Double the Pleasure – Review #2: El Che Steakhouse

25 July 2023

A long day at work, a skipped lunch, and I was hungry. And when I get hungry, I go carnivore. What better place to do that than El Che Steakhouse?

I still remember my first visit last month and I need another fix! I got there plenty early, as they open their doors at 5pm. And it was already packed at the bar! Too bad, as I ended up sitting at a table instead. No biggie, just miss the vibe of the bar.

I looked over the menu and ordered some items to start with, as well as a much-needed cocktail on a warm day. Soon everything showed up and I was a happy lad.

Mmmm, this morcilla is good. More “bloody” than I remember, a proper Argentinian one. Lovely stuff, one that’s really worth the money…

And the chorizo too! Not often will I give such high praises to one, but this was darn good, better than last time. One heck of a sausage!

Well, I was certainly happy. I switched to a wine and ordered my favourite, tira de asado.

Hmmm…wee smaller than last time. Worried me for a sec, but all that went away with the first bite. As good as before, as juicy and awesome. The way tira de asado needs to be! So good.

Some lovely Brussels sprouts too. But I still had some sprouts left…what to do? Well…

So good…how many darn times can I say that? That’s for the lunch I missed!

But they truly understand it. My server, excellent, ran through the food and drinks with efficiency, which is I appreciated. I took the bones home as I can use them, which he appreciated. But with it being hot, I needed a cool-down, so went with some ice cream…

Nice, and a good rye with it. I was darn happy. This is why this place is packed on a Tuesday night! And even rarer, had a wonderful chatty fun ride home on Lyfe too, so a wonderful evening closed as good as it can be.

A rare perfect night out really, thank you El Che and all! Again, beyond recommended!

Although I miss Argentina and Uruguay, thanks to El Che, I think I can pass on going there for awhile!

El Che Steakhouse
845 West Washington Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois

When a Prime Rib Ain’t Prime – Review: Tortoise Supper Club

21 July 2023

I had one of the longest weeks at work all year and I was tired and stressed. This wasn’t helped with a painful case of costochondritis. This flares up once a year or so, and this was not the week for it…

So with all that, I wanted a good dinner. The afternoon started well with a much-needed happy hour with colleagues at the office before we scattered. My destination was an early dinner at the well-regarded Tortoise Supper Club nearby.

They are famous for, amongst other things, their weekend prime rib. After finding out that Ward’s House of Prime will be closed when I visit Milwaukee in a fortnight (very unfortunate), I needed a prime rib fix. Nothing beats Ward’s, but let’s see if this place gives it a good run for its money.

I got there and was seated in the main dining room. I did not realise that the happy hour specials here do not extend into the main dining room, so there goes my appetiser plans. That’s a shame and pretty ridiculous, but oh well, since their daily appetiser special turned out to be something I would have ordered anyway.

A martini in hand, and I relaxed… It’s early, so it’s nice and quiet. I needed this down time. And when the lamb arrived, I smiled.

Well, that smile didn’t last too long. As much as it looked and smelled good, this was blander than bland. The lamb was so neutral it could have been faux meat. Why do people source these awful, bland, “I don’t want it to taste like lamb” lamb these days? Sign. I struggled to finish it as it was just not exciting at all.

Sigh. Oh well. I switched to a red after I finished this and waited for my main course. My heart sunk a little when it arrived.

Well, it certainly don’t look like anything Ward’s would serve. When you get a prime rib doused in jus, you know the meat is poor. And they call this a “king cut” which would have been laughed at by most reputable purveyers of prime rib. And I would have excused it if it was good, but again, it was ridiculously bland, even with it floating in a jus bearing a weird consistency. It really did not match my expectations at all; in fact, it may have been one of the very worst prime ribs I’ve seen, even worse than some of the ones you get at awful buffet places that I still shudder to remember from my childhood.

The broccolini was probably the best thing I’ve had all day. I was so deflated I actually didn’t even finish my food. The only saving grace of the night was the service, as my server was extremely friendly and efficient. And this ice cream.

