likes salty food.  It was hilarious to watch her slurping up the noodles and getting sauce on her chin.  I was very happy to see her actually enjoying food!  We'll have to order that dish more often.

As for the Kung Pao Beef, there were mushrooms in the dish.  The wonderful husband is allergic to mushrooms.  SO, basically I can't tell you whether it was good or not, as he was very nervous to eat it, even with all of the mushrooms removed.  He also noted it wasn't as spicy as he had hoped it would be.

The staff were friendly and helpful.  All in all, I would say it was a good value.  The food was high quality, a step above average Chinese.  I believe we will be back!

3.5/5 stars

Deli Disappointment

Continuing my downtown Deli tour, I visited Market 3 KC today. I don't know what's up with the River Market area sandwich community, but upon entering, I again had no idea where to go to order. Deli owners - put up signs that say "Order Here"! If you don't, your patrons feel uncomfortable. Also, once I ordered, I was uncertain how to proceed thereafter. What I discovered after wandering around a bit, is that aside from the sandwiches, you basically help yourself to everything else you need. Soup is at the end of the salad bar. They will ring you up once your sandwich is complete. It is all quite a bit confusing.

The market is clean, with a large kitchen. The menu is relatively simple.

I ordered a BLT on wheat with cheddar and helped myself to a pint of lentil soup. Also on the menu today were corn and shrimp chowder and a tomato based andouille sausage soup.

The BLT was not particularly special. I hoped for the price to get an herbed aoili or really fantastic bread. But it was fairly pedestrian.

The lentil soup was warm and comforting, but really quite bland. Almost no herbs, lacking in salt, and almost seemed like it was a combination of 50% water/50% vegetable broth. And I found a whole bay leaf in my portion that would have been a horrible surprise if I hadn't seen it before the spoon went in my mouth. Chef, remove the bay leaves! They aren't palatable!  Many of the lentils also weren't completely cooked.  They were harder than al dente.

Sad to say, the highlight of my meal was the iced tea, which was strong and flavorful. And I do love my iced tea. For the money spent, I really found myself wishing I had taken my hard earned money to Happy Gillis in Columbus Park, where I could have spent the same amount for twice the meal.

The market is clean, ingredients are fresh, and the food is filling. However, the chef needs to step up the efforts in terms of flavors and originality.

$14.00 for a BLT with cheddar, a pint of lentil and vegetable soup, garden veggie chips, and a large iced tea.

2/5 stars

Blooming in the Winter

Bloom Baking Co. is probably my worst kept secret. I rave about it everywhere I go. I'm worried that my own ravings won't be enough - as it is rarely busy. However, the cupcakes are fantastic. The large size is the best value in my opinion.

The Berry one is my favorite. Today, I had a light chocolate cupcake with a marscapone based frosting. The frosting was light, and not too sweet - really perfect.

I've tried almost all of the cupcakes, and you can't really go wrong. Out of the probably 15 cupcakes I've tried, probably only one of them was a bit dry. My advice would be to ask which came out of the oven most recently. The macaroons are also lovely.

I also learned today that they are now serving sandwiches! I'll be back soon to try one. Please give this place a visit if you are at the city market for lunch. I would love to see their business flourish. The owners are kind, attentive, and really help educate you on their products and make you feel welcome. And their products are refined, well edited, and delicious.

$19.50 for three large cupcakes and a cappuccino

4.5/5 stars

Blustery Day at Carollo's

It seems that recently I have been attracted to Italian delis. I ordered my favorite menu item - an Italian trio. This time the #1 - Naples style with giardiniera. Carollo's version is probably the most authentic to what I remember receiving in Italy.

I typically order the #2, which is also delicious. The meats are perfect. The atmosphere isn't much, but it is a pleasure to browse the aisles admiring the beautiful tins of olive oil, and drooling over the stuffed peppers, and beautiful italian dessert treats.

Carollo's is probably my favorite sandwich between Pandolfi's and Johnny C's. The staff is quick, efficient and attentive - though not extremely friendly.

