July 2016 - Before I flew out of Wichita to visit my friend Stephanie in Charleston, SC I spent a half-day enjoying the food and shops of Wichita. I tried the Larkspur Bistro and Bar on Douglas Avenue. It's right beside our favorite sushi place in Wichita so I'd seen it many times. Finally I tried the food and it was good. I liked the pistachio chicken with mashed potatoes and the Greek salad was good too. Next time I'd like to sit out on the pretty patio. I had to stop in the Spice Market as well and visited World Market and Bradley Fair to pick up some early Christmas gifts. For dinner I went to McAlister's because even though I lived one block away from one for almost 17 years in Memphis, there are places you never tire of! Below are pics from the Larkspur Bistro and Bar, The Spice Market and McAlister's Deli.
Wichita April 16-19, 2016
I woke up very early Saturday morning ready to head to Wichita for a four-day weekend of shopping and eating. I decided to use my two personal days for the school year just to explore the great old city of Wichita. It's not far from Dodge City and it's "a big city" with Starbuck's, old restaurants, Frank Lloyd Wright, breweries, bookstores, and independent coffee shops.
It never rains in Kansas but it rained ferociously on the way to Wichita and then drizzled over the weekend. Who cares? I was on vacation. It did make some pictures blurry, though.
My first stop as soon as I arrived was Zaytun, an Indian-Pakistani-Persian-Mediterranean restaurant that has a big lunch buffet. I'd looked at pictures online but they didn't serve this place justice. The atmosphere is very welcoming and the owner is a hospitable happy man who boasts that he cooks some of the food himself. I ordered the spicy mango lemonade (fresh lemonade chilled with jalapeno with mango syrup I'm guessing). It was so delicious that I gulped it down letting it burn my throat a little. I dove into the buffet loading up my plate with a little of everything. I had to consciously silence myself because I wanted to squeal as I recognized my favorite dishes from the Mediterranean and Indian restaurants I've loved in the past: tandoori chicken, spinach (palak paneer), kefta, hummus, carrot pickle, chicken curry, carrot pilau, cucumber and tomato salad and a couple of dishes that were new to me: an oregano tomato, noodle and bean soup and a sautéed leek and tomato concoction that the owner said I would love. He was right. This place was a dream.
After some stops at World Market, Bed Bath & Beyond, Williams Sonoma, Cocoa Dolce (for a popcorn-peanut butter-cashew-dark chocolate bar) and Whole Foods I decided to drive all over town just to get the lay of the land between Delano, Old Town and Rock Road. I had The Nifty Nut House at the top of my list of places to go and it exceeded my expectations. Yes, it was a gigantic store filled with every kind of candy imaginable but the prices were extremely reasonable. Then, I expected the candy to be stale but it wasn't. Basically I bought a huge bag of grapefruit sugared jellies for $2.50. My eyes are wide-open just thinking about this. I drove up and down Central and Douglas looking for spots that I hadn't put on the itinerary. I stopped in The Spice Merchant and this was the coolest place! I love the old buildings that have been repurposed that line Douglas Ave. This spice, tea and gift store is chock full of foodie finds. I bought a coffee apron and some chili con limon to use for margarita rims or lollipops. (I got this idea from dinner at the Kuplics' home). One visit to this store wasn't enough so I vowed to return later in the trip. I checked into my hotel on Central Ave. For dinner I got takeout from Old Chicago and ate a whole order of Italian nachos (with tortilla chips) on the bed in front of the Food Network. I watched the teen chef tournament of Chopped until I fell asleep.
The next morning I went for breakfast at The Livingston Cafe. I visited this place the last time I was in Wichita and it was even better this time. I had a delicious Spanish omelette (ham, onions, tomatoes, red bell pepper, cheese) with hash browns and 2 tall thick biscuits (I only tasted these: delicious!). The relaxed-diner feel and great service of this place make me want to return every possible Sunday morning with a New York Times to read. As I mentioned it was rainy so I decided to coffee shop and antique store hop all day. I tried Mead's Corner coffee shop in Old Town and I loved the vibe and the high top chairs with scooped seats. It was a cozy and pretty coffee shop to sit and read in. The coffee was okay.
