Category Archives: Food festivals

Mediterranean festival to become more festival-ish

May 7, 201310:37 a.m.

Kafta will be added to the menu at Saturday’s Mediterranean Festival at St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church.

The annual Mediterranean Festival at St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church — a celebration of Mediterranean food — will be a little different than it’s been in the past.

For one, the festival — which is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday  at the church, 344 S. Martinson – will be put on for just one day rather than two. The Orthodox Easter, which was last weekend, conflicted with the preparation schedule, necessitating the change this year.

Also, organizers this year are trying to make the festival a little bit more festival-ish. In the past, attendees ordered food, ate food and left. This year, the event will feature an outdoor tent, where people can dine al fresco, listen to Arabic music and watch Arabic dancing. They also can watch and sniff as church members grill kafta and chicken kebabs. (Kafta - lean ground beef, mixed with onion and spices, then grilled and served in a pita with a garlicky minty sauce – has been added to the menu this year. Stuffed grape leaves have been taken off.)

“When people hear the words, ‘Mediterranean Festival,’ they expect dancing and music and fun, not just walking through a buffet line and getting food,” said Alison Pike, one of the orgnaizers. “We are trying to make it feel more like a true festival.”

Attendees can order items such as kibbe, baklawa and meat pies a la carte in advance by calling ll 316-264-1576. They also can show up and dine in, either indoors or outdoors, or carry out. The festival also features a “market,” which will be expanded this year, that sells items such as pita bread, salad dressing and more.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Food festivals, Lebanese food, Mediterranean food, Uncategorized | Comments

Arena’s Ribfest set to return in May

Feb. 7, 201310:09 a.m.

Intrust Bank Arena has scheduled its second annual Ribfest, a big outdoor gathering of professional slab-ists from across the country, for May 16-18 in the same spot it was last year — City Lot D at 777 E. Waterman.

The event will feature six national rib vendors from Texas, Illinois, Virginia and Arkansas — the same ones that were in attendance last year.

Attendees pay $4 to get in the event (it’s free for children 12 and under) then buy their slabs and sides from the vendors. Live music and activities will be staged throughout the area.

The festival will go on from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. May 16-18. Lunch will be half-price on Thursday, May 16, and on that day, attendees can get in free if they have a Wichita River Festival button.

A few additions this year: Arena officials are hoping to have a biker night on Thursday and put on a classic car show on Saturday. They’re also devising a way to get local barbecue vendors involved but are still working on those plans.

About 10,000 people attended the event last year, said Christine Pileckas, marketing manager for the arena. But organizers are hoping for more this year, mainly because they’re hoping that unlike last year, Saturday night won’t be canceled because of high winds and lightning. But it is May in Kansas, so…

To read up on the Ribfest, visit the arena’s website.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Barbecue, Food festivals | Comments

Baklawa, a butter bath and a beautiful bonnet

Oct. 2, 20124:26 p.m.

I love my hairnet. I love my gloves. I love my apron. I love baklawa.

This morning, I was invited to St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral to participate in a decadent ritual — the preparation of 13,650 pieces of baklawa that will be served at next weekend’s 79th annual Lebanese dinner.

The dinner is a fundraiser for the church at 7515 E. 13th St., and the members — employing skills passed down by generations before them — spend weeks in the church kitchen preparing the fabulous food. Each year, it feeds more than 5,500 people and raises around $90,000.

Today was one of many baklawa assembly days, and hair-netted church members were everywhere, distributing nuts and dough, administering butter baths, rolling, cutting, baking and syruping. I learned A LOT about the process and assembled a few rolls myself.

Next week, I’ll be giving away two tickets to the dinner, which is delicious, so be sure to watch for that contest on The Blog. The dinner is from 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 13 and from noon to 7 p.m Oct. 14. Tickets are $16 for adults, $8 for children and are available on-site.

For more information, call 316-636-4676.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Food festivals, Fundraisers | Comments

Wichita Ribfest details coming together

April 20, 20122:28 p.m.

The pieces of the Wichita Ribfest at Intrust Bank Arena have been slowly coming together over the past several weeks. And today, the arena announced its Friday, May 18 musical lineup, which includes headliners Gloriana, a country act that opened for Taylor Swift when she performed at the arena in 2010. Local bands The Watchers and Nobody’s Business also will perform that night.

The Wichita Ribfest is an outdoor barbecue festival featuring music and national rib vendors that originally scheduled for last August, but the arena canceled it citing “unforeseen conflicts.”  The annual BlackTop Nationa event was scheduled in the same area the same weekend. Arena officials announced in February that they were rescheduling the event for May 17-19 in Lot D, a city-managed parking lot east of the arena at 777 E. Waterman.

