Category Archives: Festival food

Cajun Food Fest returns to River Festival

April 11, 20134:40 p.m.

The Cajun Food Fest will return to this year’s Wichita River Festival.

The Cajun Food Fest, a popular Wichita River Festival event that was absent last year, will return this year accompanied by a big-name band.

The food fest, which traditionally has featured jambalaya, red beans and rice and more, is scheduled for June 6 on Kennedy Plaza. Nationally known band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, which has performed at halftime of the Super Bowl and on ESPN’s ESPY Award Show, will perform.

The Cajun Food Fest had been a 26-year tradition at the River Festival. But in 2012, the festival reorganized the layout, putting the main food court on Douglas, just in front of Kennedy Plaza. Goodwill Industries, which put on the Cajun Food Fest as a fundraiser, was told the event would have to move.

Goodwill officials didn’t think that would work, so they decided to stage the food fest on their own separate from the River Festival. That never worked out.

The main food court is moving back to its longtime home on Century II drive this year, said Mary Beth Jarvis, the new president and CEO of the festival. Kennedy Plaza will be a main staging area, and the Cajun Food Fest will move back to its original home.

The Cajun Food Fest was one of the events people told Jarvis they wanted back, she said.

“One of the first things I did in the initial weeks of being here was read through comments made at public meetings and post Riverfest debriefings,” she said. “This was clearly an event we wanted to find a way to make happen again.”

The Wichita River Festival is scheduled for May 31 through June 8.

Festival buttons go on sale May 10 at local AAA, Dillons and QuikTrip stores. This year, the festival plans to sell 25,000 $3 children’s buttons in addition to the usual $5 adult buttons.

For more information, visit wichitariverfest.com.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Cajun food, Festival food | Comments

Wackiest fair food yet: THE BACON NIZER

Sept. 7, 20124:06 p.m.

When I wrote my story about crazy Kansas State Fair foods this week, the craziest was missing.

When Susie Bernard submitted her menu to the fair, she didn’t include her Bacon Nizers, mainly because she was still perfecting the recipe.

Susie, who runs the Kathy-B’s BBQ and Bacon booth on Ft. Riley Blvd., has four kinds of Bacon Nizers.

One features a banana stuffed with fruit, cheese and other secret ingredients that’s completely wrapped in bacon and flash fried. Customers also can get Mexican, Philly steak or cheeseburger Bacon Nizers. These are made of tortillas stuffed with the appropriate ingredients, wrapped in bacon and flash fried. All come with a selection of sauces, ranging from cheese to chocolate to salsa.

Bernard said she wanted to up the ante on food wildness this year. “When you bite into the Bacon Nizer, you get all the ingredients plus the taste of bacon,” she said.

The booth is named in honor of Bernard’s sister, Kathy, also her longtime business partner, who is fighting cancer in Wichita.

Bacon Nizers are $6. The booth is bright green and three doors north of the KWCH booth.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Festival food | Comments

From the restaurant that brought you the Chocolate Wonderfall!!!

June 28, 201211:52 a.m.

 

I can’t decide if this is wacko or wonderfall wonderful. Golden Corral has added cotton candy to its buffet, and it will stay there all summer.

Anyone brave enough to admit you’ve tried it?

Wichita’s Golden Corrals are at 616 S. Ridge Road Circle and 11006 E. Kellogg.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Festival food, Novelty foods | Comments

Last chance: Riverfest foodcourt fare

June 8, 20123:15 p.m.

The two-pound Mega Monster Burger at Monster Grill. Photo by Andrew Gough.

After Saturday, that’s it. No more River Festival fare until NEXT JUNE!

This week, members of the Wichita Eagle Dining Panel and Intern Matt have been reviewing some of the delicacies offered at the main food court, set up in the middle of Douglas between Waco and Water.

So far, we’ve reviewed the two-pound Mega Monster Burger, Pork Tuscany on Pita, and a lamb gyro.

Below, you will find more reviews that might help you decide where to dine on the festival’s final days.

For the record, my two favorite items at the food court are the fried pickles from Hoopingarner’s Philly Steak and the Original Corn Roast corn, slathered in butter and sprinkled with salt.