Good to close the night with this and a drink before heading out. But what a total disappointment. I know where I won’t be coming back to again – especially as a prime rib lover. Avoid, avoid, AVOID!

And my rib cage still hurts, throwing more insult to this evening. Sigh…

Tortoise Supper Club
350 North State Street
Chicago, Illinois

Review: Salt

16 July 2023

Another short trip comes to an end, and I am tired. More hilly hiking all day, mostly early morning, and I added another 9 miles to my feet. So this short trip totalled 23 miles in 3 days. Not bad. That’s how I can eat like this despite being over-the-hill age-wise!

I skipped lunch so I was hungry on top of being tired. I was still running on the fine dinner from Rood last night, and that kept me going until dinner at Salt this evening – which happend to be just a short distance away. I got there by Lyft and it was a pretty quiet Sunday night there.

My server was excellent and she brought me a refreshing cocktail that I needed. I looked over the menu and ordered. This place focuses on small plates for sharing, but since I’m solo I just ordered a trio – one from each of their menu sections. I relaxed, sipped on my drink, and awaited the food.

I started on some beets, and these were delicious. I love beets, but love it when done well. Better than the version at Bender’s Tavern in Canton the other night that’s for sure. The slight touch of honey, as well as the figs, gave this dish a sweet overall profile but very complex. Excellent!

I switched over to a chilled (yes!) red for the evening. So rare do you see places in the US that offers chilled reds (which as you know I miss from Italy). So I was happy when my octopus dish arrived.

Tasted better than it looked, as the poor lighting made the picture challenging. Plus my phone camera seems to be tired from this trip as well… The white bean puree worked very well with the overall feel of the plate, the addition of the pickled tomatoes just added a wonderful touch. The octopus was excellently rendered by the kitchen. A good dish definitely.

I was pretty happy with this evening, a little saddened that this place wasn’t very busy. But it was a Sunday night, although it was one of the few nice places open on a Sunday evening. I relaxed and enjoyed more wine when my last dish arrived.

This is a good veal belly, lovely flavours. The oyster mushrooms are always welcome, but the fennel was a little voluminous. Otherwise this was a good dish, again, well planned and executed. I’m pretty full!

It was a slow night and I fly home at 6am tomorrow (meaning a very early alarm in a few hours), so I decided to just chill, have a dessert and drink to close this trip off.

Goodness this carrot cake was huge. But it’s a quiet night so I relaxed as I enjoyed it, alongside a nice rye. What a delicious way to end this evening and trip! I’ve had a few trips recently when the final meal failed, so this was a nice change! Perhaps not as good as last night’s gem, but it’s a good one – and only a stroll away. Lakewood is clearly a huge food destination for the Cleveland area!

Recommended!

Salt
17625 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio

Review: Rood

15 July 2023

The day turned stormy, not just because of that poor ‘cue at Mabel’s BBQ this afternoon, but the skies totally opened. Derailed some of my plans, but I did get another two hilly hikes in before the downpour. I just went to my hotel and relaxed and plotted out tomorrow’s plans as I had to retool it due to today’s weather disruption.

I eventually headed out by Lyft to dinner at Rood. My goodness, why is the rideshare in Cleveland so cheap?

I got to Rood and it was hopping, which is great to see even on a Saturday night. They had saved a nice little table for me, and it was a comfortable spot for me to relax my aching feet after all the hikes today. Hiked a total of about 14 miles in the past 36 hours, and a good part of it was hilly, so that first cocktail was very much needed!

Rood has a good reputation as a neighbourhood restaurant that hit the jackpot when they hired a relatively unknown chef to run the kitchen. Since then, 24-year-old Chef Rachelle Murphy has become one of the real stars of the Midwest despite the low national profile. I definitely like her cooking philosophy, and I was eager to dive into the food.

Oooh, this is good. The fried stuffed squash blossoms really hits the spot. Stuffed with crab meat, this was an excellent rendition of a dish so many places failed because their either messed up the stuffing or the frying. This tasted just about perfect. I love the little burn on it as well, but done well without impacting the stuffing. An excellent start!

