Public at the Brickyard

Finally I have found what has been missing from the Wichita dining scene, a good Gastro Pub. For some reason the combination of a good environment, beer selection, and well executed food has eluded diners until now. Located in the subterranean abyss of the Brickyard Bar in Old Town, the newly opened Public is fairly impressive.

The basement that houses Public is deceivingly roomy and nicely decorated. It feels like you have walked into someone’s upscale man cave.  There is a good sized bar, shuffle board table, and an area that has plush chairs and a large television.

Brisket Tacos: BBQ Meets Mexican

The menu at Public is small, but  packed full of unique offerings that utilize local food sources. Yoder Meats, Delano Bakery, and La Tradicion Tortilleria are a few of their suppliers. The appetizers include their house made pickles and black bean hummus, there are also several salads, upscale sandwiches, pizzas, and ribs. We tried to order the pickle plate, but unfortunately they were still brining, so we must wait until next time to taste the famous pickles.  For our lunch Steph went with the ultimate blue collar fusion food: brisket tacos. I decided to try the Prairie Sliders with a side of garlic and rosemary fries.

Two decent sized sliders greeted me when my plate was brought out along with an ample serving of fries. I was impressed with how delightfully juicy my burger was and upon further inspection

The Perfect Burger Plate

noticed something that I have not seen in a restaurant burger for quite some time: a nice pink center. Yes these particular burgers were perfectly cooked, something that is hard to find in this age of food borne illness hysteria. The patties had a nice supporting cast of cheese, onion, and bun that left me not wanting to add any other condiments. These were easily some of the best burgers I have had in a while. The crispy fries were good paired with the rosemary and garlic, although some the clumps of garlic were hard to stomach. The brisket

Here is What a Properly Cooked Burger Looks Like

tacos were fairly impressive in their own respect. Tender and moist brisket was piled onto two corn tortillas with cheese and cilantro on top. A nice smoky salsa was served on the side. The accompanying side of black beans was a nice change from the obligatory taco accompaniment, refried beans.

If you are in need of a cold beverage on your visit, Public has you covered. There are several signature cocktails as well as a small, but impressive list of craft beer choices.

Public has the perfect combination of atmosphere, food, and beverages that makes me wish I could live there or at least remodel my basement to resemble it. Whether you are looking for a happening place to get some dinner before hitting the town,  a place to watch sporting events, or just taking the family out to lunch, this is your place. I hear they also have a very good brunch on the weekends that features unique specials.

http://www.publicoldtown.com/

Golden Bay

When you think of hole-in-the-wall restaurants Sushi places don’t often come to mind. For some reason most Sushi houses in Wichita are high energy places with music blaring and trendy interior design. Golden Bay, tucked away in a strip mall at West St. and 13th St. is bucking that trend.

Great Buy One Get One Sushi!

A small dining area and soothing classical music offer a nice change of pace compared to other Sushi places in town.

On the lunch menu at Golden Bay is a non-overwhelming list of maki rolls, some sashimi, as well as other Japanese favorites including tempura veggies, noodle bowls, and bento boxes. If you are unfamiliar with a bento box, I strongly urge you to get to the nearest Japanese restaurant and order one of these magical boxes. While looking over the sushi choices on the lunch menu I noticed that all maki rolls were buy one get one free(I believe this is true for the dinner menu as well)! With this in mind we ordered one Kamikaze roll and one other roll that I forget the name of now. In addition we ordered a chicken teriyaki meal.

The sushi came with a tasty bowl of miso soup, while the lunch box was served with a small salad with a nice Asian style dressing. Both maki rolls that we ordered were very good. This fish and shrimp tasted fresh while the rice was firm and sticky. Covered with a sweet sauce, the fried Kamikaze roll was our favorite.  The teriyaki bento box was most impressive as well. The teriyaki sauce covering the chicken was a dark and gelatinous concoction sprinkled with sesame seeds. A true work of art that melded sweet and salty flavors perfectly. The rest of the goodies included steamed rice,

Top Notch Chicken Teriyake

various tempura veggies, a California roll, a couple of dumplings, and a nice slice of orange to top off a well balanced meal.

