© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Central Standard

Food Critics: News, Reviews and Frozen Favorites

Walt Bodine and the Food Critics share restaurant news and reviews.

ListenPodcast

The Food Critics:
Charles Ferruzza, co-host, The Pitch and Fat City Blog
Chris Becicka, Ingram's Magazine
Gloria Gale, 435 South Magazine
Mary Bloch, Around the Block

News:
Carmen's (Brookside) is opening new location in Park Place in July
The American is now open for lunch on First Fridays with 1/2 price bottles
Christopher Elbow is opening an Ice Cream/Gelato location near 50th and Main

Critic Recommendations:

Cafe Roux
11554 Ash Street
Leawood, KS
"very loud, attractive, but delicious. sweet potato hash was great, everything under $20, outside patio"

Madame Hatter's Tea Room
228 Oak Street
Bonner Springs, KS
"so cute! chocolate molten lava cake made me want to dive in and never come out. set price for entire meal"

Benton's Prime Steakhouse
1 W Pershing Rd
Kansas City, MO
"lobster bisque! excellent prime meat"

Bristol
various locations
"fabulous happy hour
Sun 4pm - 8pm
Mon - Fri 4pm - 6pm
$4 - 6 appetizers
lobster tamales with corn, crab spring rolls, bruschetta, tuna tar- tar, lobster rolls"

BRGR Kitchen and Bar
"did not like unisex bathrooms,
snappy service, seems like a prototype for a chain,
3 inch tall onion rings"

Happy Gillis
"new spring menu, asparagus sandwich with ricollo, arugula, pesto on ciabatta rolls,
egg salad sandwich was the best ever eaten"

J. Alexander's
11471 Metcalf Avenue
Overland Park, KS
"Onion Rings were huge and fabulous"

Sobahn Korean Food
7800 Shawnee Mission Pkwy
Shawnee Mission, KS
"really, really good, very authentic kimchi, spicy pork dish was out of this world"

Bloom Bakery
City Market
15 E 3rd St
Kansas City, MO
"fabulous breads and sweets, hummingbird cake"

Sugar Mamma's
Briarcliff Village
4173 N. Mulberry Drive
Kansas City, MO
"lots of cupcakes"

Piropos Grille
1 W 1st St
Parkville, Mo
dinner only Tue-Sat
$20 - $30
"everything was delicious except gazpacho"

Caller Recommendations:

Papu's Cafe
604 W. 75th
Kansas City, MO
Open 11 - 3:30
"Best Middle East Food in Town is in a gas station at 75th and Pennsylvania. Best felafals, chicken schwarma, kabobs, hummus, tabouli"

Caller Questions:

Q: Where can find Runza in KC?
(A runza (also called a bierock, fleischkuche or Kraut Pirok) is a yeast dough bread pocket with a filling consisting of beef, pork, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings. They are baked in various shapes such as a half-moon, rectangle, round (bun), square, or triangle. In Nebraska, the runza is usually baked in a rectangular shape. The bierocks of Kansas, on the other hand, are generally baked in the shape of a bun.)

A: Runza Drive Inn
2700 Iowa St
Lawrence, KS 66046

Q; Where to go for best steak in KC?

A: Capitol Grill, Chris Steak, Plaza III

Q: Where to get Persian Ice Cream? Pistachio Ice Cream?

A. Sweet Guy or Spin
Caller A: Indian Grocery at 119th and Metcalf

Q: What is the difference between Custard and Ice Cream

A: Fat. Custard has lots of it.

Special Topic: Ice Cream!!!!!!!

FUD
17th and Summit
Kansas City, MO
Raw Cashew Ice Cream

Sweet Guy
7439 Broadway Street
Kansas City
uses Shatto Dairy, wonderful gelato

Fresher than Fresh Snow Cone Truck
parks near 17th and Summit
Sunday's 12 - 7
First Friday's in Crossroads too

Cirque d' Alex Creamery & Cafe
7308 Tiffany Springs Pkwy
Kansas City, MO
Gelato is outstanding.Also has spiked ice cream.

Peciugo Gelato
Park Place
5260 W 116th Pl
Leawood, KS

Aunt Jean's Gelato
11210 Johnson Drive
Shawnee, Kansas
Try the wedding cake flavor, fabulous selection, charming

Poppy's
307 Southeast Douglas Street, Lees Summit
makes own waffle cone and ice cream

Facebook Comments:

Q: What is your favorite ice cream and where do you get it? Any unusual choices out there?

