Refreshing Cocktails

The interior of AVI can be described as modern industrial perhaps? High ceilings and exposed duct work is fashionable these days. A large fireplace in the center adds a hominess feeling to the restaurant. Although there were plenty of tables available on the main level, Steph and I were taken to the more intimate second story for some private dining.

Since it was a special occasion we decided to kick off the meal with some $8 cocktails. Steph ordered the Orange Julius while I opted for the Mint Julep. Both drinks were quite refreshing and contained a decent amount of alcohol.

The menu covers all the typical bases with salads, sandwiches, steaks, seafood, as well as some poultry and pork dishes. Some of the highlights include a cheese and charcuterie platter(this may be the only restaurant in town that has sweet, delicious charcuterie on the menu), a croque monsieur sandwich, a smoked duck

The Extravagant Salmon Wrapped Scallops

breast, and salmon belly wrapped scallops. I was pleased to see that some actual French inspired dishes were on this menu. If there is one cuisine type that Wichita is really lacking in, it would be classic French. While most dishes will run you about $15-$30 there are several in the $8-$15 range. Since AVI is billed as a seafood and steak place, we figured we should at least try one on these proteins, so Steph went with the extravagantly named Salmon Belly Wrapped Diver Scallops. Once I saw that a smoked duck breast was on the menu that was the end of the decision making process for me. Duck breast is one of my favorite splurge dishes since it is a meat that is difficult to obtain fresh around here, unless I take up duck hunting.  The scallops were served with creamed spinach and “griddle potatoes”, while the duck came with roasted asparagus and a parsnip puree.

Duck Breast: Overcooked, But Still Delicious

While waiting for the meal, some homemade roasted garlic bread was brought to our table. Whole cloves of garlic baked into the loaf made it an impressive pre-dinner bread offering. Both of our main dishes received high marks for presentation, although I immediately noticed that my duck was overcooked. Due to the low fat content of duck it really shouldn’t be cooked past medium rare, but this breast looked to be on the high end of medium. Despite this error, it still tasted wonderful. The meat was tender, the skin delightfully fatty, and the smoky, sweet flavor was perfect. Bonus points to AVI for using apple wood to smoke the duck. The asparagus and puree parsnips were good as well, although a larger portion would have been nice. The parsnips tasted very similar to mashed potatoes. Luckily the scallops did not suffer the same fate as the duck, they were cooked perfectly. The tender salmon belly was a good accompaniment for the scallops. While we were not impressed with the griddle potatoes, the richness of the creamed spinach complimented the delicate scallops nicely.

Overall our experience at AVI was positive. We did not have any problems with the service like some have complained about in the past. Hopefully they have smoothed out the operation and will be able to remain in business. When looking for a special occasion restaurant keep AVI in mind.

http://www.360wichita.com/Restaurants/Steakhouses/AVI.html

Newport’s cozy dining room was crowded on the Friday night that we visited making it rather loud inside. As soon as we were seated a team of severs descended upon us, procuring carafes of still and carbonated water for our hydration needs. The refreshingly concise menu offers a nice selection of seafood appetizers, salads, entrees, and a fresh catch section. If for some reason you are not in the mood for seafood they offer “land and air” options such as steaks, pork, and pasta.

Aye Laddie it’s the Scottish Salmon

Our group started off with appetizer orders of crab cakes and calamari. While the crab cakes weren’t impressive, the calamari, served with a tasty cajun aioli, was good. For our main course I went with the Ahi tuna and Steph ordered the Scottish salmon. Newport apparently takes pride in the location from which their fish is caught, as most menu items have a country of origin next to them. So if you have a problem supporting Scottish fishermen, then you better not order the salmon here.

