Category Archives: Just opened

Yet another food truck — this one with ‘cue

May 17, 20134:14 p.m.

The food truck news. It never stops.

Now there’s news of a new barbecue food truck — Big Daddy’s Smoked Shack, owned by barbecue expert John Nielsen.

Back in 2009, Nielsen had a restaurant called  Big Daddy and Lil’ Mama’s Smoke Shack, which operated at 828 W. 11th in Riverside, the spot that now houses Squeezer’s Palace. That restaurant closed, but Nielsen has been dreaming about the food truck ever since.

Get your curly pig tail end over there.

Nielsen has converted a 24-foot RV into a mobile food truck, and he sets up from 4 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at a spot at 4800 W. Central. Soon, he’ll expand his Saturday hours to 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Next Friday, May 24, he’ll also be open for lunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1947 Founder’s Circle, near Via Christi on 21st Street just off K-96. He hopes to add more truck time as the business grows, and he’ll be updating followers as to his whereabouts on his Facebook page.

Big Daddy’s, which also caters, serves brisket, ribs, pulled pork, chicken, turkey and things such as smoked stuffed jalapenos and smoked mushrooms.

For more informaion, call 316-871-1438.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Barbecue, Food trucks, Just opened | Comments

Hopperoni Express has hit the road

May 17, 201310:15 a.m.

The new Hopperoni Express food trailer has a wood-fired oven inside to bake pizzas on the spot.

Wichita Brewing Company & Pizzeria’s food trailer – the Hopperoni Express — went out for some test runs earlier this week and will return to the streets on Saturday.

The trailer is fitted with a full-sized wood-fired pizza oven and will park at various places, seven days a week, serving 1o-inch pizzas.  For the first few weeks, the truck’s manager — former kitchen manager Stephen Zinda — plans to take the trailer out once a day, either at lunch or dinner time. The location will be posted on the Hopperoni Express Facebook page. Eventually, he plans to have it out for both lunch and dinner daily.

For now, the trailer is offering two of Wichita Brewing Co. & Pizzeria’s best-known speciality pizzas: the Around the Horn, which is a supreme pizza, and the Gregorian Feast, topped with Italian sausage, roasted garlic, mushrooms, caramelized onions, mozzarella and red sauce. Patrons also can order single topping pizzas with items such as sausage, cheese, pepperoni or the restaurant’s signature hopperoni : pepeproni infused with hops.

The pizzas are $6 for a single topping or $8 for a specialty.

On Monday, the truck will be parked from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Brittany Center at 21st and Woodlawn. The following days’ schedules will be on the Facebook page soon.

Wichita Brewing Co. & Pizzeria is at 8815 W 13th St. For more information about both businesses, call 316-440-2885.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Food trucks, Just opened, Pizza | Comments

Molino’s Mexican Cuisine opens today

May 10, 20132:16 p.m.

Today is the day fans of the former Frida’s have been waiting for.

Mario Quiroz, who closed his Mexican restaurant Frida’s at 1580 W 21st St. in 2010, today is opening his new restaurant, called Molino’s Mexican Cuisine.

The restaurant is in the former Las Tias de Beto spot at 1064 N. Waco, right next to Juarez Bakery and has everything Frida’s used to have and then some. Included on that list are piratas, giant taco-thingies that you must try to believe.

The menu also features several new dishes, including a whole lot of enchiladas, tacos, authentic Mexican dishes and even cauliflower ceviche (you read that right), which I sampled on Thursday. It was awesome.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Stay out of my way on Monday, when I plan to be first in line for piratas at lunchtime.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Just opened, Mexican food | Comments

A big batch of new Asian eateries

April 23, 20132:53 p.m.

I leave town for a month, and suddenly, my Asian dining options multiply.

I’m good with that.

Three new Asian restaurants recently have opened in different spots around Wichita, and I’m eager to try each one. Here’s a look at them:

1. Pho Mc, 1675 S. Rock Road, 316-440-5859: The new Vietnamese restaurant opened a couple of weeks ago. It serves pho, Vietnamese sandwiches known as banh mi, Chinese dishes and more. It’s owned by Minh Tran and his wife, Kim Chi, and is open daily for lunch and dinner

2. Koi Fusion, 6605 E. 37th St. N., 316-260-8218: This new restaurant, which specializes in Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese food, opened on April 15. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The menu includes dishes such as pho, teriyaki bowls, hibachi grill meals and curry dishes.

3. Ninza Sushi Bar, 8428 W.13th St., 316-558-5111: The sushi restaurant opened in March and features lots of creative sushi rolls, including the popular honey stone — a piled high roll made with deep fried crab, avocado, shrimp tempura and cream cheese and topped with a sweet honey sauce. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from noon to 9 p.m. Sundays.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under Asian food, Just opened | Comments

MMM Sandwiches has its own spot

March 19, 201311:01 a.m.

Michael Awesome-Noyes

When a food truck grows up, it parks. Apparently.

