Clear10 Vodka

Kansas City’s Local Liquor!

Good Spirits, LLC in Olathe, Kansas is the mastermind behind this lovely libation. I had the chance to taste it at a barbecue event a few weeks ago. It was in a delectable little drink called the Pom10 Lemonade.

Ron Bailey, Vice President of CLEAR10 along with his close friends Chad Fordham and Todd Bukaty wanted to buy a distillery and make a superior vodka here in the Midwest that would gain attention nationwide. About 3 years ago, after extensive research and evaluating existing distilleries, the three decided to build it from the ground up. From there, they spent the next couple of years designing bottles, logos and of course numerous hours pefecting the hand-crafting of CLEAR10. CLEAR10 was launched in March of 2009 in Kansas, then made its way to Missouri in May that same year.

CLEAR10’s mission is to create a super-premium vodka that will demonstrate that the Midwest has much to offer. They are succeeding at it too! In September, 2009, CLEAR10 won a Gold Medal from the coveted Beverage Tasting Institute in Chicago. They rated CLEAR10 higher than Chopin, Stolichnaya and Effen.

This Artesian Vodka begins with the highest quality water source and superior hand – selected Midwest yellow corn grain. It is then introduced to a four-column distillation cycle. Each small batch is then passed through a 10-step filtration line at a rate of less than 2 gallons per minute. There is no sugar, citric acid or any other additives.

CLEAR10 is served at some of the best restaurants and bars in KC including: Sullivan’s, Trezo Vino, Capital Grill, Nick and Jakes, Trezo Mare, Zest, Johnny’s Tavern, McFaddens and Shark Bar just to name few! It is also available at most liquor stores throughout the state of Kansas and in Missouri at Gomer’s , Lucas Liquor, Berbiglia, Metcalf Discount Liquors and a few Hy-Vee’s.

So remember the next time you need to lift your spirit, choose Good Spirit's CLEAR10 Vodka!

For more information visit the Clear10 website.

And as always if you have a great local food find in KC you think I am missing Email me

In Good Taste,
Sharm

Meadowlark Acres

Fresh Bread “Made to Order”

At Meadowlark Acres, it's all about fresh, local, home-grown, small-batch
and artisan-crafted to ensure the flavors come through in everything they
create.

Meet Suzanne Frisse owner of Meadowlark Acres. She has been actively gardening and baking for the past 20 years.

Once a corporate trainer who traveled around the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and Europe about 80% of the year, she wanted to do something that was garden and baking related. So she gave up the corporate world last September, and Meadowlark Acres was born.

A typical morning at Meadowlark Acres starts at 4:00 a.m. (sleeping in…), and looks like this…

Limoncello cake with oozy boozy glaze in oven, a batch of freshly-made/hand
squeezed lemon curd is in the works, 6 crusty French baguettes are in their
pans waiting to be baked, 4 lbs of crispy thin flatbread crackers will be
made along with a peanut butter and pepper jelly preserves bread, (a new
creation for the day) and roasted red seedless grape focaccia (tastes like
cherry pie, only savory with rosemary and sea salt and evoo).




Are you drooling yet? Do you want to learn how to make some if it?

Suzanne is now teaching pasta making, focaccia baking and pizza making classes
at her home in Stilwell, Kitchens by Kleweno at 4034 Broadway in Westport and various locations in Paola, KS.

Suzanne’s products are so good, local chefs will contact her to make items
for their special event dinners and banquets. One of her favorite chefs to
work with is Jasper Mirabile, Jr of Jasper’s Restaurant. She was honored to
be Chef Jaspers' bread baker for his Guest Chef Dinner at the James Beard
House in NYC in January. She has also baked many times for Chef Diego Fernandez of
the Overland Park Marriott.



All of Meadowlark Acres breads and baked goods are “made to order”. So
anytime you need something you can just pick up the phone or email them with
your order. 24 hours notice is appreciated, but Suzanne says as long as she
has about 6 hours notice she can accommodate most requests. They are located in Stilwell, KS and it is best to pick up orders but in some cases, delivery arrangements can be made.