I drove out to Paramount Antiques on Kellogg and this place was an antique lover's dream. There are 200 booths to peruse. I bought two copper molds (a fish and a bundt shape) for a total of $12 and could have bought so much more. They have a ton of Fiesta ware. I went to the antique store at Douglas and Mead and found some teensy etched aperitif glasses. Then I drove around Delano to see if anything was open. Braum's was so I went through the drive-through and got a vanilla ice cream cone. I got lunch at PF Chang's because I was craving gluten-free spicy shrimp and after a couple of hours of guilty-pleasure reality TV I took a nap, caught up on phone calls home and ate a veggie bowl and guacamole at the Chipotle across the street from the hotel.
Monday morning I woke up at 3:30 so I caught up on reading and journaling until time for breakfast. I went to Jimmy's Egg. This place started in Oklahoma City. It's a chain that serves a full breakfast and lunch menu from 6:00AM to 2:00PM every day. The service was great and so were the bacon and eggs. I ordered a huge breakfast to get my Monday started but the grits were bland and there were a few other items that were bland. If the food were as tasty as the Livingston Cafe I'd probably visit Jimmy's Egg every time I stopped in Wichita.
I needed an oil change so even though I was "on vacation" from the real world I got this done while I had the time. I drank my first Starbuck's blond while I waited. I recently learned that the lighter the roast of coffee beans, the stronger the caffeine. I didn't notice the difference. Then I went to Watermark Bookstore which is really cute with its own cafe. I went to Reverie Coffee and this place was hip, photogenic and there was plenty of seating. My cappuccino was beautiful and I sat and read the winter 2015 Lucky Peach while I sipped my strong drink slowly. For lunch I went back to Delano for the "best burger in Wichita" at TJ's Burger House. This retro-styled diner filled up immediately as soon as the doors opened. Even though my burger didn't look that exciting the flavor was amazing. I ordered the spicy jack burger that tasted like a Big Mac but 20 times better (and I like Big Macs) and with the perfect amount of spicy kick. I left this place feeling very full and very satisfied. I then walked next door to La Galette and had the vanilla pudding with strawberries and it was delicious again (just like my last visit).
After lunch I hit another coffee shop in a pretty old house on Douglas called Common Grounds. I ordered a cappuccino and this one was delicious. In one of the rooms downstairs there was a TV and Mad Men was on. Even though I was journaling about food I couldn't help standing in front of the show (an early episode when Peggy was pregnant) to stare at the beautiful clothes and actors. Mad Men is one of my favorite shows of all time! It added a great vibe to the coffee shop. Next I drove down the street to Traditions to look at beautiful rugs and then over to the Frank Lloyd Wright house on Roosevelt Street to take a picture of it. It is open for tours but I didn't book one.
For dinner I went back to Old Town to the restaurant Sabor. This place was soooo good. Recommended by our friends the Kuplics I saved it for my last dinner in town and the flavors were amazing. It was hard to decide what to order because I wanted everything and if I'd been dining with someone else I would have probably ordered all the sides. I ended up with grilled chicken thighs, Cuban slaw, delicious salted tostones, creamy chipotle sauce and mango chimichurri sauce. This was one of the three best meals I've had in Wichita. It's the kind of food you eat fast because you want to keep putting the flavors in your mouth over and over.
Tuesday morning before leaving town I hit one last place: The Doughnut Whole. I travel to eat. I travel to experience the rush of a new flavor discovery. I travel because I want to unearth scenarios other creative people have invented and bring them home to recreate them my way for my husband and friends. These doughnuts and the vibe in The Doughnut Whole are the rush I'm looking for. It was so pretty and so yummy!! Having a happy conversation with the staff and picking out 6 doughnuts to take home to my sweetie was a great farewell to my vacation in Wichita. I've already composed a list of places to visit the next time I'm in town: Old Mill Tasty Shop, Bite Me Barbeque, Larkspur Café, Fork and Fennel and a couple of French restaurants I saw. I will be running back to Zaytun for that buffet. What a great old city to be a food tourist!
I woke up very early Saturday morning ready to head to Wichita for a four-day weekend of shopping and eating. I decided to use my two personal days for the school year just to explore the great old city of Wichita. It's not far from Dodge City and it's "a big city" with Starbuck's, old restaurants, Frank Lloyd Wright, breweries, bookstores, and independent coffee shops.
