Category Archives: New restaurant

Hot hot dog news

Oct. 29, 20102:22 p.m.

relish

I’ve two bits of hot dog news to report this afternoon.

The first: A new mobile hot dog stand started operating a couple of weeks ago on the mean streets of Wichita. The business is called Relish It! and is owned by Chris May. It serves Chicago dogs, New York dogs, chili dogs, smoked bratwurst and more. May will be stationed from 10:30 am. to 2:30 p.m. today and Saturday at the corner of Douglas and Walnut in Delano. He’ll likely  move the cart around, and fans can find him by checking his website, which will always update his location.

Hot dog news Part II: The Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County is putting on a hot dog eating contest from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 2o at Louie’s Bar & Grill, 9747 E. 21st St. Organizers are asking adult participants to raise $50 and children ages 10 to 17 to raise $25. Preregistration is encouraged at 316-337-6598, but participants also can register at the door.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Fundraisers, Hot dogs, New restaurant | Comments

Eat and drink at Il Ponte

Oct. 26, 201010:45 a.m.

FOOD HEALTHWATCH TBThe east side Le Monde Cafe at 3101 N. Rock Road didn’t last very long, but it already has a similar replacement.

Il Ponte opened in the space on Friday, and yesterday, the manager sent me the menu to peruse. It’s full of Le Monde-esque fare, including gyros, fattouch salad, pastas, sandwiches, hummus and kebabs.  There’s also a Sunday buffet.

The restaurant also will offer specials for fans of adult beverages, including half-price bottles of wine on Mondays and Wednesday, $3 margaritas, strawberry daiquiris and pina coladas on Tuesdays, and $4 specialty drinks on Thursdays.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. Call 316-425-5269 for more information.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Mediterranean food, New restaurant | Comments

Wichita Pizza Co.

Oct. 25, 20103:56 p.m.

wichitapizzalogo

Jeff and Lisa Hutton have owned the Dairy Queen at Harry and Webb for years and have watched pizza places go in and out of a space in a stripmall at the corner — Papa Murphy’s, Knolla’s, and most recently, Geno & John’s.

When the space came empty again, the couple decided to try their own pizza restaurant, which they’re calling Wichita Pizza Co. It opened two weeks ago at 1520 S. Webb Road and specializes in a thin-crust pizza similar to the style Jeff fell in love with at places such as Happy Joe’s, a northern pizza chain, and Tim’s in Kansas City.

The restaurant has several specialty pizzas, including a taco, a Canadian bacon and sauerkraut and a Mediterranean, and it’s becoming know for its not-at-all-skimpy topping load. It also serves salads, calzones and hoagies.

The dining room has plenty of seating and lots of televisions airing sports.

It’s open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Call 316-425-1900 for more information.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under New restaurant, Pizza | Comments

When will pigs fly? Today!

Oct. 21, 201010:29 a.m.

header-logo-when-pigs-fly-01aToday’s opening day for When Pigs Fly, a new barbecue restaurant at 7011 W. Central that’s owned by my Wichita Eagle colleague Ronnie Choy, his son, Brian, and their wives, Collette and Kendra.

Ronnie, an all-around nice guy, ad salesman and talented disc jockey, also knows his food. More important, so does his son, Brian, a Pig-In Pig-Out veteran who’ll be manning the kitchen and the smoker.

Opening day hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. After that, hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

When Pigs Fly will have good ribs, I have no doubt, and I’m also looking forward to the restaurant’s barbecue-filled baked potatoes, a combo I learned to love when I lived in Tennessee.

To get more info on When Pigs Fly, call 316-295-2150 or visit the slick website.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Barbecue, New restaurant | Comments

Another Genghis Grill

July 28, 201011:17 a.m.

genghisThe west side’s new Genghis Grill is open as of today.

Terry Newman, who opened an east-side Genghis Grill at 111 S. Rock Road in January of 2009, now has an identical counterpart in the former Krispy Kreme building at 8448 W. Central.

The restaurant is a Mongolian grill, which means that customers assemble a stir-fry dish from a bar of raw ingredients then watch as grill chefs cook their concoctions on a giant, circular grill. Wichita’s been on a bit of a Mongolian grill roll in the past few years and now has five — the two Genghis Grills, Gobi Grille at 2319 N. Ridge Road and HuHot Mongolian Grill at 2035 N. Rock Road.

Hours at the new Genghis are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Call the restaurant at 316-729-4745 for more information.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under Mongolian Grills, New restaurant | Comments

Orange Leaf: Self-service fun

July 26, 201010:43 a.m.
A trio of Orange Leaf creations

A trio of Orange Leaf creations

This weekend I stopped into Orange Leaf, the new self-service frozen yogurt shop at 21st and Tyler, just to casually check it out.

Okay, who am I kidding? I’ve been panting over this place since the very first second I heard they’d have peanut butter flavored frozen yogurt.