If time permits at request, she will make your order just in time for pick
up so it is fresh and warm. How good will you look hosting a dinner party
with a just out-of-the-oven creation?

I have had quite a few items form Meadowlark Acres and they have all been so
delicious. Do yourself a favor and place an order soon. They will bake
just about anything your heart desires!

To order or learn more about classes, call (913.681.5004), email : sfrisse@kc.rr.com, visit The Meadowlark Acres website or find them on facebook: Meadowlark Acres.

And as always if you have a great food find in KC you think I am missing, Email me
In Good Taste,
Sharm

Here's You're Scoop

Well at least in written form for you.

This Ice Cream Shop is OK with being the big FOUR – O. Not that it is that old but that it has over 40 flavors.

Greg Berry and his wife Amy wanted to open up an ice cream shop. They originally planned to sell Edy's, Blue Bunny, or something like that, but while researching this venture they met some other ice cream store owners that made their own. They did not even know they could make their own ice cream, they just thought it came off a truck!

They decided to go to ice cream school and went to The Frozen Dessert Institute in St. Louis. There they learned all about the ice cream business and, most importantly, how to make it.

Greg and Amy started to move forward in that direction and opened Here’s Your Scoop in April 2009. The ice cream was good from the start. Then, in November, they went to the National Ice Cream Retailers Association and got 4th place in the best new flavor competition with their flavor Oatmeal Cookie.


Each year the National Ice Cream Retailers Association gives six awards for new flavors. Here’s Your Scoop had only been open for about seven months, and was only the second store in the state of Missouri to have received an award at the NICRA convention.

Here’s Your Scoop has also received a Blue Ribbon from the NICRA for their Strawberry. Each year the NICRA has an evaluation of the ice cream. Here’s Your Scoop received 34 out of 35 possible points.

All of the ice cream is made in store. They make numerous flavors such as red velvet cake, Italian wedding cake, bacon, rose petal, numerous cheesecake flavors, and many other well known and not-so-well-known flavors.

The flavors are nothing short of amazing! The day we went we sampled flavors such as Key Lime Pie, Salt Caramel, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Black Raspberry Cheesecake, Kookey Cookies, and a few others.

They also make all of the wonderful creations you would expect from an ice cream shop including, sundaes, banana splits, shakes, malts, sodas, and the likes.

I got a scoop of the Key Lime Pie, and it tasted just like a slice of pie! As I was eating my ice cream, I saw something I had never seen before. It was a funnel cake sundae. The kids and I decided we needed that too and would share it. After all, we just got single scoops so there was room for a little more ice cream. Good thing we shared this because it was huge, it is enough for 2 or 3 to share. So make sure and take a friend with you when you go!




The funnel cake is made right when ordered so it is fresh and warm. Then the rest is up to you.

With over 40 flavors to choose from and numerous toppings, the possibilities are endless. I chose their vanilla flavor and topped it with strawberries and caramel. I think it was one of the most decadent things I have ever eaten. The funnel cake was warm and the ice cream was cool and creamy with the smoothest texture - the best vanilla ice cream I have ever tasted. The caramel and strawberries together with the whipped cream just put it over the top.

And if you just love a plain funnel, you can get them all year round. I don’t know of anywhere else that offers funnel cakes. What a treat to not have to wait for the State Fair to roll around to get your once a year funnel cake!

They also carry sorbet, ice cream cakes, pastries, and Tropical Sno. One of their newest creations is a Monster Energy Drink Shake, so there IS something for everyone.

So…..There’s You're Scoop on What You’re Missing KC at Here’s You're Scoop. I recommend not waiting on getting your scoop and visit them today!

http://heresyourscoop.com/

3743 SW Hollywood Drive
Lee's Summit, MO 64082
816-537-4700

Hours:

Sun 1pm - 9pm

Mon 3pm - 9pm

Tues–Thurs 2pm - 9pm

Fri & Sat 1pm - 11pm

And as always if you have a great food find in KC you think I am missing, Email me

In Good Taste,
Sharm

Healthy Food and Good Wine

Does it get any better than that? I don't think so.