Michael Byars
Murray's. End of.

KCUR 89.3 FM
Web Gal Here: Baskin Robin's Daquiri Ice paired with Rocky Road is my long time addiction. (just sharing...)

Elisabeth Borg-Bowman
I'm with MB. Chocolate Flake Fromage with a side of One Drunk Monk, maybe some Nutty Rum Raisin if I'm feeling frisky. Nothing else compares.

Peter R. Edsall
FOOS!

Kelly Mason Taula
Daquiri Ice paired with Rocky Road?? Like, in the same cup? That sounds awful. lol My favorite is rocky road with jamoca almond fudge, now THAT is good stuff!!

Erin Craig Vaughn
I'm an adventurous foodie, but when it comes to ice cream my favorite has remained the same since childhood: Baskin Robbins peanut butter and chocolate.

Deborah Ritchie Prior
Peter's correct - Foos!!

Rachel Ciordas
I heard Christopher Elbow is opening a shop.... Other than that I'm up for pistachio gelato on the plaza!

Susan Loyacono
foos in brookside!

Emily Doolan
Sparky's in Columbia is outstanding & innovative. My favorite: Lavender!! Also anxious to try Murray's Maple Bacon!

Steve Greene
Sol FUD off 17th and summit

Chris Phillips
Murray's.. oh my, so good. That's it, I'm going tonight! Custard's Last Stand in Lee's Summit is great, too!

Ren? Barr
I ♥ my mint chocolate chip. Let me tell you, my favorite place, though, is Here's Your Scoop in Lee's Summit. They made Ramen ice cream for our ramenfest one year. 1 batch had the noodles, the other batch had the flavor packets, and it wasn't bad!

Kathy Harrington Kraemer
New favorite place is frozen yogurt: PeachWave on 135th and Metcalf in OP. Like 12 different soft-serve flavors (pomegranate, pineapple, choc chip cookie dough..and the peanut butter tasted JUST LIKE real peanut butter). It's all self-serve, add your own toppings (quite a selection) and pay just 33 cents an ounce. YUM!!!!

John Wickstrom
FOO's at 95th and Mission, simply the best!

Erin Craig Vaughn
I'm definitely up for trying Maple Bacon!

Beth Sample Brooks
I will be listening to this show. My favorite dessert is ice cream. I am from Wisconsin and have yet to find ice cream in Kansas City that compares to the richness of the Chocolate Shoppe's ice creams in Madison.

Mike Elmore
Murray's Chocolate Flake Fromage, since the very first batch. Well, the first successful batch sold. It took a few tries. And I sure miss Murray's mom, as I am sure she does.

Sara Polk Joseph
Ben & Jerry's pitaschio!!

Jill Goodheart
no one said sheridan's?

Kim Olson
Haagen- Dazs coffee ice cream. Must not have in house! Baskin-Robbins jamocha my second choice. Oh yes, chocolate syrup on top is always a plus.
KCUR 89.3 FM
Steigman here... Murray's hands-down for chocolate flake fromage; Foo's (neighborhood favorite) for grasshopper (mint and chocolate) custard. Allow me to speak for the missus on her chocolate peanut butter cup at Foo's.

Linda Steuer Godden
Just plain chocolate!!!! Like my grandma used to make with ice and I got to turn the churn...no electricity just ice and salt!!! Whee fat and cholesterol too!!! Chicken eggs with cholesterol; but they were really fresh; still warm from the chicken!!! And ice too; The kind that used to melt the driveway of gravel with the mud mixed in; no concrete ...

Rebecca Bogen Smith
Graeter's ... fortunately (for my waistline) and unfortunately (for my taste buds) it's in Ohio :-(

Jennifer Talley Prusa
We walk to the Sweet Guy in Waldo for gelato after school. It's a toss-up between Wedding Cake and Mango.

Elisabeth Borg-Bowman
Ice creeeeeeaaaammmm! Lieutenant Dan!

Julie Neff
Talenti gelato/sorbetto is the best commercial ice creamish thing I've come across in stores. Sheridan's is also delicious. You really can't beat homemade home-cranked french vanilla swirled with strawberry jam or hot fudge sauce, though.

Tags
Central Standard Best Food KC