The place was absolutely rammed, which is great to see after hours of heavy downpour. I switched to wine and chilled out before my main course arrived. The food beat the wine, but the place was seriously busy so I was okay with it.

I’ve not had hog snapper in ages, and this was a delicious dish. The fish was cooked perfectly, bringing out the wonderful flavours of this very interesting fish and getting that skin char just about perfect. The bok choy beneath was a little voluminous, but the fish stole the show, easily. What a nice main! I was happy so I went with a dessert, as this place is famous for its pies.

I closed off with a slice of their tequila lime pie. Not bad, I was pretty full but this hit the spot. Throw in a nice liquid dessert on the side, I was a happy camper.

As I was sipping on my drink waiting for my Lyft, I’m amazed that people were still coming in. This place is clearly popular, and I love that a previously-unheralded chef is doing so well and showing people cooking comes from loving the ingredients, not trying to put oneself above the ingredients. Talent > ego. Chef Murphy definitely has something special here, and she has won my praise for prioritising her talent over ego.

Highly recommended!

Rood
17001 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio

Overpriced and Underflavoured – Review: Mabel’s BBQ [Eaton]

15 July 2023

I spent the day after that nice dinner at Bender’s Tavern in Canton doing way too much. A good morning of hikes, despite the warm weather, and I needed some fuel. I decided to stop by the Mabel’s BBQ location in Woodmere to try some of Chef Michael Symon’s highly-regarded BBQ.

I got there and picked up the food and unpacked the first chance I got. In order, I started with the fatty brisket.

Sigh…this is pretty sad. If this is their version of “fatty” I hate to see the log that is lean. The quality of the meat was awful, the taste bland, and the cut really poor. Wow, I don’t think I’ve had as bad brisket as this one for a long, long time. Frankly I could not eat most of it without sauce, and I’m usually the no-sauce guy…

The spicy kielbasa was okay, but if they called this spicy I wonder how bland the regular would be. There’s almost no spice here. Again, quality not befitting someone of Chef Symon’s reputation.

The pork belly was the only redeemable dish of this lunch, but it seemed to be driven by the giantic hucks of ground pepper on the meat. But better than the kielbasa, and far, far better than the brisket.

Sadly this reminded me of a poor offering at Chef Symon’s Roast in Detroit. An excellent chef and a really nice guy, but his places are never good. This BBQ needs help. I’m so glad I didn’t drop $50+ for a beef rib, as much as I wanted one. It would have been totally wasted from this establishment. Maybe the location in downtown Cleveland is better, but this was just…just skip…

When you actually wish you were at an Arby’s instead, you know this was a BBQ fail…

Mabel’s BBQ [Eton]
28699 Chagrin Blvd
Woodmere, Ohio

Review: Bender’s Tavern

14 July 2023

I’m not sure why I’m in Canton, Ohio… I didn’t originally plan to stop here when I planned my weekend trip to eastern Ohio, but it just worked out that way. I’m quite glad I did, because dinner worked out quite nicely.

I had a long day, arriving into Cleveland late morning. Arriving in Canton late in the afternoon, I was tired. Had a long work week, and I was glad to have taken this Friday off. Took awhile to get a Lyft but it came and brought me downtown from my crappy motel. I’m sorry, when hotels are cheaper in Chicago than Canton, you know the market is messed up.

I arrived at Bender’s Tavern for dinner, a legendary spot in town. I decided to just sit at the bar as to not take up a valuable two-top. I relaxed with a cocktail as the bar was also quite busy. Looked over the menu and lots looked good, so I made my order and chilled out.

A quaint but busy tavern, clearly beloved by townspeople. Popular this late Friday evening that’s for sure. My openers soon arrived.

This is their trademark turtle soup. Pretty good, enjoyed the flavours here. But they delivered my starter at the same time, the smoked mackerel.

Not bad at all, although rather ordinary. But I love mackerel, so even ordinary is good. With a little more wine, I relaxed and finished my two openers. I mentioned if they can wait until I was done before bringing my main; well, they were quite busy, so it took a bit of time for it to arrive.

