The Foundry

I'm already on board with loving McCoy's and one80, so I kind of figured that when some of the folks behind the scenes at those two places said they were opening another spot in Westport I'd be pretty pleased with what they came up with. Well, they came up with The Foundry: a "Retro, DJ, Dive Bar." It's too nice to be a dive bar, and too modern-esque to be retro, and though I've never seen a DJ there I admittedly am no longer much of a night owl. Semantics aside, I love The Foundry. They have a beer nerds beer selection and a pretty impressive menu of delicious food, along with a nice big outdoor area and really excellent wait staff. The patio overlooks the parking lot but somehow manages to make you feel as though you're not sitting right in a parking lot - and though the inside is fairly industrial looking, it is still a comfortable place to have a leisurely meal and a beer or three.

On our latest visit, we stuffed ourselves on an embarrassingly large Atomic Chili Dog, an Elwood pizza, and a Mean Joe Green vegan burger served with crispy thin french fries. The pizza had a delicious crust topped with a zippy sauce, onions and bacon and could have only been improved had the onions on top been carmelized rather than just sauteed. There is no substitute for a good carmelized onion, especially when paired with bacon. I kind of had to order the Mean Joe Green, as I have a weakness for veggie burgers and when a restaurant makes their own, I'm always game to try it. This was a good one - it was a delicious mess. With white beans, black beans, and a fresh pico de gallo and avocado on top, it was a good sandwich on a really soft roll. The Atomic Chili Dog kind of speaks for itself. Look at the photo. Yum.

I've had a lot of fun drinking my way through their beer menu. I still have a long way to go, but I've tried something new on every visit. They carry some of my favorite Belgian-style beers, including the Delirium Tremens and La Fin du Monde. On our last visit, our waitress recommended the Goose Island Matilda, which was really hoppy and outstanding. They also carry all the McCoy's beers, which just makes your decision-making that much more difficult. Currently on tap is the McCoy's Anniversary Ale from last year, which has aged into a delicious and dangerous ale, at 13%. I'm not going to tell you not to have one, but maybe you should split it with someone. And call a cab.

The Foundry at McCoy's
424 Westport Road
816*960*0866

Matsu

Sushi always ends up as celebratory food. I don't just get sushi for lunch or eat supermarket sushi when I get the craving - I wait, and then when we have an occasion to celebrate, we go for good sushi. Sometimes we wait too long between sushi celebrations and then we over-celebrate, and when they bring the giant tray or boat covered with those lovely rolls they look at us like we've gotten in way over our heads. Once, the waitress laughed directly at us for the amount of sushi we ordered. I felt a little humiliated, but mostly excited because I was still going to eat that beautiful sushi. So there.

We used to try different sushi houses in town - we've driven out to Sakura (they have an awesome sushi train), eaten a few times at Jun (which has a devoted clientele), and just somehow settled on Matsu as our favorite. I like the atmosphere and the waitstaff and, of course, the food.

We're devotees of the Spider roll and the Philadelphia roll, and just this time tried the Tempura Yam roll, which was delicious. With an order of edamame, some seaweed salads, and a big bottle of Sapporo, nothing says "Hooray for me!" like sushi.

Matsu
427 Westport Rd
816*531*2602

Ice Cream Pie

I'm calling this my Ice Cream Birthday.

Not only did I get a copy of David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop and a set of absolutely beautiful glass ice cream dishes, but I've been blissfully treating myself to slices of this delicious ice cream pie. It's a Chocolate Flake Fromage Pie from Murray's. I am truly loved and spoiled.