A few more reviews:

Read More »

By Denise Neil | Filed under Festival food, Wichita Eagle Dining Panel | Comments

A guide to River Festival food

June 1, 20123:35 p.m.

There are so many things I love about this picture, I just don't know where to start.

In case you’ve misplaced your Wichita River Festival guide, I’ve got all the info you need about the food right here.

As you may have heard, the main food court has moved to a new location — on Douglas, right in front of Century II.

There’s one new vendor (Monster Grill, home of the 2 lb. burger) and one tragically missing vendor (the fabulous Tad’s Bodacious Burritos, which opted not to return. Big boo.) Here’s a full list of vendors and what they’re serving.

The festival is offering lunch specials, food at the WaterWalk Pavilion, adult beverages and more. Following is a list of the daily lunch specials that I promised I’d post on my blog.

If anyone eats anything interesting, please let me know here.

WEEKDAY LUNCH SPECIALS

Monday
Tad’s Chicken on a Stick: Shrimp on a stick, $5
Chan’s Concessions: Shrimp fried rice and one egg roll, $7
Hoopingarner’s Funnel Cakes: $1 off funnel cakes
Pronto Pup: Cheese on a stick, $4

Tuesday
Chan’s Concessions: Shrimp fried rice and one egg roll, $7
Hoopingarner’s Funnel Cake: $1 off funnel cake
Original Corn Roast: Two roasted corns, $7
Pronto Pup: Cheese on a stick, $4

Wednesday
Pizza Hut: $1 off pizzas
Texas Red’s: $1 off prime rib sandwich
Dippin’ Dots: $1 off root beer and orange floats
Pronto Pup: Cheese on a stick, $4

Thursday
Monster Grill: Two kababs (beef or chicken), $14
Mario’s: $1 off any menu item
Made 2 Grill: Free twister fries with meat purchase
Pronto Pup: Cheese on a stick, $4
Texas Red’s: $1 off turkey leg

By Denise Neil | Filed under Festival food | Comments

Cajun Food Fest, Wichita River Festival parting ways

May 24, 20123:47 p.m.

The Cajun Food Fest that’s been a part of the Wichita River Festival for 26 years will probably happen this year — but it won’t be during the River Festival, which opens in a little more than a week.

Goodwill Industries, the group that always has put on the fundraising event, is planning to stage it on its own, sometime before the end of the year.

The group decided to leave the River Festival after learning that it would no longer be able to stage the event at its traditional spot on Kennedy Plaza. The River Festival is moving the main food court to an area on Douglas, just in front of Kennedy Plaza, and felt the two sets of food vendors would compete with each other too much, said Riverfest President Janet Wright. The festival offered Goodwill Industries the chance to move the Cajun Food Fest to the Waterwalk Pavilion area.

“We didn’t think it would work there,” said Goodwill’s Gayle Goetz. The Waterwalk Pavilion area is targeted at an after-work crowd, Goetz said, and the Cajun Food Fest is targeted at families.

Attendance at the Cajun Food Fest has fallen over the past several years, she said. Last year was fairly disastrous for the event. Just as it was about to begin, tornado sirens sounded in downtown Wichita, sending Cajun Food Fest-goers scrambling for cover. Goodwill donated much of the food to The Lord’s Diner the next day.

Goetz said that the group is about two weeks away from announcing a different date for the Cajun Food Fest, which always features red beans and sausage as well as other Cajun favorites. She couldn’t say yet whether it’d be staged on Kennedy Plaza or elsewhere.

Cajun food lovers still can find a fix at the festival this year, though. The Waterwalk Pavilion will feature a concert by The Mudbugs Cajun & Zydeco Band and catered food by Da Cajun Shak, including fried catfish, hushpuppies, gator bites, red beans and rice and bread pudding. That event will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 7.

The Wichita River Festival is scheduled for June 1-9.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under Cajun food, Festival food | Comments

Kansas State Fair food in pictures

Sept. 12, 20112:55 p.m.

A fabulous invention: A BBQ parfait from Smoke Stack BBQ.