This Fundraiser for St. Joseph Hospital had me at the word wine! It really is a great thing when you can support a wonderful cause, have as many glasses of wine as you wish, watch 3 of the most talented Chefs in Kansas City's create amazing dishes and of course sample food from some of Kansas City's best restaurants.

Events like this is what I live for. I just love finding out about a new restaurant or a company that has great food that I can share with you.

The evening kicked off with the Iron Chef competition featuring Chefs JJ Mirable, Jr of Jaspers restaurant, Michael Foust of the Farmhouse and Tate Roberts of EBT. The Competition was sponsered by Somerset Ridge Winery and Vineyard. Chef Tate Roberts prevailed.


Some of the great offerings were blanc burgers+ bottles with an Ahi burger on a brioche, Blue Bird Bistro was serving a polenta cake with brisket and a blueberry sauce, The Farmhouse had the most amazing vichyssoise, Room 39 had these delectible Thai Chicken Meatballs,Casa Somerset had and a yummy risotto and Zest a yellow fin salad.

Cafe Augusta. I have not heard much about this place. It is a great little bistro in Lenexa around 87th Street and Quivira. They had a great combo plate with curry squash soup and filet medallion with Spanish cheese and pickled onions. I absolutely fell in love with the soup and the fillet was so tender. This is definetly not the last time you will hear about Cafe Augusta.



Nikko had a sushi bar. Spicy tuna roll and a new twist fruit sushi with pineapple and peanut sauce. I did not try the sushi but my husband did and he thought it was quite tasty!

Another new stop for me was Paradise India. I don't eat a lot of Indian food, I guess it's just because I have not found one that I care for. Paradise India was offering a sampling of Chicken Tikka Masala, Vegetable Pakora, and of course, Naan. I am so glad I tried it because I was pleasantly suprised. I am so glad to have found a good place to go!

Last on the list of food tables was Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue. They were serving up burnt ends. If you know Jack Stack you know they are about the best place in KC for BBQ.

Now about dessert, we had some delicious goodies from Just Desserts a coconut cupcake, carrot cake cupcake and a cinnamon roll. There was ice cream from Shatto Dairy and Here's Your Scoop. We also had coffee from the Roasterie! What a sweet way to end the evening!


Last, but certainly not least, were some wonderful local food vendors that have great product and services. Suzanne Frisse from Meadowlark Acres was there offering her outstanding homemade breads and jelly's. We came home with a baguette and some hot pepper jelly. So Good! There was also Nut Nation, with an assortment of roasted and flavored pistachios. The mango curry flavor is great! And Door to Door Organics. They are a service that delivers fresh organic produce and groceries throughout the Kansas City area.

You missed a wonderful evening of healthy food and good wine. Hope next year you can make it. Check their website for more information. www.hfgw.org

And as always if you have a great food find in KC you think I am missing, Email me
In Good Taste,
Sharm

b:2 a burger boutique

From Wikipedia:
“A boutique, from the French word for ‘shop,’ is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelery.

Although you won’t find any clothing or jewelry in this hip and trendy little shop, you will find the best burger you will ever eat in your life, just presented in an elite and fashionable way!

b:2 is spawned from the guys that brought you Blanc Burgers and Bottles. If you have been to Blanc you probably won’t need to read any further and will already be headed out the door to visit b:2.

Just like Blanc, b:2 specializes in gourmet burgers and uses the freshest ingredients available. Their beef is local and the buns are baked fresh daily for them by the local Farm to Market Bread Company. When it’s in season, the produce is local and delivered by Kansas City’s own Liberty Fruit Company. They even make their own house-made ketchup and pickles. That is by far the most delicious ketchup I have ever tasted, and the pickles are wonderfully crisp and fresh.