Although Golden Bay does not look like much from the outside, inside you will find some top notch sushi and Japanese food. I still think Kanai has the best sushi in Wichita, but Golden Bay is right up there. And for all you Cali roll junkies out there they offer a 10 roll deal for $26.

Pho Hien

There is nothing like a big bowl of steaming Pho to take the chill off on a winter’s day. Thankfully Wichita is blessed with a bevy a places that you can get a good authentic bowl of this delicious Vietnamese soup.

Our destination this day was  Pho Hien, located at Broadway and 17th St. On a side note, this particular stretch of Broadway is a “Murder’s Row” of great local places to check out, there is everything from a classic steak joint, to Mexican food trucks, to great Vietnamese and Asian venues.

Pho-king Amazing Pho

Pho Hien has a large and open dining room with plenty of seating for busy lunch time crowds. The menu consists of Pho, Pho, and more Pho. For those of you unfamiliar, Pho is a broth based Vietnamese rice noodle soup that features a protein(typically beef of some sort), onion, and garnishes of bean sprouts, basil, lime wedges, jalapeño,  hoisin, and hot sauce. There are several different variations of meat offered with the Pho. You can choose between thinly sliced steak, brisket, tendon, tripe, as well as pork balls, and some seafood variations. Feeling a bit bold I ordered my Pho with tendon, tripe, and thinly sliced steak. Looking around I noticed that some of the bowls coming out appeared to be about the size of a 10 gallon aquarium, so I wisely went with a medium/regular bowl. Less than 5 minutes after our order was placed we had good sized bowls of steaming Pho sitting at our table.

Our service was so fast that the thinly sliced steak was still medium rare in the middle as it came to the table. The meat was tender and unlike some Pho places, had its excess fat trimmed off. Due to some nice slow braising the tendon and tripe were both tender and did not require much chewing. The Pho broth had a wonderfully rich and complex flavor. With a little Hoisin and Sriracha it was some of the best I have had in Wichita.

If you are in the mood for some authentic Pho look for further than Pho Hien. Their high quality food is Pho-king delicious (its funny if you know how to pronounce Pho)  and at $7 for a medium bowl is a solid value as well. Make sure you bring some cold hard cash though, because none of that plastic stuff is taken here.

Juarez Bakery

If you think that Wichita is lacking in good local bakeries, then you have not paid a visit to Jaurez Bakery. While it’s location at 1068 N. Waco may be a bit off most people’s beaten paths, it is certainly worth the trip if you are looking for some authentic Mexican pastries. Juarez also doubles as a small grocery store, which stocks a variety of Hispanic food.

So Many Sweets to Choose From…

Once inside you are immediately drawn to the large selection of exquisite looking baked goods nicely displayed along the front wall. The bakery is self serve luckily, so you can take as much time as you would like to make your selections without holding up the line. This also forces you to exercise some degree of self control or you may walk out of Juarez with several bags full of treats. To begin your shopping experience just grab some tongs and a tray from the cashier counter and get to work.

And Still More…

The selection of baked goods at Juarez includes: pan dulces, churros, croissants, several varieties of cookies, doughnuts, cake, and even something that appeared to be in the shape of a pig.  Some of the sweets are labelled, but if in doubt the cashiers can help you with any questions.

On our most recent visit we selected a churro, a Mexican wedding cookie, a scone looking treat covered in chocolate, and
a cream filled doughnut. The churro and unidentified scone-like treat were our favorites. The deep fried churro tube had a crispy exterior that gave way to a dulce de leche filling. Rolled in cinnamon and sugar it was great. The scone looking thing tasted similar to a cake doughnut and had a delicious chocolate topping as well. The Mexican wedding cookie was just at it should be, dense and crumbly with a dusting of powdered sugar. The creme filled doughnut was just as good as any that you would find at your typical doughnut shop.

If you are looking for some great homemade pastries, Juarez Bakery is the place to go. With prices ranging from $0.75 to $2 per item it is also a great value compared to other sweet shops in the area.