It is also a bit unclear how to go about your ordering process. Here's a quick summary - visit the sandwich counter. Get someone's attention and order your sandwich. If you want anything special on it, such as peppers, etc. you need to ask. They won't ask you! All the sandwiches come with Lays potato chips, which they will hand you. Grab an Orangina or San Pellegrino. Then, go ASK FOR A CANNOLI and pay.

You won't be sorry ... my entire meal is affordable, delicious, and a pure delight.

$7.85 for a sandwich, chips and San Pellegrino

5/5 stars

Bluestem Birthday

Some of my better dining experiences in Kansas City have been at Bluestem restaurant on Westport road. After reviewing menus at Julian, Michael Smith and Bluestem, I decided I wanted my 30th birthday dinner to be at Bluestem.

The wonderful husband and I trekked off to Bluestem on Tuesday evening determined to do the 12 course tasting menu. We also did the wine pairing.

Some of the highlights from the meal were the poached pear salad, the off-menu beef tartare, the perfect crab pasta, the horseradish mashed potatoes that accompanied our beef. Dessert highlights included the blood orange sherbet and bourbon ice cream. Mrs. Garrelts has clearly been enjoying her ice cream machine lately - and I'm appreciative! They were fantastic. The beef tartare was likely one of the best dishes I've had.

Every dish was executed perfectly. The portions were appropriately small to allow us to savor each dish without getting overfull. The wine pairings were wonderful. Frankly, the value is really very good. You will certainly receive an excellent dinner.

However, a few things did bother me about the evening. First, the inspiration seemed lackluster. The menu had none of the sparkle and imagination that I remember from my previous dining experiences at the restaurant. The hints of Asian influences were interesting, but seemed incongruent with other menu choices such as the pasta and distinctly American beef course. Although it made for a very interesting meal, there weren't any flavors helping to tie the dishes together. And they weren't building off one another. So it really felt like I was starting a new meal with each plate, instead of working up to a spectacular conclusion.

I was also startled by the lack of interest by the wait staff. Although our primary waitress was exceptional, the sommolier seemed distracted and disinterested in helping us understand the pairings.

While the dinner was well executed, enjoyable, and ultimately a fine evening - I find myself wishing I had perhaps tried something new, as Bluestem didn't live up to the excellent standards they have achieved in the past.

I am certain I will be back. I can only hope that Chef Colby was having an off night. But for my next date with my perfect husband, I will probably try one of the other wonderful KC chef's restaurants.

I still give the restaurant 4 stars because I believe it is still one of the best in town. However, if I remember back to my previous experiences there - it would have been 5 stars. Perhaps the chef needs some new inspiration. In the few glimpses I saw of him, he seemed tired.

$330 plus tip for 12 courses, and the 12 course wine pairing for two

4/5 stars

Perfect Italian Sandwich

I stopped into Pandolfi's Deli in Columbus Park today on a whim. It was my second visit, and turned out to be vastly superior to my first visit.

First, though the building is very old, they have managed to nearly extinguish the musty scent I noted upon my first visit.

My memory really did not do the food justice. I ordered the #3, an Italian cold cut trio of mortadella, capicolla and salami.

First, the bread was perfectly authentic this time. Crusty without being painful to eat. Drizzled with just the right amount of balsamic vinegar to add flavor without sogginess.  The meats were fresh and spicy. The lettuce was crunchy, obviously very fresh, and the tomato was perfect.

I think I detected a slight garlic scent in the olive oil. I could be imaginging it, but nevertheless, it was delicious.

I savored every bite of my sandwich, and found myself wishing I had ordered a cannoli.

My one complaint would be the price. Although the sandwich is perfect, I could get an excellent trio from Carollo's for about 30% less.

I paid over $10 for the sandwich and a fountain drink. I will likely continue to visit Pandolfi's for a change of pace occasionally. If the price was a better value, I would likely be a weekly visitor. However, cost being what it is, my visits will still be infrequent at best.

4/5 stars - would be higher if they lowered their price by about $1.50 or $2.00

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