A Valentine’s dining guide for procrastinators

Feb. 14, 201310:05 a.m.

If you’re one of the brave souls opting to brave the Feb. 14 restaurant crowds, I applaud you. Please let me know how that goes.

But if you’re a procrastinator — or just don’t like fighting for air on the busiest dining day of the year — several restaurants are planning to extend their Valentines Day offerings throughout the weekend. (I’m going for Bocconcini’s dinner because I simply must have that chocolate ravioli, but I’m going on Friday instead.)

Following are some of the restaurants offering specials for those who are putting off their celebrations a bit.

Abuelo’s, 1413 N. Waterfront Parkway, 316-634-2230: The Mexican restaurant is offering a dinner-for-two special good through Sunday that includes fajitas plus a choice of dessert for $29.99.

AVI Seabar & Chophouse, inside the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview, 135 N. Waco, 316-262-3300: The restaurant is serving a $79-a-couple meal that includes choice of appetizer, salad, filet mignon with coconut shrimp or grilled or blackened salmon with coconut shrimp plus a dessert to share and one glass of champagne each. The special is available from 5 p.m. to close through Saturday, and the regular menu will be available as well. Call for reservations.

Bocconcini Italian Eatery, 4811 E. Central, 316-613-2523: The Italian restaurant is running a special four-course Valentine’s Day meal through Saturday. It’s $35 a couple without alcohol or $55 with choice of a bottle of red wine, white wine or prosecco. The dinner includes choices for each course, and among the entree options are lemon chicken, pork saltimbocca and pancetta-wrapped salmon. Call for reservations.

Hereford House, 1400 Terradyne Drive, Andover, 316-733-7800: The restaurant has a standing offer of a four-course dinner for two for $65. Call for reservations.

Newport Grill, 1900 N. Rock Road, 316-636-9555: Newport will offer a special Valentine’s Day dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. through Saturday. It’s $50 a person and includes a steak and lobster dinner, a salad and a dessert of chocolate terrine with a raspberry coulis. The regular menu also is available, and those diners can add the dessert for $6. Reservations are recommended.

Zaytun, 2020 N. Woodlawn, 316-613-2474: The Indian/Pakistani/Turkish restaurant will be serving a four-course meal for $25 a person from 5 to 9 p.m. through Saturday. Among the several entree choices are tandoori chicken masala and Australian lamb shank. Call for reservations.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , , Filed under Holiday specials | Comments

Make your Valentine’s Day plans

Feb. 8, 20135:08 p.m.

My dining story in today’s paper is about places that will feed you and your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, which is on Thursday.

Well, any restaurant that’s open on Thursday will feed you. But a large number of them this year are putting on special dinners designed especially for celebrating sweeties.

My pick: Bocconcini’s four-course meal that’s only $55 a couple with a bottle wine and offers you a choice of CHOCOLATE RAVIOLI — dark chocolate infused pasta filled with mascarpone and ricotta. Bonus: Their dinner is available from today through Feb. 16.

Check out the full list, and by all means, make your reservations now.

By the way, here’s Bocconcini’s full Valentine’s Day menu.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Holiday specials | Comments

Nathan Toubia on the mend, back at work

Oct. 18, 201210:46 a.m.

It’s been more than six weeks since the Labor Day weekend motorcycle accident that seriously injured Bocconcini Italian Eatery chef and owner Nathan Toubia and his manager/friend Abby Brookshire.

Both are on the mend, and Nathan — who broke both ankles, crushed his pelvis, and fractured his legs in the accident — is back on his feet. Though he’s on crutches and moving slowly, he’s been able to return to the restaurant in a limited capacity. He expedited service last weekend, and he’ll also be helping with prep work at Sunday’s wine dinner at Bocconcini. (You can see the menu below.)

I ran into Nathan at Dillons last night, and he looked good. He won’t be able to put weight on his right leg until early November but says he has “every intention of showing my face as long as the pain is tolerable.”

Abby, meanwhile, also is making progress, according to a Facebook page set up and maintained by her family called “Love for Abby.” She’s also back on her feet and has returned home to Texas with her family to continue her rehab.

Bocconcini’s next wine dinner is at 6 p.m. Sunday and costs $65 a person. Nathan has created a fabulous fall menu that includes lamb shank, apple crumble and something called “wedding pillow ravioli.” Keep reading for the menu. Reservations can be made by calling 316-613-2523.

Read More »

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Chefs, Italian food, Wine dinners | Comments

An update on Nathan and Abby

Sept. 18, 20124:26 p.m.

Abby, left, and Nathan, center, at the Old Town Farmers Market Iron Chef competition a few weeks ago. At right is event emcee Mark Davidson from KSN.

A couple of weeks ago, I told you about a terrible motorcycle accident that injured Bocconcini Italian Eatery chef Nathan Toubia and his passenger, Bocconcini manager Abby Brookshire. The accident happened over Labor Day weekend, and both Toubia and Brookshire were thrown from the motorcycle.