Our Selections Included a Churro(top) and a Mexican Wedding Cookie(bottom)

Picasso’s Pizzeria(Works of Art on a Doughy Canvas)

In the birthplace of Pizza Hut there are many places serving up pizza, but few of them sell New York Style by-the-slice(And no, Sbarro’s in the mall doesn’t count). The recently opened Picasso’s Pizzeria is changing that with their large selection of homemade by-the-slice-pizza. Located in the heart of Delano, ironically directly across Douglas from Pizza Hut, Picasso’s is doing their part to continue the oftentimes lost art of pizza making.

The Kansan: Ad Astra Per Pizza

The Great White: An Upgrade to the Cheese Pizza

The inside of the restaurant has a good pizza joint ambiance with its vintage brick walls, open floor plan, exposed ductwork, and obligatory TVs. Coupled with some solid rock’n'roll music being piped in it is a great environment to enjoy pizza. The menu at Picasso’s consists of by-the-slice and full size pizzas, calzones, sandwiches, and salads. There are several specialty pizzas(Listed as “Works of Art” on the menu) to choose from as well as an ample number of toppings for maximum pizza customization. If you are in the mood for pizza, which you should be if you are going here, ordering by-the-slice is the way to go unless you need to feed a sports team of some sort. Before you start ordering slices left and right be advised that they aren’t messing around with the size of the these slices. One or possibly two will be enough to satisfy most appetites. To further enhance your pizza experience Boulevard Wheat is offered on tap, in my opinion it is the perfect brew to go with pizza.

Steph and I were both hungry and decided to order 4 slices, much to the surprise of the cashier. We were aware of the ample size of our order, but welcomed the challenge. As for our slices we went with the Heart Attack,  Picasso,  Kansan, and Great White. Each order is made fresh, but since there were only a few other patrons on this particular day our food was out within minutes. The Heart Attack was your typical meat lovers pizza with Canadian Bacon, pepperoni, and sausage. The red sauce was very good and there was just the right amount of cheese on the slice. Next was the signature Picasso, a delicious treat that consisted of pesto, tomatoes, spinach, feta, and romano cheese. This unique flavor combination worked great on a slice of pizza. The Great White was a good twist on the boring old cheese pizza. This slice employed a garlic sauce with three different white cheeses: mozzarella, provolone, and ricotta.

The Heart Attack: Sign a DNR and Enjoy

Last but not least was the Kansan, another unique and excellent combination of red onions, sunflower seeds, blue cheese, and spinach. All four slices featured a thin crust that was crispy on the bottom yet remained chewy on top. Out of the four, the Kansan and the Picasso were our favorites. For those of you who don’t like to finish all the crust, take advantage of the honey packets on the counter because it goes great with any leftover crust pieces.

The Picasso: A Masterpiece

Unlike many other pizzas, Picasso’s maintains a good balance between crust, cheese, and toppings. You will not find pools of grease nor thick doughy crusts at this pizza parlor, just an abundance of great and unique pies. That is why I would move Picasso’s up to the top of the best pizza category into a three way tie with Il Vicino and Wichita Pizza Co.

When Pigs Fly(A New Favorite for Ribs)

I strongly approve of any restaurant that incorporates anything pig/pork related into its name. Such a noble and delicious creature is sure to attract attention to any dining establishment. That was one of the reasons I have had the newer BBQ place When Pigs Fly on my radar for quite some time now. This westside eatery is located on the southeast corner of Central and Ridge Road. A long haul from the safe confines of northeast Wichita, but one that I will definitely be making more regularly for their Cue.  After spending some time working at Pig In Pig Out, the manager/pitmaster decided to branch out on his own and opened WPF in late 2010.

After getting out of my car I was immediately met with the aroma of smoke wood, probably Oak or Hickory, wafting along in the strong south wind. Always a good sign when going to a BBQ place.  Inside, the space is appropriately adorned with swine related accent pieces and artwork, that coupled with the plaid tablecloths creates a comfortable and homey environment. On the menu you will find the typical BBQ fare as well as one of their specialties, loaded baked potatoes. The spuds are topped with meat, cheese, and other goodies.

A Quaint Dining Environment

On my first visit to a BBQ place I like to order the 2 or 3 meat combo dinners, so I can get a sample of the big three of Cue: Brisket, Pork Butt, and Ribs. WPF only offers a 1 or 2 meat dinner so I opted for brisket and ribs. Anyone can smoke good pulled pork, but good ribs and especially brisket are art forms that can be difficult to master. For my side dishes I went with baked beans and some steamed corn on the cob.  After ordering at the counter I found my way to one of the many tables that are available to dine-in customers. Each table is properly equipped with two very essential BBQ eating components, a large bottle of sauce and a napkin dispenser.