Halibut cheeks. These were quite delicious, helped on by some drawn butter – which worked well with the bland broccoli and rice sides. But the seafood was absolutely fabulous, I’m glad I chose this special.

Oh, I got a side of beets too, but it looked a little sad. But it was delicious, so that’s all I needed.

That was a good dinner, and I was full even though I had not eaten for over a day. I relaxed with a liquid dessert instead, chatting with the bartenders until my Lyft arrived.

Again, a good dinner, solid stuff in a nice environment. Definitely worth a stop if you are driving through Ohio!

Bender’s Tavern
137 Court Avenue Southwest
Canton, Ohio

A Great Place to Hide – Review #2: Cocoro

It was a long day at the office and I was trying to figure out where to go for dinner. I wanted to unwind somewhere not too far, so had several options. At the end, I thought of doing Japanese, as it’s been awhile.

What was supposed to be a stormy late afternoon turned into a humid-as-heck one, and I was soaked after the 20-minute fast walk to Cocoro just as it was opening for the evening. After my first visit a few months ago, this place has easily become the to-go place for me for Japanese food.

I relaxed at my now-usual table, looked over the sizeable menu, and ordered the first round. I know there’ll be multiple rounds as the food is always so good. I chilled out and kept an eye on the weather, as the aforementioned storm appears to be regrouping and headed towards Chicagoland.

My sake arrived soon and was glad to have a glass down my throat after this long day. They brought out some spiced pistachios as a free snack.

Good drinking snack, I love the spice on it. Then quickly we have kinripa renkon, some delicious sliced lotus roots.

Love the flavour on this, worked so well as a side to the seafood that was starting to also appear, like my favourite shishamo.

I just love these things so much. I can eat this absolutely non-stop. The lovely mix of bitter and savoury, especially when these things are filled with roe. So good.

That balances out with this beautiful saba presentation. I always crave mackerel, and this was a great way to get my fix for one of my favourite fish. The slices were thicker than usual, which with a large heap of wasabi and quick dip in soy, was just heavenly.

Oh, of course I was nibbling at the wasabi all evening, from this plate and from the next.

A small selection of nigiri here: hamachi (yellowtail), hirame (fluke), and hotate (scallop). They didn’t have toro this evening, but this made due. The hamachi was rich and delicious. The tamer hirame worked well with the shiso. But once again, like last time, the hotate was just crumptious. Huge and sweet, these were absolutely a steal. So good.

That was a wonderful first round. As I was finishing it, and my sake, the skies were turning pretty ugly outside. I kept an eye on the weather by phone as a tornado watch was on for Chicagoland. Oh, fun.

I ordered a second round, and switched to shochu, which was an inspired choice. I just love the Tan Taka Tan, which is distilled from the red shiso leaf. This worked well with the start of the second round, takowasa.

I love octopus in any style, and this was one of my favourite preps – raw in wasabi. Delicious drinking snack. And sets up the big dish of the night…

It’s been awhile since I’ve had aji no hiraki – one of Japan’s most iconic dishes, salted horse mackerel. Lovely flavours, something I’ve not had since I last visited Japan – which has been way too long. I need to get back there…

As I was working on this delicious fish, everyone’s phone blew up with sirens. Great, now it’s a tornado warning. Kept an eye on it and kept at this delicious fish. Some people are not patient enough to get through the bones, but if you are, it’s a fine reward.

Although I was somewhat full, the weather was a mess so I decided to stay for a final round, my version of a “dessert” I guess. I switched to a stronger shochu made from barley and made my last order.

The skies were just clearing up when the first item arrived…

You knew I was gonna get another order of these lovely things. So good. Again, I wish I can get more! But have to exercise some self-restraint, after all, as it’s only Wednesday! As I sadly finished the third shishamo my real “dessert” arrived…

And I forgot to take a photo. But it was another order of hotate, as plump and sweet as the first. And also a pair of unagi – a fitting dessert, both nice and sweet in their own way.