Gloriana will entertain Ribfest crowds on Friday, May 18.

The arena previously announced the Saturday, May 19, musical lineup: Former American Idol contestant Casey James, Mexican musician and singer Kareem Lopez and local groups Conjunto Anonimo, Poultry ‘N Motion and Pretty Ugly.

The lineup of six rib vendors also has been announced: Cowboy’s Barbecue & Rib Co. and Texas Thunder, both from Texas; Chicago BBQ Company; Uncle Bub’s BBQ from Westmont, Ill.; Johnson’s BBQ out of Virginia; and Porky Chicks BBQ out of Arkansas.

Wichita Ribest also will feature a beer garden and kids’ activities. It’s scheduled for 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday, May 17, through Saturday, May 19. Admission is $4, free for children 12 and under. Half-price admission wlil be offeree from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Those with a Wichita River Festival button will be admitted free.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Barbecue, Food festivals, Uncategorized | Comments

Arena reviving Wichita Ribfest idea

Feb. 9, 20124:05 p.m.

People line up for their free lunch earlier today inside Intrust Bank Arena.

Intrust Bank Arena is reviving its idea for the Wichita Ribfest, an outdoor barbecue festival originally scheduled for last August.

The event, which will feature six national rib vendors, live music, a beer garden and kids’ activities, now is scheduled for May 17-19 in Lot D, a city-managed parking east of the arena at 777 E. Waterman.

I attended the press conference where the event was announced earlier today, and not just because the arena was passing out free ribs, potato salad and homemade chips. Although I certainly enjoyed that aspect of the event. A line of people that included nearby office workers were waiting to get in when the doors opened at 11:30 a.m. By the end of the event, about 300 people had taken advantage of the free lunch, I was told.

By the way, the arena also is asking people to vote on an official logo for the event. I like the bony pig with the flaming back, personally. You can cast your vote on the arena’s website between now and 10 a.m. Feb. 24

All the details about the Ribfest are in the story I wrote earlier today. Here are a few more photos from the event, shot by Eagle photog Jaime Green. Read More »

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Barbecue, Food festivals, Uncategorized | Comments

Deli Day: a celebration of corned beef, latkes and matzo ball soup

Nov. 1, 20111:49 p.m.

Note to photo staff: It's time to shoot Deli Day again. This picture is from 2002, but the strudel looks just as delicious nine years later.

Yes, I know. Your stomach is still trying to recover from St. George’s Lebanese dinner followed so closely by the Asian Festival.

But the food just keeps coming!

This Sunday is Deli Day, an annual dinner put on at Congregation Emanu-El at 7011 E. Central. For $14 at the door, visitors can feast on meal full of New York City-style deli deliciousness. On the menu: matzo ball soup, choice of corned beef sandwich plate or brisket platter served with potato salad, latkes, challah and Israeli tomato and cucumber salad. For dessert, diners can choose between homemade strudel or a warm brownie. The event also includes an operation called Manny’s Deli, which offers take-out dishes.

It’s from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 316-684-5148.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Food festivals, Fundraisers | Comments

Midwest Beerfest: The most fun I’ve had before 4 p.m.

Oct. 17, 201110:50 a.m.

Beerfest was absolutely packed. This photo is courtesy of my co-judge, Sierra Scott.

Saturday’s Midwest Beerfest was… well, it was kind of amazing.

It was packed — so packed with loopy beer lovers that at points, it was sort of hard to move around.The afternoon had a crazy party vibe. Any time someone would drop and shatter a tasting mug (which was more frequently as the afternoon progressed), the whole crowd would stop, raise their mugs and cheer. At one point, Ronnie “The Danceman” Choy played Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” and at the appropriate moment, all the attendees stopped and sang along: “SO GOOD! SO GOOD! SO GOOD!”

Our array of wings. Bubba's was No. 3 -- the one with the lime.

I was there in an official capacity — as one of four official judges for the chicken wing contest that organizers added last year. This year, they had us judge blind so we couldn’t be swayed by which restaurant cooked which wing. But apparently we like what we like. My co-judges (Sierra Scott, her main man Harrison Schenk, and Good Life Guy Bower, chose the same winners this year that we chose last year.)

Our overall favorite was again the cinnamon-infused, meaty wing cooked by Bubba of Bubba’s Nekked BBQ. The most creative award went to chef Ben George of Tallgrass Country Club, who cooked a nice Thai wing coated with sesame seeds and cilantro. (He also submitted a wing so horrifically spicy that several judges and crowd members were seen writhing in pain. When I gave him a good talking to later, George laughed and said, “They weren’t that hot last night.”