I went to the Kansas State Fair, as promised, and sampled nine crazy foods that I’ll be featuring in the newspaper every day of the event. Three already have appeared.

But the reviews are running on a black and white page, and the use of my fabulous photos (much better in color, as you can see) has been hit-and-miss.

Allow me to take you on a photographic tour of some of the state fair goodness I sampled. One bit of bad news: I likely won’t be able to report on the Deep Fried Kool-Aid. I visited the Carousel Cafe on two separate days, and both times the treat was “unavailable.” (I was kind of relieved considering I’m still recovering from the corndog cupcake.)

Here we go…

The corndog cupcake, whose review ran today. As I told a horrified co-worker, "It wasn't that bad. On the other hand, it wasn't that good." I admit I gagged a little when I located a hunk-o-hotdog baked inside.

The best thing I sampled at the fair: Red velvet funnel cake with cream cheese icing. Try it. You won't be sorry.

Moink (pronounced moo-oink) balls. They're little meatballs wrapped in bacon in a delicious Salisbury steak-ish sauce. Available at Smoke Stack BBQ, 300 Ft. Larned Blvd.

Deep fried cookie dough from a booth of the same name on Ft. Riley Blvd. Three balls are $5 and are best enjoyed if you split the ball in half and dig out the dough.

Here's me with a "Chipstix." Look for details in the paper later this week.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Festival food | Comments

Question of the week: Fair/festival ‘stunt foods’

Sept. 7, 20112:22 p.m.

I’ve just written my report about all the crazy new foods being offered at this year’s Kansas State Fair, which includes but is not limited to deep-fried Kool-Aid, Krispy Kreme cheeseburgers a la mode, and corndog flavored cupcakes with mustard-infused icing.

I eat these crazy creations every year at the Wichita River Festival and at the Kansas State Fair because it’s my job. I’m not sure I’d ever spend money on them otherwise, though usually, they taste pretty good.

The question of the week: Do you actually eat the bizarre food offerings at fairs and festivals? Or do you prefer just talking about/rolling your eyes at them?

Answer in the comments section below.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Festival food, Question of the week | Comments

Pulled pork sliders tonight, carnitas tacos tomorrow

June 10, 20114:17 p.m.

Shrimp po' boy with muffaletta pasta salad.

Attention: This will be my last 2011 post about Wichita River Festival food. (I hope. )

Last night, before terrifying tornado sirens sent me screaming into the wall-clouded night, I finally got over to the new WaterWalk Pavilion, where the festival is serving food from local restaurants from under a giant tent filled with lots of tables.

Festivalgoers also can hear music from local bands (my friend Jaime’s band The Mudbugs were playing last night until terrifying tornado sirens sent them screaming into the wall-clouded night), and they also can buy adult beverages, including beer, wine and mixed drinks.

I was happy with the shrimp po’boy I had. The Hyatt’s head chef Paul Freimuth was under the tent, frying up the shrimp and squirting on the zesty Cajun sauce himself. The whole plate of food you see above cost me $8, and it was filling. I thought that was a good deal considering that my favorite burrito over at the main food court also costs $8.

You have two more nights to check out the WaterWalk Pavilion. I can personally vouch for the quality of both restaurants and for the quality of all the bands. My friend, Adam, plans in Mumblin’ Jones, and Mudbugs lead singer Carter Green pulls double duty in very fun cover band Smugglin’ Yo Yo’s.

See you there?

TONIGHT

Mumblin’ Jones, 6 to 9:30
Food from Toni D’s, served 6 to 8 p.m.
Beef and pulled pork sliders, $10
Vegetarian sliders, $10
Both served with potato chips, choice of potato salad or
Italian pasta salad & homemade cookie

SATURDAY

Smugglin’ Yo-Yo’s. 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Ten Day Wish, 7 to 9:45 p.m.
Food from Abuelo’s, served 6 to 8 p.m.
Bacon wrapped shrimp with chile con queso $9
Carnitas tacos  $6
Steak fajita taco  $6
Chicken fajita taco $5
Chile con Queso, chips and salsa $5
Fresh guacamole, chips and salsa $6
Chips and salsa $3

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under Festival food | Comments