It never rains in Kansas but it rained ferociously on the way to Wichita and then drizzled over the weekend. Who cares? I was on vacation. It did make some pictures blurry, though.
My first stop as soon as I arrived was Zaytun, an Indian-Pakistani-Persian-Mediterranean restaurant that has a big lunch buffet. I'd looked at pictures online but they didn't serve this place justice. The atmosphere is very welcoming and the owner is a hospitable happy man who boasts that he cooks some of the food himself. I ordered the spicy mango lemonade (fresh lemonade chilled with jalapeno with mango syrup I'm guessing). It was so delicious that I gulped it down letting it burn my throat a little. I dove into the buffet loading up my plate with a little of everything. I had to consciously silence myself because I wanted to squeal as I recognized my favorite dishes from the Mediterranean and Indian restaurants I've loved in the past: tandoori chicken, spinach (palak paneer), kefta, hummus, carrot pickle, chicken curry, carrot pilau, cucumber and tomato salad and a couple of dishes that were new to me: an oregano tomato, noodle and bean soup and a sautéed leek and tomato concoction that the owner said I would love. He was right. This place was a dream.
After some stops at World Market, Bed Bath & Beyond, Williams Sonoma, Cocoa Dolce (for a popcorn-peanut butter-cashew-dark chocolate bar) and Whole Foods I decided to drive all over town just to get the lay of the land between Delano, Old Town and Rock Road. I had The Nifty Nut House at the top of my list of places to go and it exceeded my expectations. Yes, it was a gigantic store filled with every kind of candy imaginable but the prices were extremely reasonable. Then, I expected the candy to be stale but it wasn't. Basically I bought a huge bag of grapefruit sugared jellies for $2.50. My eyes are wide-open just thinking about this. I drove up and down Central and Douglas looking for spots that I hadn't put on the itinerary. I stopped in The Spice Merchant and this was the coolest place! I love the old buildings that have been repurposed that line Douglas Ave. This spice, tea and gift store is chock full of foodie finds. I bought a coffee apron and some chili con limon to use for margarita rims or lollipops. (I got this idea from dinner at the Kuplics' home). One visit to this store wasn't enough so I vowed to return later in the trip. I checked into my hotel on Central Ave. For dinner I got takeout from Old Chicago and ate a whole order of Italian nachos (with tortilla chips) on the bed in front of the Food Network. I watched the teen chef tournament of Chopped until I fell asleep.
The next morning I went for breakfast at The Livingston Cafe. I visited this place the last time I was in Wichita and it was even better this time. I had a delicious Spanish omelette (ham, onions, tomatoes, red bell pepper, cheese) with hash browns and 2 tall thick biscuits (I only tasted these: delicious!). The relaxed-diner feel and great service of this place make me want to return every possible Sunday morning with a New York Times to read. As I mentioned it was rainy so I decided to coffee shop and antique store hop all day. I tried Mead's Corner coffee shop in Old Town and I loved the vibe and the high top chairs with scooped seats. It was a cozy and pretty coffee shop to sit and read in. The coffee was okay.
I drove out to Paramount Antiques on Kellogg and this place was an antique lover's dream. There are 200 booths to peruse. I bought two copper molds (a fish and a bundt shape) for a total of $12 and could have bought so much more. They have a ton of Fiesta ware. I went to the antique store at Douglas and Mead and found some teensy etched aperitif glasses. Then I drove around Delano to see if anything was open. Braum's was so I went through the drive-through and got a vanilla ice cream cone. I got lunch at PF Chang's because I was craving gluten-free spicy shrimp and after a couple of hours of guilty-pleasure reality TV I took a nap, caught up on phone calls home and ate a veggie bowl and guacamole at the Chipotle across the street from the hotel.
Monday morning I woke up at 3:30 so I caught up on reading and journaling until time for breakfast. I went to Jimmy's Egg. This place started in Oklahoma City. It's a chain that serves a full breakfast and lunch menu from 6:00AM to 2:00PM every day. The service was great and so were the bacon and eggs. I ordered a huge breakfast to get my Monday started but the grits were bland and there were a few other items that were bland. If the food were as tasty as the Livingston Cafe I'd probably visit Jimmy's Egg every time I stopped in Wichita.