Cafe Cuba

We couldn't decide on dinner last night - I was hungry, mostly, for food - you know, the edible stuff that you eat when you sit down to a meal. That was about as specific as I could get. We drove down by the Art of Pizza in the Crossroads and it still wasn't open, so we kept going until we got to Westport. I said "Hey - there's that Cuban place," and as the words escaped my lips my husband pulled the car into the parking space right in front. Easy parking spaces can be a hell of a decision maker.
Fortunately, welcoming people who are eager to have you sample their foods also make decisions easy. The lovely young lady behind the counter, in between chatting in Spanish with the rest of the restaurant's patrons, scooped us up little cups of the homestyle Cuban dishes behind the counter to taste. It was all good. We ordered a Cubano Especial sandwich (ham, pork, pickles, cheese and mustard pressed between thick french loaf-style bread until it was super thin and crisp) and a dinner plate with a tender shredded beef, a spoonful of yucca, a huge helping of a delicious bean and rice dish called arroz congris, and a side of tostones (fried plantains). They have fresh fruit smoothies (just fruit and ice) with mango, guava and other fruits, and delicious Cuban pastries. It's really tasty food served by smiling faces - and it's way easier to get parking in Westport than to travel to Cuba anyway.

Cafe Cuba
4116 Broadway
816*531*6060

I Scream

Nothing says "Spring Is Here!" quite like the return of Murray's Ice Cream and Cookies in Westport. It's open - today! Right now!
See you in line!

Guilty Pleasures

I love the chicken sandwich. Not the bad chicken sandwich - the one with the limp chicken, the horrible lettuce leaf, the see-through pink tomato slice and the low-fat mayo. A good one, for me, means good chicken, good bread, some sort of gooey condiment, and something extra, like pickles. (Pickles aren't a requirement, but they certainly don't hurt anything or anyone.) These are my favorites, in no particular order:

1. Chick-Fil-A: I've talked to a lot of people who are "eh" about the whole Chick-Fil-A madness that seemed to accompany the opening of the Ward Parkway location. I contend, however, that it is the best fast food chicken sandwich money can buy. It's not just the waffle fries, either. The chicken is always hot, perfectly breaded, and looks (and tastes) like good white-meat chicken - not some chopped up processed mess that has been shaped to resemble a patty. And it comes with pickles. You don't even have to ask.

2. Max's: The Charbroiled Chicken at Max's is marinated or basted in a savory somethingorother that, when it comes off the grill, makes it juicy and perfectly seasoned. If you get it with everything, you get mayo, onions, lettuce, and pickles, and by the time you're nearly finished the soft bun is falling apart in your hands. It's a mess, in a good way. Eat it there, on Wornall, and enjoy it while it's hot.

3. Westport Flea Market: The Cajun Chicken sandwich here is awesome. Sometimes they can be a little heavy-handed with the cajun rub, but the flavors themselves are always good. Once they call your name (real or pseudonym), you can dress it however you like it. It's even good with the thousand island dressing.

4. Jerusalem Cafe: Not a traditional pick (and no pickles here), but the Chicken Gyro fills all my other sandwich needs. Good well-seasoned chicken wrapped in freshly-baked pita bread, with lettuce, onion, cheese and a sauce that will make you want to lick the plate. You can use your pita for this, however, and spare yourself any embarrassment.

5. The Mixx: Anything involving the words tarragon mayonnaise and butter croissant would make me smile from ear to ear, but the Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwich ups the ante by mixing it up with tender chicken, crunchy jicama, grapes, and pecans. The crunch factor is a huge plus, and washed down with one of their fresh-squeezed lemonades, this sandwich will pump up your day from good to excellent.

Monday night = McCoy's

I've been in something of a food rut as of late. I find myself seeking out old favorites or eating at home more often than not. On Sunday I was guilty of baking a tater tot casserole. No lie. I come from a long line of casserole people, and nothing is more comforting than a casserole. Especially one made with miniature tater tots.
When not indulging in the food of my childhood, I've been eating at places I know I like. My adventurous side has been napping.
Take last night for example. Monday nights = McCoy's Public House. I know they have excellent specials on other nights of the week, but the Monday night special is my favorite. $6 pizzas. $6 burgers. $6 pitchers of their most excellent beer. It makes cooking at home seem silly when you can indulge in a Big Cheese burger with Merkt's Sharp Cheddar spread. Or a Tuscan Chicken Pizza with gorgonzola, bacon, and mushrooms. It helps take the sting out of Mondays.