Can it get any better? Apparently, because they just opened a location in my neck of the woods! b:2 has just started up a restaurant in the Summit Fair shopping center in Lee Summit. Finally, I do not have to drive to Leawood or the Plaza to get my burger fix, although I will be driving to the Leawood location later this month. Do you want to know why?

Well I will tell you. It’s because I won a free happy hour from them on facebook for me and 9 of my friends! These guys are so cool! If you have a facebook account and do not have Blanc and b:2 “liked” you better log in and “like” them today. You never know what cool stuff they are going to offer.

Even after my happy hour is over I still may on occasion drive over there when I am craving their Boulevard beer battered onion rings or want to try the new Shatto cheese curds which I have heard are excellent, but not on the menu at b:2.

Why, you ask?

b:2 is like the little sister to Blanc, and is downscaled just a bit. Not on flavor, quality or service mind you, but the menu isn’t quite as extensive and the prices are a little lower. It really is a beautiful thing!

Ever since b:2 has opened so close to home I have been dying to go there, and finally got the chance to this week. Steve happened to be out of town for business, and when he is gone I do not cook! So luckily for the kids and me, we needed a place for dinner and ended up going there right after school because everybody was hungry.



The building outside is hip and trendy, the inside sleek and modern; a perfect fit for Blanc’s style. We were warmly greeted upon entering and seated promptly. It was about 3:00 in the afternoon so we had the place pretty much to ourselves. I do know it would be busier closer to lunch or dinner time, but cannot tell you if there would be a wait for a table. It would be best to call them if you are concerned about something like that. I will include their contact information below.

Down to the heart of the matter - the food. We ordered our drinks first, and b:2 has a long list of assorted bottled sodas and beer. We will save the beer for another time as I am sure Steve will be in beer heaven with nearly 100 beer options.


Megan loves pop so she got a bottle of Nesbitts Peach soda, and for Chad it was a Chocolate milkshake. Their milkshakes are made with two of Kansas City’s favorite brands, Foo’s Frozen Custard and Shatto brand milk. Talk about tasty! They also have “grown up” milkshakes for those who want a little kick, and I didn’t get one this time but it is definitely something I want to do.

For an appetizer we chose their fried house-made pickles. They are served with a chipotle ranch, and it is a great combination. That was my first fried pickle but it will definitely not be my last. Megan and I really like them. My son Chad is quite a picky eater, and even though I offered him $5.00 to try one he wouldn’t do it. But that’s just as well, it meant more for Meg and me so I didn’t complain or pressure him too much.


So what about the burgers? Before I went I was told the BBQ Bacon Burger was really good, so I thought that’s what I would get - until I saw the menu.

What’s this, a Caprese Burger? Are you kidding me?! It was love at first sight. This burger has fresh goat cheese, tomato, basil mayo, arugula, balsamic and is served on a rosemary focaccia. Sold!

My friends will attest to the fact that this burger has my name on it. Really b:2, you should rename it the What You’re Missing KC Burger.

The ingredients in this burger are literally staples in my kitchen. I always have goat cheese in the fridge, balsamic in the cabinet, and I’m growing fresh basil and rosemary in my herb garden!

Since I basically have everything on hand, I am debating on whether I should try to recreate this burger for Steve when he gets home or just leave the cooking to b:2 and take him there. I am sure the latter will prevail, but I do like to cook so we will see how things go. But on the other hand it would give me a chance to try one of those grown up milkshakes. Yes, that settles it, I am taking him there. I will take a stab at making the burger some other time.

The Caprese Burger was soooooooo good, and I know I say that about a lot of things here on this blog but this may just take the cake. At least for now, anyway. It has all my favorite ingredients, the beef is all natural and locally grown and the bread was just baked. You can truly taste the difference.

As luck would have it I did get to try the BBQ Bacon Burger, because that is what both Chad and Megan ordered. Chad basically ordered it plain, bacon, meat, cheese and bun. Megan wanted all the goodies: grilled onions, smoked gouda, scallions, pickles and an ancho chile bbq sauce. Wowwww. Even though I really just wanted a bite because I was content with my match made in heaven Caprese burger, we ended up cutting the burgers in half and sharing. Hopefully when you go, you will be with someone just in case you are torn between two burgers. It is a great way to get a taste of each!