I’m following a Facebook page set up by her family to track Abby’s healing process, which is slow and painful but steady, the page reports. She suffered several serious injuries. Her friends and family are planning a fundraising dinner for her, and I’ll report the details when I get them.

I reached out to Nathan earlier this week to find out how he was doing. Toubia broke both ankles, crushed his pelvis, and fractured his legs. In an e-mail, he said that he spent a week in the hospital and another week in rehab. He’s now at home but is using a wheelchair to get around.

His team of cooks is going ahead with Bocconcini’s monthly wine dinner, even in their bosses’ absence, he said. He met with them yesterday to map out the wine dinner menu, which he says has come together nicely.

“Abby is still in all of our prayers,” he said.

“I thank everyone for their support, prayers and thoughts. It has meant a lot.”

The five-course wine dinner will be at 6 p.m. Sunday at the restaurant, 4811 E. Central. It’s $65 a person and features dishes paired with wines, including a main course of wild boar. For reservations, call 316-613-2523

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Chefs, Uncategorized | Comments

Flying Stove’s Schauf wins Iron Chef contest

Sept. 4, 201210:41 a.m.

Judge/emcee Mark Davidson with the newly crowned Iron Chef, The Flying Stove's Rob Schauf.

There’s a new Iron Chef in town.

On Saturday morning, I helped judge the 10th annual Iron Chef competition at the Old Town Farmers Market, a competition that pits local chefs against each other in an on-the-spot cookoff, using a “secret ingredient” that’s revealed just before they start.

My cojudges and I —  who included KSN’s morning duo Mark Davidson and Leon Smitherman and local foodie Joe Stumpe — gave the championship wooden spoon to a new competitor — The Flying Stove’s Rob Schauf.

This was Schauf’s first time participating in a local chef-off, and he had some pretty tough competition in Bocconcini’s Nathan Toubia, Tallgrass Country Club’s Ben George, and defending champ Paul Freimuth of The Hyatt. Those three are among Wichita’s most amiable chefs and participate in nearly every cookoff in town.

The judges sampling more delicious food than should be legal before 10 a.m.

The secret ingredient was long beans, and after a shaky start (he appeared frozen by indecision at times), Schauf created a plate that made the crunchy beans the star. He cooked beef rare and topped it with the sauteed beans and served it alongside a potato puree. The judges were fighting for the last bites.

Customers at the Flying Stove rarely see Schauf, who is the culinary brains behind the food truck. He’s always inside, his back to the public, churning out the gourmet food while his friendly, chatty brother Jeff mans the window. He had a big cheering section at the competition, and afterward, The Flying Stove opened on the edge of the Farmers Market to a line 50 people deep.

Here are a few more photos from the event. Read More »

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under Chefs, Contests | Comments

Local chefs to throw down Saturday, Iron Chef style

Aug. 27, 20125:36 p.m.

The Hyatt's Paul Freimuth will defend his Iron Chef on Saturday morning at the Old Town Farmer's Market.

The 10th annual Iron Chef Competition at the Old Town Farmers Market is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the market at First and Mosley.

The competition pits local chefs against each other, cooking live with a “secret ingredient” they learn about just as the competition begins. The reigning champion, Paul Freimuth from the Hyatt’s Harvest Kitchen/Bar will be there defending his title. His competition will be Nathan Toubia from Bocconcini Italian Eatery, Ben George from Tallgrass Country Club, and — in a public appearance first — Rob Schauf from The Flying Stove. (The chef is notoriously shy and usually lets his brother and partner, Jeff, do the talking and appearing.)

The Flying Stove will serve in Old Town Square that day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Old Town Farmer’s Market is open from 7 a.m. to noon.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Chefs | Comments

Next week’s Celeb & Chef Cookoff one of the fun fundraisers

June 4, 20124:13 p.m.

The 11th annual Celebrity & Chef Cookoff, a popular fundraising event for the Orpheum Theatre, is just a week away, and I’m pretty excited for this one.

I get to be a judge this year, which means I’ll help my co-judges, local chef Tanya Tandoc and AIWF’s Beth Bower, choose the best cuisine prepared by teams of Wichita celebrities paired with Wichita chefs. (Above, see a video I co-produced from the 2010 event.)

Over the course of the year, I visit several foodie fundraisers, and this one is among the most fun. It’s full of good drinks, good food and — best of all — the excitement of watching local chefs in action. The celeb/chef teams compete “Iron Chef” style to come up with the best dish on the spot. A secret ingredient is revealed at the beginning of the contest.

This year’s chefs include Nathan Toubia of Bocconcini Italian Eatery, Peter Moretti of the Wichita Marriott, Kevin Derks of Newport Grill, Ben George of Tallgrass Country Club, Jake Lippincott of The Petroleum Club, John Fitzthum of The Candle Club, Marshall Roth of Treat America at Beech Activity Center and defending champ Jason Febres of Taste and See.