McCoy's Public House
4057 Pennsylvania in Westport
816*960*0866

Korma Sutra

You'll have to excuse the lack of mouth-watering photography in this post. Today I was so busy oohing and aahing over my food that I forgot to take pictures. Please forgive me.

Fridays are my favorite days. Most Fridays I put in a half day at work, pick up my husband, and head to lunch. One of our favorite lunchtime destinations is Korma Sutra in Westport. Korma Sutra has the best Butter Chicken in the city, and I absolutely adore Butter Chicken. If you go to Korma Sutra on a Friday, go early, or go late (the lunch buffet is from 11 to 2:30), but avoid it at 12 noon. If you go in at noon, you're just going to be intoxicated by the smell, and while you wait for a table (it really never takes that long) you'll be tortured by the fact that all those people, those semi-geniuses who got there before you, are eating while you are merely watching them eat.

You'll grow to hate those people - you know they're going to go back to the buffet more than once. You know they're going to savor every last bite of the flavorful naan bread, and linger over their hot teacup full of fragrant chai. You will worry, irrationally, that those people are going to clear the place out of crispy stuffed samosas and perfectly fried pakoras. You will start to convince yourself that they're spooning the last bit of onion chutney or raita onto their third plate. You will mentally try to convince people of how full they are. You will enact plans to sit at their table and start uncomfortable conversations just to make them leave.

All will be forgotten once you get your table, however. The buffet will still be full of all the things you've been craving. They will still deliver a glass of mango lassi and a hot basket of naan. You will still eat yourself silly and have to go home to take a well-deserved nap.

Korma Sutra
4113 Pennsylvania in Westport
Lunch Buffet 11am-2:30pm
Dinner 5-9pm

(also located in OP,KS at 7212 W 110th St)

one80

Going out on Thursday nights is the perfect way to extend the weekend, especially when the week has felt long. A Thursday night out can be like an extra Friday night, without all the pesky sleeping in the next day. Lately, we've been enjoying Thursday nights at one80 in Westport. They're a relaxing way to ease in to the weekend with dj John Ingle (spinning hip hop, soul, and funk) and pretty decent specials on domestic and import bottles. They have great specials on other nights of the week as well - and their strong menu options make it a good choice for lunch or dinner. I'd recommend the Monte Cristo, served on soft dijon-flavored challah bread with a delicious curried apricot chutney.
one80
435 Westport Road
816*389*4180

Record Bar

We go to the Record Bar for the music, not the food, as I am usually not one to mix my drinking establishments with my eating establishments. It seems like when I go out with friends, we typically hit places where the food is horrific at best, merely passable at least. McCoy's Public House is the bright shining exception to that rule - and I guess the exception list just doubled now that I've had pizza at the Record Bar.
The pizza was a do-it-yourself affair, with a great list of ingredients that you can apply to making your own antipasti platter, sandwich, pasta, or pizza. Of course, there are three pizzas on the menu to choose from, if you're more comfortable leaving your choices up to someone else, but with ingredients like capicola, gongonzola, or pepperoncinis...you might as well get creative.
The '45s are the perfect size for one, and mine - with grilled chicken, pepperoncinis, and red onion, was loaded with ingredients on an excellently chewy and flavorful crust. Try it out on a Tuesday night, when they have the Honky Tonk Supper Club with Rex Hobart, which starts at 7.

Record Bar
1020 Westport Road
816*753*5207

I Scream

From the summer of ice cream (2006), I have the following recommendations.
(I've been doing my best to try to step away quietly from the Chocolate Flake Fromage, which I may have been addicted to.)

Four flavors you should absolutely try without hesitation when you go to Murray's Ice Cream:

Honey Ginger
Cinnamon Graham Cracker
Grape Nuts
Zabajone (egg, honey, spices, wine)

The Recipe for Cool

It's just too hot to do anything but eat popsicles and drink lots and lots of ice water. I've been stockpiling Edy's Frozen Fruit Bars in Lime and Lemonade flavors. Here, to help you cool off, are FIVE excellent places (in no particular order) for frozen treats for when your brain starts to feel melty...