I thanked the wonderful staff as it was nice and clear now and I headed out to catch my Lyft home. That was certainly a wonderful evening and reaffirmed that Cocoro is my to-go-to Japanese place. Delicious, simple, modest, what’s not to love? It truly reminds me of being back in Japan.

As always, heavily recommended!

Cocoro
668 North Wells Street
Chicago, Illinois

Review: Newport Grill

3 July 2023

It’s been a long few days, and this is the most time I’ve spent in Kansas in my life. It’s a beautiful state, so it’s been a nice break. However, the heat and sun is starting to get to me, considering how much time I’m spending outdoors. It’ll be fun explaining to colleagues how I got a better tan in Kansas than they did in Florida.

For my final night on this trip, I rolled into Wichita on a roasting hot afternoon. Lucky I had leftovers from that excellent dinner at Town Company to keep me going all day; gnawing on that smoked pork chop bone in the middle of a cornfield was quite a nice moment… But again, I spent too much time outdoors, so I was just guzzling liquids into the late afternoon when I got to my hotel. Great, the AC was barely working…

As this was my last night on this trip, I wanted a good dinner to end it. Food-wise this trip started less than promising, but became way better than expected. What will tonight bring? And why did I pick a seafood-centric place in the very heart of the country, hours away from any large bodies of water?

I chose Newport Grill for some reason. Don’t ask me what led to this decision, but I had a good feeling about it. It was not far from my hotel, thank goodness, and it was a relatively late (8.15pm) seating. My server seemed a little annoyed at first (as it was his last table) but he got over it pretty soon and turned out quite good.

As much as today’s heat roasted me, they also put me under the blasting AC vent, so I was sneezing in about 10 minutes… Lucky by then I had a good cocktail and ready for some food. I ordered and relaxed, sipping at my drink – which had a nice zip to it – when my starter arrived.

A modest shrimp cocktail, simple but did its job. Definitely good-sized shrimps. Enjoyed this far more than the shrimp at White Linen the other night in Topeka. A good start. But it was annoying that the next item arrived as I was still eating my starter…

The lobster bisque was not bad, nothing special. I grabbed some wine as I tried to enjoy this. But once again, the food came out too fast. I know this is a late seating and people want to go home, but this is getting annoying…

The main course: scallops. I won’t pretend these are great, but it was relatively good. Solid-tasting definitely, so they are sourcing relatively good quality stuff. I do wish they didn’t strip the brussels sprouts to its core like this. It’s not 1975, people are not scared of these things anymore. But overall a good dish.

It’s not a spectacular night, but it was fairly good. Solid ingredients, done well enough to bring out the best of the seafood. Not bad for being hundreds of miles from any sizeable bodies of water. Again, let the ingredients out, don’t “overchef” the food when you don’t need to just because you want to show how clever you think you are.

I was happy enough to have dessert and a last drink, and I told my server that even through he had brought the check already. Again, feeling rushed, but I get it – it’s late, everyone’s trying to leave. Although there were still some people dining outside, I was the last diner inside, and they want to start cleaning. So my desserts came out quickly, as did my drink.

I laughed when the server warned me about the chocolate-filled “beignets” exploding. I guess too many people have accidents that ruined their evening! It was a nice way to end the evening, and I closed out quickly as my Lyft was already approaching. I headed out, relatively satisfied with the evening despite being so rushed. If night 1 was underwhelming and night 2 was overwhelming, tonight was rightly a push. It all balances out.

Home tomorrow after another long day in the sun and heat…

Newport Grill
1900 North Rock Road
Wichita, Kansas

* Four days in the blazing sun, 25 miles of hiking, and I’m toast. Still having fun explaining to colleagues how I got a better than in Kansas than anyone who went to Florida!