Two Meat Dinner of Deliciousness

The portions sizes of meat and sides were decent  for the $9.50 price tag, although the plate was kind of small for the amount of food placed upon it. The corn was about what I thought it would be, just regular steamed corn, which was fine. The beans on the other hand were very good.  I prefer sweet BBQ beans and these did not disappoint. There was also a hint of chili powder to give them some bite. The only thing that would have made them better would have been some pieces of brisket or pork. The brisket looked very similar to what is served at Pig In and Pig Out, nice thick-cut tender pieces of meat. It had a mild smokey flavor and was moist. It was not the most flavorful brisket I have had, but it was certainly solid. The only thing left to sample were the spare ribs. With the dinner combo I received 3 plump, delicious ribs. They were perfectly cooked, which means they weren’t fall off the bone.  Like the brisket they had a well balanced smokey flavor and the salty rub was great. After having these ribs I can safely say they are the best I have had in Wichita so far. The only sauce on the table was a typical sweet style sauce, although I think they might have a hotter sauce upon request.

In the world of Wichita BBQ I would have to say that Pig In and When Pigs Fly are tied at the top of my list right now. The ribs at WPF are top notch and I have tried my fair share of ribs(Top Ribs: Oklahoma Joe’s and The Salt Lick). WPF is definitely a good place to try if you are in the mood for some tasty Cue.

<img alt=”When Pigs Fly Barbecue on Urbanspoon” src=”http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1558995/biglink.gif” style=”border:none;width:200px;height:146px” />

Bella Vita- Wichita KS(The Trojan Horse of Fine Dining)

This weekend we decided to give Bella Vita a second chance visit. On our first attempt we drove all the way over to the west side only to find they had locked the doors 3o minutes before their supposed closing time. Well after a few months of trying to push that out of our minds we were up for round two.

Bella Vita is located in an inauspicious strip mall on West  St. just north of Douglas. You could call it the Trojan Horse of fine dining in Wichita. From the outside it looks like you might be walking into some retro supper club where the Saturday night special is meatloaf with brown gravy. Once you get inside though you start to get the vibe that there is something big going down. We showed up with no reservations on a Friday night(the staff told us this was a no no) and luckily were able to get a table after a short wait. Beware: They like to keep the small waiting area rather cold, so make a note to bring a snuggie to prevent frostbite while waiting. The dining room at Bella Vita is small with only about 12-15 tables set up in two rooms.  The decor of the restaurant, while nice, felt a bit dated. Fortunately the food made you forget all about your surroundings, well almost.

After being seated, our waiter rattled off the specials of the day. Although we were considering the calamari as an appetizer, the stuffed eggplant special won us over. It consisted of thinly sliced eggplant that had been stuffed with rice and peas and then fried. It was served with a delightful marinara sauce that complimented the fried eggplant nicely. Most menu items are A La Carte, so we both ordered side house salads before our entrees. The house salad comes with a lovely sweet balsamic dressing and is plated very nicely with strings of carrot and beet adorning the top. There were many tempting entrees, but in the end I decided to try the Osso Buco Veal special, while Steph went with the Cannelloni Crepes. My veal came served with a nice tomato based sauce and pappardelle noodles. The veal was wonderfully tender with the rich flavor that is expected from this meat. Strangely when I offered Steph a bite of baby cow she was a bit put off, but I eventually coaxed her into trying it. Steph loved her savory crepes. They came with a tasty Black Angus meatsauce and were topped with a wonderfully creamy bechamel sauce. We both thought the crepes were as good as those we had in France.

Bella Vita is the real deal when it comes to fine dining in Wichita. The food is top notch and perfectly executed. Although the environment is a bit lacking, they are planning to remodel in the coming months. Our biggest knock on Bella Vita was the noise level. When you combine a small dining area with a boisterous  Friday night crowd, it can get a bit loud. At one point a woman who may have polished off a bottle of wine by herself was dropping F-bombs. Rather entertaining.