Now what is a burger without fries? I don’t know, because we had some! Having been to Blanc I know how good the truffle fries are, and thankfully they are on the menu at b:2. An order of those was an absolute must. We also had an order of the sweet potato fries because I can’t resist a good sweet potato. All the fries are served with the house-made ketchup and a made-from-scratch Cajun remoulade. That remoulade was just dynamite with the sweet potato fries. One thing I didn’t notice on the menu until after we had already ordered were fries with a smoked gouda fondue. How yummy does that sound? I guess I will have to go back to get them, I’m just that dedicated.

So there you have it. The guys at Blanc and b:2 truly have it right, they use only the freshest, local ingredients they can get and serve it up with outstanding customer service. It is a delicious and perfect combination.

Their slogan is Eat Local Drink Local so get out and support b:2 or Blanc today! You will truly be missing out on some of the best food you will ever eat if you don’t.

b:2
Location:
860- W NW Blue Parkway
Lees Summit, MO, 64085
Phone: 816 246 9696
Website: http://www.b2-burgers.com

And as always if you have a local food find in KC you think I am missing, Email me

In Good Taste,
Sharm

Foodie KC 2010

Now this deck of cards can actually deal you a good hand and you are sure to win every time.

Each deck from Foodie KC contains 52 $10.00 gift certificates for 52 different KC area restaurants. And they are actually restaurants you want to eat at. Some are even mentioned in some of my other posts here on this blog like, Room 39 and Westside Local.

I also have write ups in the works for Nara and Blanc Burgers and Bottles and guess what? There are cards for those places too!!

This is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. So it is a great deal for everyone. The decks are $30 so after visiting 3 places you have already made your money back. You can’t go wrong here.

They are good till December 30, 2010.

Just an FYI if a restaurant closes you can send that card back to Foodie KC and they will send you a replacement for somewhere else.

Check out this list of all places:
52 Restaurants
• 801 Chophouse
• Aixois
• Anthony Italian Restaurant
• Baja 600
• Blanc Burgers + Bottles
• Blue Grotto
• Café Des Amis
• Chef Burger
• Cupini's
• Czar Bar
• El Patron Cocina & Bar
• Em Chamas Brazilian Grill
• Frans Restaurant
• Frida's
• Gaslight Grill
• Grand Street Café
• Granny's Chicken Ranch
• Kansas City Café
• K. City Coffee House & Wine Bar
• Le Fou Frog
• Lew's Grill & Bar
• Nara
• Nick & Jakes
• Old Shawnee Pizza & Italian Kitchen
• Pot Pie
• Raglan Road
• R Bar & Restaurant
• R.C.'s Restaurant and Lounge
• Record Bar
• Room 39
• Savvy Coffee & Wine Bar
• Smokehouse BBQ
• Sol Cantina
• Tannahs
• Tasso's
• Tengo Sed Cantina
• Thai Place
• The Café at Briarcliff
• The Drop
• The Farmhouse
• The Granfalloon
• The Majestic
• The Marquee
• The Prime Rib Grill
• The Sweet Guy
• The Westside Local
• Tower Tavern
• Trezo Mare
• Velvet Dog
• Waldo Pizza
• Wil Jenny's
• Zarda BBQ

I got my deck and cannot wait to start using it. Hope you get one too.

To purchase decks visit their website http://www.foodiekc.com/buy/


And as always if you have a local food find in KC you think I am missing, Email me

In Good Taste,
Sharm

Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery

An award winning boutique winery located just 25 minutes south of Kansas City.

We stumbled upon this winery by accident. We were at the Slow Foods Green Eggs and Ham Brunch http://www.slowfoodkc.org/index.htm earlier this spring and met Dennis and Cindy Reynolds. They are the owners of Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery. We were invited back for a tasting and it was delightful.




