Cinco de Mayo!

A little late on getting this post together and out for Cinco de Mayo celebrations(being May 6th) but I would like to quicky plug one of my favorite restaurants. It is called El Agave located at the southeast corner of 21st and Washburn. Being a purveyor of mexican cuisine I try to eat at all the various restaurants in Topeka. El Agave I would have to say, I enjoy most!

Why? For one I love the food! Complimentary chips and salsa are standard fair at sitdown Mexican restaurants, however the salsa that accompanies it varies location to location. El Agave has a thin tomato salsa with a great flavor of onion and clilantro and enough heat to let you know they add peppers. They have again pretty standard offerings for mexican cuisine, but whatever I choose it is cooked to order served hot and fast! They also have great rice and beans, which to meal is a deal breaker or maker. The rice is fluffy and beans are thick and soupy with a great flavor. Another reaons that makes El Agave a great place to visit is the art work displayed on the table I wont add much to this other then to tell you to look for the "warrior", and "unicorn" tables! Give it a try I doubt you will be dissapointed!

The Burger Stand is Da Bomb!!!

I know I need to be working on better titles bare with me, but the title is true. Before I get into my take on the stand a little background is needed.

The Sous Chef/Owner of The Burger Stand is Simon Bates, a long time friend of mine. Simon and I can actually trace our friendship back to an old T-Ball picture. However, it was in high school Simon helped me get a job at a local eatery in Topeka called New City Cafe. It had been just bought sold by who could be considered the greatest chef in Topeka history Robert Krause by his apprentice Julius Minark. It was there at New City, that I began to learn and appreciate culinary arts. Fast forward...........Simon later attends the Culinary Institute for a semester, moves back home, works at a grill joint with me in Manhattan, we both work at Pachamamas, then he moves to Krause Dining to become the Sous Chef, and then Tellers, moves to Chicago with his band, works at one of the top restaurants in the country Alinea, then finishes his work in Chi-Town at one of the largest and most prestigious catering companies.........wewh!

I say all this because Chef Simon's resume is stacked. Even in high school he was being requested for catering jobs at peoples wedding receptions, and special events. It has been a long time coming but I for one am very excited to see The Burger Stand up and running. I have been there three times, and loved both the concept and the food.
It's no surprise that up-scale diner food is in. People have realized the Americana cuisine despite its blend of countless other ethnic and global influences is tasty. Many people across the country are bringing back the old greasy spoons, and dives that use to checker highways and downtown's of metropolitans.

The same I suppose could be said about The Burger Stand.
Owners Robert Krause, and Simon Bates have teamed up for a great lineup of sandwiches that will blow up your taste buds, but not your wallet. The average price for a burger is around $7.50 add fries and your close to $10.00. Warning: DO NOT LET THE PRICE SCARE YOU. These are not average Joe Schmo burgers. The first one I ever tried was the Kobe Burger. The use a American Style Kobe beef for their generously sized patties, grilled to a perfection. Kobe Beef fatty in nature makes this burger juicy, add butter lettuce, with pickled red onion and truffle butter placed under a lovely, soft, brioche bun and you have what could be considered the greatest burger the land of Kansas has ever scene.
The Black and Blue makes perfect sense. A blend of tenderloin and rib eye comprise the lovely patties, and the play on savory flavors of Granny Smith Apple Chutney and Maytag Blue makes your mouth asking for more.

While there you can get an order of sweet potato fries, or regular tossed in truffle butter and now duck fat!

Look I could go on and on about this place, but it would be sort of like telling you about a great movie I saw and then telling you the whole story including how it ends. Restaurants like these are like unexplored terrain, adventures waiting to be had. Just trust me and try it!

Alt Bluegrass?

Sara Watkins is the sister of Sean Watkins who both comprised the trio that was Nickle Creek. Nickle Creek was a spin off of conventional Bluegrass which made the once obscure musical genre accessible for mainstream listeners.

With the break-up of Nickle Creek the members have all been off doing their own projects. Sara Watkins recently came out with her "Self-Titled" debut c.d.. I immediately picked it up being a fan of her lovely vocals and fiddle play. If you enjoy good folk music or were a fan of Nickle Creek, it is worth the $14.00. For me personally I was on a musical dry spell and found the c.d. especially gratifying.