Bella Vita – http://www.bvbistro.com/index.htm

Paleteria La Reyna – Wichita KS ( The Perfect One-Two Punch)

What happens when you combine great Mexican food with homemade Mexican ice cream and fruit pops all under one roof? You get Paleteria La Reyna of course. I feel rather embarrassed that I had never heard of this magical place till just a few weeks ago. Somehow it had slipped below my radar, but luckily that has been remedied. La Reyna is located at 29th and Arkansas, just south of the intersection. First off let me break down the translation of Paleteria La Reyna, so we are all on the same page. A paleta is “a Latin American ice pop, usually made from fruit.” So a paleteria is a place where these frozen treats are sold. La reyna translates as “the queen”. Put it all together and you have, Latin American ice pop shop of the queen. Sounds pretty damn fantastic doesn’t it? Now after doing some internet research La Reyna, not surprisingly, is known for their frozen treats. With this knowledge I was curious as to how their savory food would fare.

The Amazing Adobo Burrito with Chile Verde

On first glance La Reyna checked out. Traditional Mexican restaurant exterior, vibrant decorations and paintings inside, clean and decently sized dining area, Hispanic soap opera on TV, and festive music blaring from speakers. From what I could tell the soap opera was set during the mid 1800s in Old Mexico and revolved around the love life of General Santa Anna. As we walked up to the counter it was hard to focus on the lunch menu due to the large amount of ice pops and ice cream located in the freezers. I managed to pull myself away to order a pork burrito, while Steph ordered beef enchiladas, and my mother went with the chicken tacos. Their food menu is not expansive, but all the popular Mexican dishes are well represented. All the food is picked up at the counter so make sure you have a good line of sight between your table and the counter.

Our food came with an ample serving of chips and salsa, both homemade. The tortilla chips are a bit thicker than most places, which means you can shovel even more delicious salsa into your mouth. The salsa had just the right amount of kick to it with some cilantro to balance it out. Our food came out quickly and I immediately regretted all the chips I polished off because the portion sizes were huge. My burrito was good sized and came with a side of beans and rice. This pork burrito is one of the best I have had in Wichita. It ranks up there with El Paisa’s burrito. Inside this big boy were tender chunks of pork, avocado, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. A lovely chili verde sauce put the finishing touches on the burrito. The beans and rice were fine, but nothing to get excited about. Steph’s enchiladas were finished with  chili verde as well and complimented the sweetness of the enchilada sauce nicely. My mom really enjoyed her chicken tacos which came with chunks of white meat chicken, lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, and sour cream. Although it was served in a fried shell it would be a lighter selection for those who find Mexican food too heavy.

Although all three of us were stuffed, there was no way we were leaving without trying their frozen delights. La Reyna makes all of their ice cream and paletas in-house and offers a wide variety of flavors. Each of us decided to go with a scoop of ice cream. I sampled tequila, Steph had pecan, and mom went with vanilla. All I have to say is that I have a new favorite ice cream place. The creaminess and distinct flavors are unrivaled by the likes of Cold Stone, Marble Slab, Spangles, and even Baskin Robbins. Their ice cream is also very affordable as three generous scoops only cost around $5.

Even if La Reyna did not serve ice cream I would still rank it as one of my top Mexican restaurants in Wichita. The fact that they also serve awesome frozen treats makes it very hard to compete with. If you are looking for some relief from this unrelenting heat swing by and check out La Reyna’s frozen treats after feasting on a burrito or two (just don’t go on Wednesday, as they are closed).

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The Donut Whole-Wichita KS

If there is one thing Americans love it is donuts. In fact donuts even have their own day on the second of June each year. The great thing about donuts is the variety of flavors you can get them in. And no one knows variety like the Donut Whole on east Douglas. I had the chance to try out the Donut Whole last Friday after attending a riveting performance of “The Ugly Duckling” with my mom and three year old niece.

The Donut Whole is part donut store, part coffeehouse, but also includes a small art gallery and stage. The art changes each month with Final Friday and they have different bands perform on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. This is not your typical donut shop and in turn they do not serve your typical donuts.  According to their website, all of their donuts are made from scratch using locally sourced ingredients. I guarantee that Krispy Kreme cannot claim this, in fact their batter is made in North Carolina. The Donut Whole also offers over twenty-five varieties of cake donuts each day. Phil and I have visited the Donut Whole once or twice before but we seem to hit it after a large crowd and several types of donuts are missing. This time though I hit the jackpot.