Among the celebs who’ve agreed to help cook: U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo and Jody Horner, president of Cargill Meat Solutions. My bud Bonnie Bing will emcee.

The event, which also will include prize drawings and auctions, is scheduled for 6 p.m. next Tuesday, June 12, at the Wichita Marriott Hotel, 9100 E. Corporate Hills Drive. Tickets are $75 a person and available at the Orpheum’s website or by calling 316-263-0884.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Chefs, Fundraisers | Comments

Two beer dinners and a wine dinner

March 12, 20123:50 p.m.

Three more chances to sample beer, wine and food for one price are approaching over the next couple of weeks.

On Thursday, Mike’s Wine Dive at 4714 E. Douglas is putting on a “Luck of the Irish” Bushmills Irish whiskey and beer tasting. It will start at 7 p.m. and will feature Irish hors d’oeuvres plus samples of several Bushmills whiskeys plus beers such as Smithwicks, Harp and Guinness. Admission is $30 a person, and reservations are required by calling 316-613-2772.

On Sunday, Bocconcini Italian Eatery at 4811 E. Central is offering a wine dinner that features five courses paired with five wines. The main entree course is a porcini rubbed filet with grilled asparagus and risotto, paired with an Allegrini Palazzo Delle Torre. It starts at 6 p.m. and is $65 a person. For reservations, call 316-613-2523.

Then, on March 27, Ya Ya’s at 8115 E. 21st St. is having a “Be Green” Anderson Valley beer dinner. The restaurant will offer five courses, each paired with an Anderson Valley beer. It’s $60 a person, and reservations can be made by calling 316-634-1000.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

Weekend of eating: Loaf Off, Palette to Palate

March 5, 201211:39 a.m.

Chef Don Lucero with his winning loaf, which he cooked in an angel food cake pan.

The amount of eating I did this weekend is shameful, but it was all in the name of charity. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself (and my scale) this morning.

It started Saturday with the Fourth Annual Loaf Off, a meatloaf competition that was a fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas. My co-judges and I sampled 15 different meatloaves prepared by both home cooks and restaurant chefs (Tallgrass Country Club’s Ben George and the Hyatt’s Paul Freimuth among them).

The competition was at The Anchor, 1109 E. Douglas, tasters crowded both sides of the bar so thoroughly, it was difficult to move around the bar. In the end, we could not resist the meatloaf prepared by Don Lucero, who’s the chef at Via Christi hospital on Harry and also happened to win last year’s competition. (Clearly, the man knows his meatloaf.)

My tray of samples. The winning loaf has the bright yellow mango on top, near the bottom left.

Lucero, whose recipe included ground chuck, veal and buffalo, Italian sausage AND bacon, also won the People’s Choice Award. Today, he told me that he’s stepping down as a competitor in next year’s competition (gotta give someone else a chance) and join the judges’ panel instead. He generously shared his recipe for this year’s loaf, which you can find at the bottom of this post.

After I’d digested all that loaf, I headed off Saturday evening to Palette to Palate, an art and wine auction at the Drury Plaza Broadview Hotel that’s a fundraiser for KETCH. The event is only in its second year but has grown exponentially and was one of the most fun parties I’ve attended in a while.

Bid! Bid! Bid! Bid!

The giant ballroom in the Broadview was positively packed with people, all sampling wine and appetizers prepared by restaurants such as Luca Italian Kitchen, Larkspur, Harvest Kitchen/Bar, Cero’s, Bocconcini, Newport Grill, Corporate Caterers and more. When they were all nice and fed and watered, attendees bid on art, lots of wine and other fabulous packages in a live auction. (A chance to tag along on a restaurant review with me was among the silent auction items, and I spent the evening hovering around the bid sheet, bullying people into bidding MORE MORE MORE MORE.)

Thankfully, my stomach gets a vacation until March 31, when I’ll be a judge at Death By Chocolate.

Here’s Chef Lucero’s meatloaf recipe, which could feed an army. My suggestion is you divide it by one fourth to make a batch at home.

Read More »

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under Chefs, Fundraisers | Comments

Question of the week: Biggest dining development in 2011?

Dec. 28, 201112:34 p.m.

Bocconcini Italian Eatery was one of many restaurants that opened in Wichita in 2011.

My story for Friday’s dining page in Go! is a look back at many of the most exciting/upsetting/oddball developments on the Wichita restaurant scene in 2011. From openings (Tanya’s Soup Kitchen, A.V.I.) to closings (Kwan Court, Johnny Carino’s) to undeniable trends (frozen yogurt, anyone?), the year was anything but dull.

My question for you: Which event did you think was the most interesting or significant? You can read my story for ideas or nominate your own.

Answer in the comments section below.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , , Filed under Question of the week | Comments