I needed an oil change so even though I was "on vacation" from the real world I got this done while I had the time. I drank my first Starbuck's blond while I waited. I recently learned that the lighter the roast of coffee beans, the stronger the caffeine. I didn't notice the difference. Then I went to Watermark Bookstore which is really cute with its own cafe. I went to Reverie Coffee and this place was hip, photogenic and there was plenty of seating. My cappuccino was beautiful and I sat and read the winter 2015 Lucky Peach while I sipped my strong drink slowly. For lunch I went back to Delano for the "best burger in Wichita" at TJ's Burger House. This retro-styled diner filled up immediately as soon as the doors opened. Even though my burger didn't look that exciting the flavor was amazing. I ordered the spicy jack burger that tasted like a Big Mac but 20 times better (and I like Big Macs) and with the perfect amount of spicy kick. I left this place feeling very full and very satisfied. I then walked next door to La Galette and had the vanilla pudding with strawberries and it was delicious again (just like my last visit).
After lunch I hit another coffee shop in a pretty old house on Douglas called Common Grounds. I ordered a cappuccino and this one was delicious. In one of the rooms downstairs there was a TV and Mad Men was on. Even though I was journaling about food I couldn't help standing in front of the show (an early episode when Peggy was pregnant) to stare at the beautiful clothes and actors. Mad Men is one of my favorite shows of all time! It added a great vibe to the coffee shop. Next I drove down the street to Traditions to look at beautiful rugs and then over to the Frank Lloyd Wright house on Roosevelt Street to take a picture of it. It is open for tours but I didn't book one.
For dinner I went back to Old Town to the restaurant Sabor. This place was soooo good. Recommended by our friends the Kuplics I saved it for my last dinner in town and the flavors were amazing. It was hard to decide what to order because I wanted everything and if I'd been dining with someone else I would have probably ordered all the sides. I ended up with grilled chicken thighs, Cuban slaw, delicious salted tostones, creamy chipotle sauce and mango chimichurri sauce. This was one of the three best meals I've had in Wichita. It's the kind of food you eat fast because you want to keep putting the flavors in your mouth over and over.
Tuesday morning before leaving town I hit one last place: The Doughnut Whole. I travel to eat. I travel to experience the rush of a new flavor discovery. I travel because I want to unearth scenarios other creative people have invented and bring them home to recreate them my way for my husband and friends. These doughnuts and the vibe in The Doughnut Whole are the rush I'm looking for. It was so pretty and so yummy!! Having a happy conversation with the staff and picking out 6 doughnuts to take home to my sweetie was a great farewell to my vacation in Wichita. I've already composed a list of places to visit the next time I'm in town: Old Mill Tasty Shop, Bite Me Barbeque, Larkspur Café, Fork and Fennel and a couple of French restaurants I saw. I will be running back to Zaytun for that buffet. What a great old city to be a food tourist!
Wichita - January 16-17, 2016
Paul and I celebrated our anniversary in Wichita this weekend. We've been to Wichita a few times since it is the closest big city to ours. I was happy to get my retail and art fix. And of course a foodie fix! Saturday morning we drove straight to Old Chicago for the Italian nachos, calzone and gluten-free pizza. We always order the Italian nachos with tortilla chips instead of the pretzel chips it comes with. Then we went east on Douglas avenue to Traditions to look at furniture and rugs. We then drove to the Delano neighborhood and ordered desserts in La Galette, a very cute French bakery. We had vanilla pudding with strawberries, chocolate mousse and a chocolate macaron. Then we went to the Wichita Art Museum to see American landscapes and Chihuly glass sculptures.
After we checked on our dog at the hotel we drove to Bradley Fair and shopped in Barnes and Noble, Pier 1 Imports, Williams Sonoma, Sephora and Cocoa Dulce. It was fun to find a local Wichita chocolate shop that served Reverie coffee (local coffee). The chocolates were laid out beautifully under glass with careful descriptions. I ordered a cappuccino and picked up a few bags of Reverie coffee. One coffee flavor is named for the Wichita State Shockers.