Lightning in a bottle

Living in Topeka you are just a short drive from Kansas City. To those who enjoy all things smoked and grilled many (including myself) would call it BBQ paradise, home to the best BBQ in the country. Both claims however are as hotly debated as to who has better pizza, New York or Chicago? This debate may in fact be carried out on a blog at a later date but due to an obvious bias Kansas City will be the winner :-)

Kansas City BBQ has it's legend's; Gates, Oklahoma Joe's, Zarda, Jack Stack's, K.C. Masterpiece to name a few.....but perhaps the most celebrated and cherished is Arthur Bryant's. When one thinks K.C. BBQ one things Arthur Bryant's.

Forgive me by saying I have not tried Arthur Bryant's, but plant to in the immediate future. However most stores in Topeka offer a chance to taste just a bit of why Arthur Bryant's is so good in sauce form.

I went this weekend to Hyvee and purchased a bottle of Arthur Bryant's original sauce. I wanted my curiosity to be satisfied. I went home immediately and opened a bottle of the bright almost orange like sauce and poured some out. I dapped a bit with a spoon and gave it a try. For those who have not tried this sauce be careful!!!! If you are thinking it will resemble K.C. Masterpiece you are in for a letdown. It is thick, peppery (you can see the bits of black pepper in the sauce) and finishes with a nice vinegar bite. If you like sweet sauces, flavored with molasses or brown sugar, this sauce is not for you. It lets you know you have something in your mouth, and makes perfect sense to slather it on ribs, or pulled pork. If you are a BBQ fan, then this sauce is a must try!

Store for Foodies

Topeka is not known for its culinary enterprises. Even what would be considered on the higher end of both price and culinary expression in Topeka would be run of the mill eatery's in major metropolitans. To say Topeka is lacking in the culinary arts would be an understatement. So, for fans of all things food who want to challenge their taste buds and explore new flavors; a trip to Lawrence or Kansas City is necessary, however, the landscape of taste in Topeka has changed.

Thank God local is in! Which for Topeka has saw a resurgence of mom and pop eateries and specialty stores (I hope to post reviews on these visits later) that opens up new options for those tired of typical corporate cuisine.

With that being said, I wanted a few accompaniments that would be served for our families Easter dinner. I knew we were having ham, and leg of lamb so a good mustard was a must! Hearing good things of the store Ice & Olives, I decided to stop by and see what I could discover.

Ice & Olives is at the relatively new 29th and Croco shopping center. The store is nestled in the corner between a wine and spirits store, and tanning salon. When walking in its hard not to be overwhelmed by the vast array of fine food products (Ice and Olives is a small store and they definitely maximize the space) which stretches the culinary scope to include everything from artisan cheeses and fine deli cuts to locally made BBQ sauces and party spreads. Though one may find the layout of the store a bit cluttered, I suppose it is needed to offer as many products as they do. It is also hard to fault owner(s) whose desire is to offer a vast array of finer products not available at most conventional grocery stores.

While there I made a bee line straight to the condiment section. I love condiments, my friends always poked fun as they watched me consume massive amounts of ketchup at any chance I had. While browsing I found a few items I would like to talk about.

The first is one I had experience before, but found them too good not to try again. It's a lovely spin on pickles named cleverly Wickles.

Wickles are a hybrid between a regular kosher pickle and bread and butter with some peppery hotness to it. The pickle ends up being quite savory with a good match between sweet and sour, add some heat to it, and I find Wickles to be one of the best pickled products I have had. You can find yourself eating almost a jar by the end of the day if your not careful. The thick cut slices also added to a nice crisp dense texture that made the pickle overall enjoyable and worth a try for all those who like such items.

I then picked up a jar of Canadian mustard. I don't remember the name but the tag line below it said, "Mustard with a bite". Personally I love savory tastes, and the associate at the store mentioned a few people who buy it regularly. So, I forked over the money necessary to buy that and my pickles and set sail. The mustard has a good flavor, but has an almost honey like thickness to it which makes it difficult to spread. It is sweet, very sweet, and the mustard flavor seems to be an almost after-thought to its gooey sweetness. I suppose it has a place as a spread, but beyond that I can't recommend it.

All this being said Ice & Olives is worth a try.........though it is a niche shop it deserves attention.

New Thoughts.....

It has been a while (a little over a year) since my first post. I suppose I was swept up by the hype and prestige that comes with having your own blog. I even then was angered by the financial crisis that was rearing it's now tornadic like head. When I created this blog I wanted to keep it strictly to social and theological reflection. However, I love life and all of its caveats to just focus on those two issues! I think also I became more cognizant of the level of intelligence I carry, and thought of how sloppy at times I would look. With all this beings said look for me to include more then just social issues...............Starting now ..............