Murray's Ice Cream and Cookies
4120 Pennsylvania
816*931*5646

Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard
6235 Brookside Blvd
816*523*2520

Paleteria Tropicana
830 Southwest Blvd
816*221*0192

Balsano's Gelato Cafe
428 Ward Parkway
816*931*4010

Sheridan's Frozen Custard
Locations all over metro area...

Cupini's

I love on Saturdays where you have enough stuff to do that you can just skip breakfast and go straight to lunch. I know it's the most important meal of the day, but to me, a really enjoyable breakfast always seems like a meal for a lazy Sunday morning - with the newspaper and lots of refills of my coffee cup - but Saturday seems the perfect day of the week for lunch.
We avoided the grocery store all week long, so on Saturday we called ahead to Cupini's and ordered some sandwiches for carryout. I love having a Cupini's downtown. The location on Westport Road is great, but I like having a Cupini's within a 5 minute drive of my front door (I do hate the downtown traffic situation, but I'm trying to look at the big picture and not be one of those people who is indignant at the smallest inconvenience). I like knowing that there will be bags of frozen Pumpkin Ravioli that close for when I'm feeling like melting a little butter and sage and indulging in someone else's pasta handiwork. Cupini's has excellent everything, but my favorite is the fresh turkey panini, which gets a little added zest from the artichoke spread. The gangster also gets rave reviews for the creaminess of the garlic aioli and the roasted eggplant mixed in against the thin slices of prosciutto and salami. The thing that makes any sandwich memorable, however, is the bread - and Cupini's baguettes are crisp and chewy. They're good on their own, but they make the sandwiches just that much better.

Cupini's
25 East 12th Street or
1809 Westport Road

Papa Keno's

There are few pizza places in this city that I haven't tried, mostly due to the fact that I live with a person who is slavishly devoted to pizza. We eat homemade pizza, frozen pizza, Costco pizza, deep dish pizza, big chain pizza, Mom and Pop pizza, free pizza...well, you get the picture. Pizza is a thing here - but my favorite thing, naysayers be damned, is thin crust pizza. I like crust that's thick enough to not get gooey under the weight and moisture of fresh veggies, but thin enough to be crisp and a little bit chewy. I even like thin cracker-style crusts. My ideal pizza is a thin crust with a thin coating of tart and fresh red sauce with cheese and onions. Now if you'd hand me the hot sauce, please, I'll be your friend for life.

Anyhow. I digress.

Papa Keno's, somehow missed in my millions of slices of pizzas eaten, is really awesome pizza. I went for the first time at the beginning of June and now it's one (giant) slice of pizza I actually crave. I've had my standard slice with onion - I've even tried the Colombo (Roma Tomato, Extra Cheese, Extra Sauce, Roasted Garlic and Romano), because the only thing, for me, that competes with onions on pizza is roasted garlic. A hot slice of pizza, a cold beer, and post-pizza garlic breath. That's heaven.

Papa Keno's
417 Westport Road or
7901 Santa Fe Drive in OP,KS

The Upper Crust

It's my birthday weekend, so we've been doing things that I love, like sleeping in, flying kites, and going to Pryde's in Westport to spend my gift certificate from the in-laws. We typically go to Pryde's twice a year at the very least, to cash in gift certificates and wander around, drinking coffee and trying to figure out which gadgets we've been so selflessly doing without for the past six months. We don't make lists or organize our trips there at all - there's lots of indecision, discovery, oohing and aahing. Pryde's is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite places in the city.

The only way Pryde's could've gotten better: fresh pie.

On Fridays and Saturdays from 10 to 6 in the lower level, stop in at the Upper Crust, where the smell of fresh pie will make you feel like you've just stumbled upon a very special secret. Pat and Jan, mother and daughter, make fresh pies (mini $6, full size $15), quiche, apple dumplings, and, on the day we visited, frosted banana cookies.

I'm a sucker for anything Strawberry Rhubarb, so we took home a mini for the two of us. It tasted as good as it looks. The crust was sprinkled with sugar and held its own against the tart filling. It was flaky and good.

The Upper Crust
lower level of Pryde's Old Westport
115 Westport Rd.
816*561*4990