We were treated to a selection of their award winning wines and of course could not leave empty handed, since we wanted to enjoy the fruits of their labor another time.


Dennis and Cindy planted the vineyard in 1998. It started as a hobby but once they had 8,000 grapevines, it was no longer possible to work in the vineyard on just evenings and weekends.

They are a lab vineyard for both MU and KSU… and plant new vines every Spring…they currently have 13 different varieties planted and hope to continue to add more vines next year.

Somerset Ridge loves what it does. They grow their own grapes and are committed to not using pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. They do it all by hand using only sustainable agricultural methods.

Somerset Ridge wines are served in some great local restaurants around KC including Bonefish Grill, Taste, Gaslight Grill, Blue Bird Bistro and Jasper’s just to name a few. They are also available at several retail locations around the city. Visit their website for more information on locations.
http://www.somersetridge.com/retail.html

Even though their wine is available throughout KC it is worth the trip to visit the winery. In their tasting room, tastings are always free, and there is something really cool about getting the opportunity to taste the wines and walk through the vines you are drinking from.


You can drink a bottle of wine on the veranda and enjoy the day. They also have a unique selection of wine related gifts. I got the best smelling candle there, the scent is Sangria. It is from Pickwick and Co. a local company from right here in KC. http://www.pickwickwax.com

Most weekends they have live jazz which really adds to the fun.

Some upcoming events they have are:

May 8th – 9th they will be part of the Miami County Farm Tour.

May 17th is the Somerset Ridge Wine Dinner at Bonefish Grill 6 -9 p.m. A fabulous 4 course meal paired with Somerset Ridge Wines. $40 per person. Call 913-239-8856 for reservations. Seating is limited.

June 12th will be their second Art in the Vines event. 30 local fine artists will have their works throughout the vineyard so it will be a unique opportunity to enjoy some wine, sunshine and beautiful art by local artists.

Head out to Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery and enjoy some wine today!

Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery
29725 Somerset Road
Somerset, KS 66071
913-491-0038
And as always, if you have a great local food find you think I am missing, Email me

In Good Taste,
Sharm

Ophelia's Restaurant

Overlooking the Independence Square, Ophelia's offers an eclectic American menu.

My husband Steve and I just stopped in for a cocktail of some sort and ended up staying almost 2 hours!

The night we went we were just going to have a couple cocktails and then move on to another spot on the Square and make it like a pub crawl event to check out some of the other places. Needless to say that didn’t happen, although I am going to shoot for that sometime.

When we got there we saw they were offering a wine tasting event and thought that would be a perfect way to start the evening.

We had the pleasure of sampling 3 wines. The tasting included a Riesling, a Chianti and a Grappler. There was also a special tasting extra of 2 Scotches. It included the Arran Single Malt Scotch and Robert Burns Blended Scotch Whiskey. Everything was great! The Riesling is my favorite!

Along with the wine tasting was an assortment of wonderful cheeses, artesian crackers and fruit. After the tasting is finished a full glass of your favorite is included. So after indulging in more wine and cheese we thought a dessert would be fun to share. Not that we needed it of course, but we wanted it and decided to share one.

As we gazed at the beautiful tray with all the decadent choices we could not narrow it down to just one, so we got two! Oops!

Dessert consisted of a Caramel Apple Cheesecake and a Mixed Berry Crumble. Both were delicious and the presentation was beautiful. Almost too pretty to eat, but I managed to overcome that.


The live jazz music at the piano added another level of enjoyment to the evening as well. To me, nights like this are what it is all about: “The Experience”. Take in the atmosphere, the sights, sounds, smell and of course the taste! Eat slowly and enjoy the company you are with.

I absolutely love Ophelia’s. I have been there for lunch and dinner many times and it is a top notch spot in my book. It is wonderful fine dining that can compete with some of the hottest spots downtown.

The menu is an infusion of cultural flavors. There is an array of steak, seafood, duck, and lamb. The dishes are incorporated with layers of flavor making them the epitome of what fine dining should be.