After Bradley Fair Paul and I went to dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant in Old Town called Wasabi. Paul ordered the vegetable tempura roll and I ordered the Heart Attack roll with crab, cream cheese and sliced jalapeños. We shared other vegetable rolls and the fried mashed potatoes appetizer. Paul ordered a glass of cold sake and it tasted like a mixture of white wine and whiskey. Afterwards Paul was happy to watch football at the hotel while I drove to World Market to hunt for Mardi Gras food and decor.
The next morning I got up early and went to the Starbuck's near Douglas and Rock Street. I ordered an iced coffee and picked up a Sunday Times. Then I backtracked to the Livingston Cafe for breakfast. It was open early and looked cozy. The service was friendly and the coffee was great. There were lots of flavored creamers on the table to choose from. I had a Spanish omelette with hash browns and biscuits. Paul ate the biscuits for breakfast later. After breakfast I drove to Whole Foods and walked the aisles in a reverie. One of my favorite happy places in Memphis was the Whole Foods at Mendenhall and Poplar. It was like being home. I bought gluten free muffins, a tagine mix, a gumbo mix, some gluten free pretzels and some McClure's pickles. Paul and I headed out of town a couple of hours later. I sipped on my Starbuck's iced coffee for the rest of the afternoon. It was such a great anniversary getaway. Wichita is a great little city. I can't wait to go back for antique shopping and more French desserts.
Paul and I celebrated our anniversary in Wichita this weekend. We've been to Wichita a few times since it is the closest big city to ours. I was happy to get my retail and art fix. And of course a foodie fix! Saturday morning we drove straight to Old Chicago for the Italian nachos, calzone and gluten-free pizza. We always order the Italian nachos with tortilla chips instead of the pretzel chips it comes with. Then we went east on Douglas avenue to Traditions to look at furniture and rugs. We then drove to the Delano neighborhood and ordered desserts in La Galette, a very cute French bakery. We had vanilla pudding with strawberries, chocolate mousse and a chocolate macaron. Then we went to the Wichita Art Museum to see American landscapes and Chihuly glass sculptures.
After we checked on our dog at the hotel we drove to Bradley Fair and shopped in Barnes and Noble, Pier 1 Imports, Williams Sonoma, Sephora and Cocoa Dulce. It was fun to find a local Wichita chocolate shop that served Reverie coffee (local coffee). The chocolates were laid out beautifully under glass with careful descriptions. I ordered a cappuccino and picked up a few bags of Reverie coffee. One coffee flavor is named for the Wichita State Shockers.
After Bradley Fair Paul and I went to dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant in Old Town called Wasabi. Paul ordered the vegetable tempura roll and I ordered the Heart Attack roll with crab, cream cheese and sliced jalapeños. We shared other vegetable rolls and the fried mashed potatoes appetizer. Paul ordered a glass of cold sake and it tasted like a mixture of white wine and whiskey. Afterwards Paul was happy to watch football at the hotel while I drove to World Market to hunt for Mardi Gras food and decor.
The next morning I got up early and went to the Starbuck's near Douglas and Rock Street. I ordered an iced coffee and picked up a Sunday Times. Then I backtracked to the Livingston Cafe for breakfast. It was open early and looked cozy. The service was friendly and the coffee was great. There were lots of flavored creamers on the table to choose from. I had a Spanish omelette with hash browns and biscuits. Paul ate the biscuits for breakfast later. After breakfast I drove to Whole Foods and walked the aisles in a reverie. One of my favorite happy places in Memphis was the Whole Foods at Mendenhall and Poplar. It was like being home. I bought gluten free muffins, a tagine mix, a gumbo mix, some gluten free pretzels and some McClure's pickles. Paul and I headed out of town a couple of hours later. I sipped on my Starbuck's iced coffee for the rest of the afternoon. It was such a great anniversary getaway. Wichita is a great little city. I can't wait to go back for antique shopping and more French desserts.
The Wichita Art Museum is very nice. There is a permanent Chihuly exhibit under glass in the floor that you are encouraged to walk across after taking your shoes off. The museum also has nice pieces dedicated to the Wild West.