Review: Town Company

2 July 2023

I had an extremely long day that began before dawn that took me through northern Kansas and southern Nebraska. I always love seeing small town America, it reminds me of the charms of non-urban life. By the time I rolled into Kansas City (yeah, I’m back), I was exhausted – and hot. It’s clearly summer, and my body does not like that…

My hotel was a nice little place that’s surprisingly close to the city’s popular Power and Light District but without the ridiculous price of rooms there. I got there on a quick Lyft ride to my dinner destination at the boutique Hotel Kansas City called Town Company. BTW the hotel is beautiful, but that’s wasted on me these days…

I usually am apprehensive about hotel restaurants, including boutique hotels, evident by that horrific experience at Taft-Díaz in El Paso just a few weeks ago. But I also remember the excellent night at Lockbox in Lexington, Kentucky that was also a boutique hotel restaurant. So let’s see what happens. I’ve generally had good food experiences in Kansas City, so I’m optimistic. Let’s hope it’s not misplaced like last night.

I was seated next to the bar area and chilled. Oh I tried, as the table was placed where 2 cushions merged and it was an uncomfortable banquette seating position. But the first cocktail that came took that discomfort away quickly as it was strong and delicious.

I placed an order for some openers and see where this evening will go. It’s a quiet Sunday evening, and I’m happy to just relax a bit now. Soon the first item arrives.

The “smoked egg” is like deviled eggs that overdosed. This was brilliant, as the wee smoke, alongside the trout roe, really pulled this from a blown-up deviled egg to something really special. What an excellent start!

Then we have this “fish fry” which made me smile. The mackerel was nice, as was the scallop. The smoked sturgeon croquettes were especially good. In fact, an excellent dish overall, executed wonderfully with perfect texture inside and out. Tonight is blowing last night out of the water, that’s for sure.

I got another drink and waited a little for the third item, but it was worth the wait.

This beef bacon dish was fabulous, working so well with the lettuce wrap – or without. Rich, uncompromising, just fabulous. That was worth the wait!

I was enjoying this evening so much I decided to have more. I can always take things with me, so I may have overordered for my last item.

After a little, I was thinking this may be a mistake, as it took far longer than I imagined, and I was feeling more full from all the food I’ve had and the additional drinks. But something may be up with the kitchen, as they ended up comping me a dish.

This was their potato dumplings dish, quite nice – but horribly filling, which I cannot afford with what I’ve ordered! I nibbled at this, which was delicious, like a rich gnocchi dish. But this is something I can take with me. I hate to take something that was comped, but I hope they understand – especially with what I ordered just dropped!

Oh my this is huge. This is their signature chile-smoked pork chop. The fragrance and taste is quite interesting, and brings out something a little different in the high-quality smoked pork. Delicious! Oh, and did you see that bulb of roasted garlic? You know that I consumed quickly, one of my favourite things to eat!

The side of radish is also quite good, as I do love my radish.

The cornbread was overwhelming, but it’s also something that keeps, so I took a chunk of it and left the rest for the big box!

I ate more than I anticipated, but still had to take quite a lot of this back with me. I’ll be feasting all day tomorrow, that’s for sure!

No dessert, no way, but a liquid one hit the spot. That was overwhelmingly good. I was beyond full, and had plenty to take with me. This will keep well overnight and into my long trip tomorrow, so I’m happy I’ll have some of these delicious things to keep me going until dinner tomorrow! I thanked my excellent bartender/server and headed out, knowing next time I’m back in KCMO I will be here feasting again!

What a difference a day makes! Last night was underwhelming, tonight was overwhelming! Highly recommended!

Town Company
Hotel Kansas City
1228 Baltimore Avenue
Kansas City, Missouri

Review: White Linen

1 July 2023

It’s the middle of summer, and it’s hot, and I head into a hot area – Kansas – for this extended, 4th of July weekend. To beat the rush, I headed to the airport during the middle of the night and flew into Kansas City’s underutilized airport, arriving just after sunrise.

I spent a good day in Kansas City, revisiting a city I always enjoyed. And that also gave me the opportunity to drop into Stroud’s for some chicken – and the obligatory cinnamon rolls. Too bad my more regular location (Fairview) closed so I had to drop into the Overland Park location as I was heading west anyway.