Earlier this week, MMM Sandwiches owner Michael Awesome-Noyes opened a stationary cafe in the Thorn Building at 8300 Thorn Drive, near 37th and Rock. It’s called MMM Sandwiches Hole in the Wall Cafe, and the menu features a long list of sandwiches plus salads and some breakfast items. Recently, the Cake Face food truck owners announced that they’re also planning a stationary spot, and another local truck has hinted to me that it’s looking for a spot, too.

Awesome-Noyes, who no longer is a one-man act now that he’s brought on employee Dustin Cenneno, says he’s not planning to give up the truck entirely. He’ll likely hit the road more often for special events rather than just for weekday food service, he said. He’ll take the truck to the 1/2 Grass Festival at the Shamrock next weekend and also is in talks to partner with a downtown bar, where he’d park on Fridays.

The hours for the tiny new cafe, which is open to the public, are 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information, call 316-806-4301.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under Food trucks, Just opened | Comments

New Greek restaurant opens today

Feb. 28, 201310:03 a.m.

Wichitans often ask me why our town doesn’t have a Greek restaurant. But they won’t be asking me any more.

Kosta The Greek is a new Greek restaurant opening today in the spot at 2308 S. Meridian formerly occupied by Habanero. It’s owned by Kosta Kiosses, a transplant from Greece. Kiosses and his wife, Maria, have been selling spinach pies and other Greek treats at the Old Town Farmer’s Market for the past couple of summers, and they’ve earned quite a following.

“People kept telling him, ‘If you’d open a brick and mortar place, we’d visit you,’” said his friend Eva Kardaras, who is in town from Chicago for three weeks helping her friends open the restaurant.

Kosta Kiosses

The menu features fast Greek food made with fresh ingredients. It includes dishes such as gyro sandwiches, Greek salad, souvlaki with homemade tzatziki sauce, spanakopita (spinach and feta wrapped in fillo), baklava and more. There are also several burgers on the menu, including a feta burger topped with tzatziki sauce and feta cheese on a pretzel bun. The restaurant also will offer daily specials such as Greek lasagna.

Greek food is similar to Lebanese food that is served all around Wichita, Kardaras said, but the recipes and flavors are different.

The dining room is warm and inviting with lots of booths and little chalkboards on the walls that translate English words into Greek.

Wichita hasn’t had a Greek place in years. The last one I recall was Lakis Restaurant at 3219 S. Oliver. It closed in the late 1990s.

The hours for Kosta the Greek will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. For more information, call 316-260-3230.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Greek food, Just opened | Comments

Now open: Teppanyaki Grill & Sushi Buffet

Feb. 12, 201310:12 a.m.

Friday was the opening day for the giant new Teppanyaki Grill & Sushi Buffet, which is now operating inside a 12,000-square-foot space at 6710 W. Kellogg, right next door to Best Buy.

The restaurant, owned by  a company that runs super buffet restaurants in nearby states, can hold about 400 diners. It specializes in Asian and American cuisine, with lots of sushi and Japanese style teppanyaki dishes.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays an 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The lunch buffet price, which is $6.95, is offered until 3:30 Mondays through Saturdays. The dinner price, which is $9.45, is available from 3:30 to close Monday through Saturday and all day on Sunday.

For more information, call 316-942-7777.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Asian food, Buffets, Just opened | Comments

Now open: Josephine’s Pantry

Jan. 29, 20132:54 p.m.

Josephine’s Pantry, a new restaurant that’s an ode to the owner’s late grandmother, opened a little more than a week ago at 818 N. Mosley.

Melvin Watson, who also owns My Dad’s BBQ at 1332 N. Cleveland, is serving breakfast and lunch from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sauturdays and Sundays. (New weekend breakfast spot alert! New weekend breakfast spot alert!)

He’s serving items such as cinnamon rolls and pancakes at breakfast, and catfish, burgers and salads at lunch. An attached bakery, complete with its own pastry chef, sells cookies, cakes and more.

For more information, call 316-371-6111.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Bakery, Breakfast, Just opened | Comments

Now open: Tepa Cafe

Jan. 17, 201310:13 a.m.

A “Tepa special”

I like a restaurant that’s not afraid to mix it up.

Vince and Margaret Solis opened Tepa Cafe at 3835 S. Seneca about a week and a half ago. It specializes in Mexican fare such as enchiladas, burritos and tacos, but they also offer some good old fashioned American cuisine. And by old fashioned, I mean old fashioned. One of their best dishes, they say, is a plate of liver and onions. They also serve very big burgers, chicken fried steak and fried catfish. You can see the menu here. 

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. For more information, call 316-522-5833.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Just opened, Mexican food | Comments

Opening today: Big B’s Beef

Jan. 7, 201310:49 a.m.

Today’s the opening day for Big B’s Beef, a new restaurant operating out of a little brick building at 4628 S. Seneca.

Brian and Liz Bathgate are the owners of the restaurant, which specializes in Chicago-style sandwiches, hot dogs, fries, soups and Italian beef and sausage. You can see the full menu here.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant has a drive-through window and will deliver to local businesses. For more information, call 316-522-2333.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Hot dogs, Just opened, Sandwiches | Comments