I was able to try the cherry cordial which is a chocolate donut with a chocolate and cherry icing. It was dang tasty. My niece ordered the Homer J. She is an avid fan of the Simpsons. Actually she probably went after it since it was pink with sprinkles. I was able to steal of a bite of hers (got yelled at for it) and kind of liked it better than mine. The icing had a strawberry taste to it. My mom ordered the Rainbow which had chocolate icing with sprinkles. She enjoyed it immensely. The crowning achievement of this visit however, was the chance we had to finally try one of their famous Maple Bacon donuts. These guys are topped with maple icing and bits of bacon. Phil was quite pleased to find one at home waiting for him. That donut is freaking fantastic people! A little bit of savory with a lot of sweet, and it completely works. The bacon is not overwhelming and the whole thing just feels like Easter morning breakfast as a kid.

I know it maybe difficult to give up the overly sweet and stomach churning Krispy Kreme (not to mention they have several more stores), but let’s not only support a local restaurant but one that only buys local ingredients. This is pretty rare even for chain free. And just a FYI: drive-thru is open 24 hours a day.

http://www.thedonutwhole.com/

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Tanya’s Soup Kitchen – Wichita KS

In case you missed the biggest news in the Wichita dining scene since Spangles started selling “Wok n Roll Bowls” Tanya Tandoc re-opened her famous restaurant two months ago. Tanya has been a chef in Wichita for quite a while and her restaurant Tanya’s Soup Kitchen was a very popular place until it closed about 7 years ago. I never had a chance to visit the original place, but luckily she decided to give the Soup Kitchen another go and opened it up in April. The new location is at Douglas and Hydraulic right across the street from the Donut Whole(Another delightful place to check out).

As you walk into the Soup Kitchen you are met with a great open floor plan, large windows make up two sides of the restaurant, and a trendy design scheme. The whole space feels very warm and welcoming. The most unique design characteristic is the front counter whose facade is made up of vintage weathered doors and their knobs. The menu is very similar to the old place with a few salads, soup of course, several sandwiches, and a couple of desserts. The soup menu changes daily with 3 or 4 varieties offered. The restaurant was rather crowded when we visited a few days ago, which did not surprise me due to its popularity. The staff is very efficient and friendly though so we only had to wait a few minutes in line to order. I decided to try the “Junie” sandwich which is Tanya’s take on the Cuban sandwich. When you have roasted pork and ham on the same sandwich typically you can’t go wrong. For my side I went with the chicken curry soup with chutney. Steph tried the chicken salad sandwich with a side of tomato dill soup. We had heard through the grapevine that Tanya’s bread pudding was wonderful so we also ordered a piece of that.  Despite the crowd we only waited maybe 10 minutes for our lunch. As expected it was all delightful. The best part of my sandwich was the pepper and pickle infused mustard that was spread over the ham and roast pork. My soup was excellent. The curry gave it a good kick and the chutney provided the right amount of sweetness. Had it been about 50 degree cooler outside I could have probably eaten a giant bowl of this stuff. Steph’s chicken salad sandwich was equally impressive. The cherries and rye bread really set it apart from your typical chicken salad. The tomato dill soup was great as well. If you are a fan of tomato soup go try Tanya’s then sample Panera’s. Chances are you will never want to eat at Panera again. The crowning achievement of the Soup Kitchen was the bread pudding. After finishing  our sandwiches we were told the bread pudding would be just a few minutes because they were making a new batch of whipped cream. You can’t complain about having to wait for dessert when they are making homemade whipped cream! The pudding came out warm, with a nice cinnamon syrup and huge dallop of whipped cream on top. There is really nothing more to say than, “perfection”.

Tanya’s was everything we had hoped it would be and much more. Great food combined with a great atmosphere and waitstaff equals a memorable dining experience. Tanya has recently added some wine and beer options to the menu and has plans to offer live music on the patio this summer.  More reasons for you to check out this wonderful eatery gem right here in Wichita.

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