I reached my final stop of the day in Topeka, the capital of Kansas. I’ve always had a theory about smaller state capital cities having good food, due to the number of politicians and lobbyists that demand it. That theory has proven right in many places. EnVie in Lansing (Michigan), comes to mind, as does Sailor Oyster Bar in Annapolis (Maryland). There’s also Otto’s on the River in Augusta (Maine), as well as the much-missed Forequarter in Madison (Wisconsin). And you can’t forget about the superb Motor Supply Company Bistro in Columbia (South Carolina), nor Dish in Lincoln (Nebraska). Even Cypress in Tallahassee (Florida) was quite good, as was Dockside Bistro in Olympia (Washington).

So when I visited White Linen in Topeka, Kansas, I had high hopes. However, I also saw the James Beard nomination, and my readers know I have a James Beard curse on me. So let’s see which one wins out tonight.

I took a Lyft from my distant motel to the Kansas State Capitol and enjoyed a stroll in the warm evening before wandering the two blocks to White Linen. I was a little early, but there was no one at the host stand. In fact, it seemed a little chaotic for quite awhile, as other guests seem to be confused waiting there with no one greeting them.

It took about 10 minutes before someone actually stopped to greet me. They said they’re putting my table together. That’s fine, but why did it take so long to register that people are waiting? And then I walked to the bar, and the bartenders just ignored me. From the time I walked into the door to being seated, I went from happy anticipation to frustrated dread. By the time that someone got the bartender’s attention for me, my table was ready…

I looked at the menu and they were still serving June’s tasting menu (they only do tastings). I guess they wanted to run through the holiday weekend despite it being July. Oh well, that makes sense. I finally got the cocktail I was waiting for for so long. It was good, but by this stage I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I should have.

I looked over the menu, asked my astute and excellent young server for his advice, then ordered. If one thing was a bright star to this evening was my server, who did this place proud, and was an extremely fast learner. And gave me enough info for me to figure out how to deal with drinks.

I finished my cocktail and moved onto a wine when the first item arrived.

An excellent start, as the delicious peach and tomatoes really shone brightly on this dish, with the balsamic giving it just enough of a kick to make it even more interesting. I was starting to relax and enjoy this evening more, perhaps it will be redeemed by the excellent service and good food.

Soon the second dish arrived, and this didn’t impress as much as the opening dish. The citrus shrimp was okay, but it was a little gooey. A so-so dish, saved by the greens. Then a little rest before the third dish, goat cheese tart.

The enthusiasm I had regained has run out of space, sadly. A very average dish here. I usually love all the components of this dish, but this goat cheese just didn’t do it for me. For a goat cheese addict, that’s a little disappointing. The fig was probably the best part of this dish, the “prosciutto” was on the other end of the spectrum, not to mention the mess of a shell…

At this point my expectations were becoming limited, only buoyed by the enthusiasm of my server. He should get a raise, frankly. I needed some of that energy to rub off on me with my main course, soft-shell crab.

This is it? It feels like an appetiser. Again, the best part was the greens, once I got the aioli off of it. Just seems like a mismatch of components for me, with a tiny soft-shell that was more breading than crustacean. I shouldn’t have ordered it being in the middle of the country, so the bad choice was on me. But that was underwhelming.

Luckily my server was keeping me engaged so I decided to have an after-dinner drink with my dessert, a peach cannolo.

Not bad, they did well with peaches all evening. But at this point the food was tertiary to salvaging this evening. I enjoyed the drink and a coffee and had a good quick chat with the server as I was his last table. The drink was good, probably the best thing that ended up in my stomach this evening, so I had one more before I headed out, and left the server a good and well-deserved tip. He saved the night.

I strolled back to the Capitol and relaxed a little, waiting for a Lyft to take me back to my motel. Sadly, my theory about state capitals didn’t work out this time. This wasn’t disastrous like my second visits to Yono’s in Albany (New York) or Ludivine in Oklahoma City (Oklahoma), or a clearly one-and-way-done Stock’s on Second in Harrisburg (Pennsylvania), but it was on the bottom half of the list of 44 state capitals where I’ve dined (I’ve visited all 50, but never dined in Dover, Trenton, Montpelier, Salem, Concord, nor Frankfort). Oh well, it happens…

White Linen
112 Southwest 6th Avenue
Topeka, Kansas