The Ahi tuna came served on a bed of quinoa, cherries, and delicious

If You Love America You Have to Order This Fine Hawaiian Tuna

crispy Brussels sprouts. Yes I said delicious and Brussels sprouts in the same sentence. If I’m not mistaken I believe they were flash fried then drizzled with a tangy sauce.  The tuna was perfectly cooked and wonderfully tender. I was happy to see quinoa being served with my dish. It is a great, underused grain-like food that pairs well with seafood.  The salmon with ravioli was another enjoyable dish. While it wasn’t the best salmon we have ever had, it was certainly high quality. The homemade ricotta ravioli was very good with the salmon. A nice balsamic reduction sauce provided just the right amount of sweetness to the dish. Another person in our party tried the pork tenderloin and I was lucky enough to get a sample. I was very impressed with the preparation of the tenderloin, it was cooked to a perfect medium doneness and served with a sweet caramelized apple sauce.

For seafood in Wichita Newport Grill is definitely one of the top places in my opinion. They also win the award for “Proper Preparation and Cooking of a Pork Product”  for their wonderful pork tenderloin that I may have to order the next time I am there.  Although you do have to pay a premium for your meal, it’s fun to splurge now and again on some deserving food.

http://www.newportgrillwichita.com/

My mom and I,  for the greater good of our BMIs decided to try some grilled fish. Although when queried by the cashier I broke down and chose fries over mixed veggies, but that is just a decision I will have to live with. I went with the Chilean sea bass and my mom went with the apple wood smoked tuna(which really sounds like some crap dish that would be served at TGI McSuckys). Anyway, after ordering we wandered past freezers of delicious sea creatures for sale and into the main dining area, which was surprisingly large. After waiting for a good 30 minutes our food finally arrived. We really couldn’t complain because on the menu is does state you must allow 20 minutes for grilled fish. And on a Friday in Lent at lunch time you should probably add 10-15 minutes more onto that.

Our lunch came served in styrofoam boxes that when opened unveiled what was a rather generous and delicious meal. Along with our fish fillets there was coleslaw, hushpuppies, and fries for me and mixed veggies and rice for my mom.  There were also two cups of dipping sauce, one consisted of melted butter and the other was a honey dijon based sauce. My fish was very good, probably some of the best fish I have had in Wichita, which I know isn’t saying a whole lot. The sea bass was not overcooked and had a nice seasoning with the right amount of searing on the outside. Dipping it into the melted butter resulted it a delightful experience. The slaw and fries were nothing to get excited about, but the hushpuppies were exceptional. Unfortunately my mom’s tuna came out overcooked, but was still decent enough with the sauce.  In the Fish Co.’s defense tuna is a tough creature to prepare. Ideally you would sear it on each side leaving the middle raw, but this should only be done with top quality tuna, which for $10 is not what you are getting here. None the less my mom took it all in stride and thoroughly enjoyed her grilled veggies and rice.

If you are someone who enjoys eating seafood, but can’t dignify spending $15-20 dollars for it, the Wichita Fish Co. is your place. You can’t get better fish for the price in town, not to mention the generous amounts of sides that come with your meal. I guarantee you will leave feeling full and satisfied, you just might not want to order the tuna.

http://wichitafishcompany.com/

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We both decided to go with the fried catfish and for sides Steph ordered fried okra and I went with hushpuppies. While waiting for our meal Steph noticed a young child who had hit the wall of fried fish consumption and had fallen into a dreaded catfish coma. The poor child was passed out on the table whilst his parents finished off their meal and attempted to keep the little guy’s head from falling off the table.  Steph and I wondered if this too would be our fate after polishing off our plates. The fish soon arrived and we quickly dug in. The cornmeal breading had  the perfect combination of spices and saltiness and was very good. The tartar sauce tasted homemade and was a good compliment to the catfish. My only complaints were the lack of lemon slices and fact that some of the edges of the fillets were too crispy for me. We both agreed that this was very good fried catfish, although I would rate it just below Scotch and Sirloin’s catfish. All the waitstaff at Just Catfish were very friendly and appreciative, so much so it was very hard to turn down the offer of a plate of homemade cobbler to go.

Just Catfish is a no frills, straight up kind of place. They are a catfish house and if you go there expecting something else you are going to be disappointed. If you go there looking for great catfish at a reasonable price you will be a happy person as you stare out into the depths of the sand pit, feeling yourself slipping into yet another self-induced catfish coma.

http://www.justcatfish.com/contact.html