It did not disappoint. I made a creation that included so many variations on the two-great-tastes-that-taste-great-together theme that my head nearly explodorageleafinteriored.

The place is fun to visit because customers walk in, pick up an oversized bowl, and then go to town filling the bowl from self-serve yogurt dispensers that offer 16 different flavors, from peanut butter to peach, cherry to cheesecake. The dispensers are low enough that kids can make their own, and the ones I saw were loving that feature.

Next, customers top their yogurt from a self-service bar that features all sorts of fruit, candy, cereal and other sweet treats. They place the finished product on a scale and then pay 39 cents an ounce. We got three pretty big servings for about $9, which doesn’t seem outrageous considering that a small gelato costs nearly $5 these days.

orangeleafmural

The seating area is mod and bright, with short white tables and space-ship looking chairs and orange couches. There’s also a very bright and interesting mural on the wall that depicts scenes from Wichita.

A second Orange Leaf is scheduled to open next month at 37th and Rock.

Orange you glad I told you?

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Frozen treats, New restaurant, Uncategorized | Comments

Just opened: La Bamba Cafe

July 22, 20102:58 p.m.
A reader-submitted photo of...

A reader-submitted photo of fajitas and horchata from La Bamba Cafe in the Petroleum Building.

The things you learn during a live restaurant chat…

Today I learned, thanks to some attentive and adventuresome readers, that there’s a new Mexican place open in the lobby of the Petroleum Building at 221 S. Broadway.

It’s called La Bamba Cafe, and it’s open every day, serving breakfast, American specialties such as meatloaf, chicken strips and sandwiches, and a whole lot of Mexican food, including tortas, fajitas, chimichangas and more.

La Bamba Cafe is owned by David Espinosa, who opened Pollo Express at Pawnee and Meridian. For now, it’s open  from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily but will expand its hours to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays starting next week.

It serves breakfast all day, including Mexican breakfast such as chorizo burritos, and more traditional fare like pancakes, omelets and eggs.

For more information, call the restaurant at 316-771-7172.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Breakfast, Mexican food, New restaurant | Comments

Wasabi is open — really

July 21, 20106:00 a.m.
Wasabi head chef Eum Young, left, and his staff of sushi assemblers

Wasabi head chef Eun Young, left, and his staff of sushi assemblers, which includes his wife, second from left.

After months and months and months (and months) of anticipation, Wasabi, a new downtown sushi restaurant at 912 E. Douglas, is finally open. (And because it’s right across the street from our offices, the sushi fans I sit near are at this very moment performing an exotic sushi happy dance.)

Chef Eun Young quietly opened the surprisingly large and attractive restaurant on Monday. The giant, leather-bound menu features appetizers, soups, sushi rolls, sashimi, bento boxes and even a kids’ menu. It also has a special half-price sushi section, and Wasabi serves wine, beer and sake.

Wasabi will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 11 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. For more information, call 316-927-3524.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under New restaurant, Sushi | Comments

First impression review: Bossa Grill

July 16, 20104:12 p.m.

IMG_5141IMG_5144I had lunch today with a group of friends at Bossa Grill, the South American restaurant that opened Monday at 3242 N. Rock Road. The place was packed (mostly with large groups of men, oddly) and the service was great. But I think I’ll give it a while before I go back.

Our food was pretty colorless, as you can see from the photos here, and that’s a pet peeve of mine. Above is a chicken dish served with an orange/lemon/honey sauce with sides of potatoes and fettuccine. Below is a signature rice dish made with risotto, shrimp, green onions, mushrooms and lots of cheese. Both dishes were okay but nothing we’re dying to try again. Several plates around us looked more appetizing, and some friends who visited a few days ago said they liked their food, so I’ll give it another try in a few weeks.IMG_5138

I also loved the interior, which features a lot of Rio De Janiero touches, including this simple mural depicting the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. This is probably as close to Rio as my friends Katie and Travis are going to get anytime soon. At least they added some color to the place!

Anyone else have a similar first impression?

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under New restaurant, Restaurant reviews | Comments

Kababs… now open

July 15, 201010:33 a.m.
Syed Jillani, the owner of Kabab..., prepares to cook tandoori chicken in his clay oven.

Syed Jillani, the owner of Kababs..., prepares to cook tandoori chicken in his clay oven.

Kababs… (they added the ellipses, not me) is a new Indian/Pakistani restaurant that recently opened in the former Red Mesa Grill space at 756 N. Tyler.

Owner Syed Jillani is giving the west side something it needs, namely chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, curry dishes, fresh-made naan and more. Kababs… also serves kababs, with or without ellipses.

The restaurant will serve a $7.99 weekday lunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and for $9.99 on Saturdays and Sundays. They reopen for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. For more information, call 316-351-7777.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Indian food, New restaurant | Comments