Ophelia’s Corporate Executive is Chef Marshall Roth. Before taking the position at Ophelia’s, Roth has been both The Executive Chef for the Hotel Phillips and The Culinary Consultant for Entertainment Concept Investors.

With ECI, Roth was involved in the opening of some of the restaurants at the Power and Light District. Included in those are Makers Mark Bourbon House and Lounge, Vinino and McFaddens.

Chef Marshall Roth has created the Roth Burger which they feature on the lunch menu. The burger was voted best burger in 2007 by The Pitch. It features ground sirloin, lettuce, tomato, onions, provolone and Executive Chef Marshall Roth’s secret ‘sassy’ sauce on a house baked brioche. All I can say is YUM!

Ophelia’s is truly lucky to have such a talented chef and you are missing out if you do not give them a try.

They are open for lunch and dinner. They also offer live jazz music on the weekends and a Sunday Brunch.

In addition to the restaurant is the “Inn,” a first class bed and breakfast. I have not stayed there yet, but I'm thinking it would be a close romantic getaway for a weekend with my hubby and hope to do it sometime soon.

www.opheliasind.com/welcome
201 N Main
Independence, MO, 64050
Phone:
816.461.4525
Mon - Thurs:
11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Fri - Sat:
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Sun:
11:00 am - 2:30 pm

As always, if you think there is a great local food find I am missing, Email me


In Good Taste,
Sharm

Room 39

Fresh. Seasonal. Local. Delicious.

You will get all of this and more at Room 39; it is one of my favorite spots in KC.

I am a big fan of supporting local restaurants and this place does it right. They work with area farmers and producers to get the freshest ingredients at the peak of the season. I am telling you, once you start eating this way it is hard to go back. Everything just tastes better.

I love the seasonal concept that Room 39 uses by making dishes according to what is in season. I feel like a kid at Christmas every time I go, wondering what the Chef has cooked up. Literally!!

One of my favorite dishes is the Gnocchi. (Go figure…If you have read some of the other posts here on the blog you will realize I love gnocchi). It has bacon and roasted cauliflower in it. The flavors blend beautifully.

I have also had their lamb, duck and steak. Everything is always prepared perfectly. My husband got this grilled romaine salad one of the last times we were there, it was out of this world. The grilling gave it a whole other level of flavor, who knew lettuce could taste like that?!

Then there are the desserts.

They have these Goat Cheese Beignets with a Caramel Soup. I can’t even describe how good these are, you just need to taste them for yourself. We have also had a Banana Bread French Toast that was great too.

Everything I have ever had there has been unbelievably good. It is one place in KC that cannot be missed!

Room 39 offers a great tasting menu. It is 4 courses of their amazing upscale food for only $39.00. Talk about one heck of a deal!

Room 39 has to 2 locations, one in Midtown and the other in Leawood.

The Midtown locations is:
1719 W. 39th St
Kansas City, MO 64111
816-753-3939

Leawood is located in The Mission Farms Shopping Center:
10561 Mission Road
Leawood, KS 66206
913-648-7639

The menu can vary by location so check the website for more information http://www.rm39.com/about.htm

I recommended Room 39 to be featured on the show Check, Please! Kansas City and it was. The show airs on our local PBS station KCPT on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. It is a great show that features different restaurants around KC. You may watch this or other episodes online http://cove.kcpt.org/video/1481393363/#

And, as always, if you think there is a great local food find or restaurant I am missing in KC Email me

In Good Taste,
Sharm

When Life Hands You Lemons……

Add vodka and make Limoncello! It will make everything better.

That is exactly what Jasper did at “A Limoncello Experience”.

First of all, if you have been to Jasper's you know it is like going to a friend’s house for dinner, and that he is the most personable, sweet man you will ever want to meet.

If you have not been, get it on your list of places to go. It will become a favorite spot guaranteed!

Now about those lemons…. A multi-course treat that had all sorts of fancy Italian names that I had no idea what they meant, but they sounded sexy and of course they sure tasted good, which is really what matters to me.