Sierra and I, moments before Ben George's spicy wing set our mouths on fire.

The judges: Sierra, Guy Bower and me.

Two-time defending chicken champ Bubba Leffew, owner of Bubba's Nekked BBQ. Look behind Bubba and you can see his grandson, Bubba's little sleepy sous chef.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under Beer, Chefs, Chicken wings, Food festivals | Comments

Winner, winner, Lebanese dinner

Oct. 7, 20113:56 p.m.

St. George's, home of this weekend's big Lebanese dinner.

Thanks to the 33 people who competed to win the tickets to this weekend’s St. George’s 78th Annual Lebanese Dinner and Food Sale. I drew a winner at random (using this cool find-a-winner-at-random website), and it was Victoria Nguyen, who was very excited and said she’s always wanted to attend the dinner.

I thought I’d use this opportunity to share with you a couple of the other pretty pictures I took when out interviewing the St. George folks earlier this week.

Volunteer Freeda David prepared a whole bunch of butter for clarifying. Being around all that butter made me a little dizzy with excitement.

I wish I could adequately describe how good this pool of clarifying butter smelled. Has anyone thought of filling a hot tub with this stuff?

Here’s a closeup of the delicious stuffed cabbage leaves that are included in the dinner. They’re filled with a magnificent mixture of meat and rice.

Very few foods make me happier than kibbe. I even like to say the name. Kibbe. Kibbe. Kibbe.

Would you just look at all those sweet baklawa layers?

You have my permission to download this and use it as your wallpaper.

Confession: Given the opportunity, I could eat all this baklawa by myself.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Food festivals, Lebanese food, Mediterranean food | Comments

Get outside and eat this weekend

Sept. 6, 20113:04 p.m.

The weather forecast for this year's Zoobilee: GORGEOUS.

As I sit at my desk type, type, typing I find myself wish, wish, wishing that that the Eagle had a retractable roof. The weather is so perfect outside — which is so rare in this crazy state — that it seems wrong not to be soaking it in.

But since our roof seems pretty stationary, I have to do the next best thing, which is daydream about the outdoor food events scheduled for this weekend. And there are several.

I’m planning to be at Zoobilee, an annual fundraiser for the Sedgwick County Zoo. It’s the only day of the year the zoo closes to the public so that local restaurateurs, adult beverage purveyors and bands can set up for an evening of grownup fun on the zoo grounds. (My friend Jaime’s band, the Mudbugs Cajun & Zydeco Band, will be one of the many groups providing the Zoobilee soundtrack.) Tickets are $125 and include samples from a long list of Wichita restaurants, adult beverages and live music. Some of the animals even are brave enough to stay out and witness the goings on. The event starts at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Earlier in the day on Saturday, local health food shop Food for Thought will  put on its Fall Fling Outdoor Market
featuring Kansas artisans, crafters and food from vendors such as Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch, Cheney Tomatoes, Five Star Sauce, Jason Wiebe Cheese, Little Red Hen Bakery and more. It’s from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Food For Thought, 2929 E. Central. Admission is free, but bring spending money.

Then, on Sunday, Old Cowtown Museum will be hosting its Third Annual Wine Mosey. It’ll be from 5 to 8 p.m. at Old Cowtown, 1865 W. Museum Blvd., and will feature a barbecue dinner, a wine tasting, stagecoach rides, gun fights and more. Admission is $35 a person, and tickets are available at www.wichitatix.com.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Food festivals, Fundraisers | Comments

River City Ribfest: Sounds fun to me

May 2, 201111:39 a.m.

I just got word from Intrust Bank Arena about a rib-tastic sounding new event they have planned for August.

The River City Ribfest will be staged Aug. 25-27 outside of the arena on Cessna Plaza and in the south parking lots.

It’ll have barbecue, music and rib aficionados competing for cookoff titles such as “Best in Show” and “People’s Choice.” Six national rib vendors will be there, and both local and regional bands will perform. It also will have a beer garden, a kid’s play area and a VIP section.

The Ribfest will be sponsored by House of Schwan and Wichita Downtown Development Corporation. Tickets are $4, free for children 12 and under. You can read more information about the event here.

I love ribs, and I love festivals centered around food. I don’t love August, however, but maybe it’ll be one of those unseasonably cool, almost-September weekends. Plus, it’ll be a nice appetizer to the Wagonmasters Downtown Chili Cookoff, which takes place on the other side of the arena a month later.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Barbecue, Dining events, Food festivals | Comments