We were greeted with a limoncello cocktail consisting of limoncello and champagne it was refreshing and delicious. The table was set with the yummiest Sicilian Limoncello Crackers and Limoncello and Cream Cheese Braided Bread made by the very talented Suzanne Frisse of Meadowlark Acres. meadowlarkacres.web.officelive.com/default.aspx In addition to the bread and crackers was a Lemon Ricotta and Sicillian Olives; it was a delicious way to start the evening.

The First Course: Was a Chilled Asparagus and Limoncello Cappuccino. It was this most amazing creamy asparagus soup with just the perfect hint of lemon. There was also included an Oyster Christina.


I have to admit I was a little nervous about that as I have never been inclined to try an oyster. My husband likes them but I just can't seem to get over the look them laying in that shell, that I have never brought myself to try one. The Oyster Christina was fried so I thought OK I can do this for Jasper because I really want the whole Limoncello Experience! Well who knew what I was missing! It was very tasty and had this lemony glaze that added just a touch of lemon flavor. Thank You Jasper for taking me out of my little culinary box!


The Second Course : Was a Scampi Limoncello and Leek Risotto.

Jasper himself did a demonstration on how to prepare the dish. He was informative and personable. I felt like I was in his home.


The Risotto was creamy and delicious. Jasper also scores another point for getting us out of our culinary box, this time for my husband Steve. He has asked me before when we have been to other places that serve a risotto, “What’s risotto? I tell him it is a like a pasta dish made with rice. He say’s “Rice is for Chinese Food”. So he has never tried it until now. Thank you again Jasper! He really liked it.




The Third Course Was a Pasta alla Limocello a cut pasta, with a lemon cream and local garlic chives and A Slow Roasted Limocello Chicken served with Pendelton’s ( a local asparagus farm www.pendletons.com) Asparagus and Fresh Mozza Cream Potatoes.

I was getting so full and knew dessert was coming so I had to pace myself and I am glad I did because it was quite a treat to keep the experience going the next day for lunch with my leftovers.


And last but not least, The Fourth Course consisted of “A Trio of Sweet Lemon Inspired Endings” which included a Lemon Gelato, Limoncello Cannoli and a Limoncello Tart. All were so good.

The crust for the tart was made from Jasper’s Mothers sugar cookie recipe and I am telling you it was to die for!


Well if you are not drooling by now to make the ending even sweeter a wonderful Limoncello liquor was added to finish things up.

Are you kicking yourself already for missing this?

Well you are in luck. Jasper has a list of “Experiences” lined up for you to take advantage of that includes some of the most decadent ingredients.

The next few coming up are:
“A Mozzarella Experience”
“A Prosciutto Experience” and
“An Heirloom Tomato Experience”.

Now that I have seen what this guy can do with lemons, I can’t wait to see what he can do with these other ingredients.

Jasper takes such care in preparing his dishes. He uses as many fresh and local ingredients as possible and you can truly taste the difference.

If you can’t make it to one of his “Experiences” you must at least go for lunch or dinner. I promise you will be hooked!!

Jasper also has the Marco Polo Italian Market right next door. A perfect option when you are craving good food on the go or don't have time for a dining room experience.

The market serves from 10:00 A.M.-10:00 P.M., Monday through Saturday. Prices range from $2.75-$6.95 and features Italian sandwiches, pasta, chicken, pizza and desserts. The grill is still outside and Italian sausages are fired up daily. The market seats 55 and also does catering.

1201 W. 103rd Street | Kansas City, MO 64114 | Phone: (816) 941-6600

To register for one of the “Experiences” call 816-941-6600 or email jasperjr@aol.com

“A Mozzarella Experience” is June 17th
“A Prosciutto Experience is July 12th”
“An Heirloom Tomato Experience” is August 9th

Cost is $45.00 per person, does not include wine pairing tax or gratuity.
Make your reservations today!
For more information visit Jasper’s website at http://www.jasperskc.com/about.htm

And as always if you think you have a great local food find you think I am missing,Email me

In Good Taste,
Sharm