My absence is the Shockers fault

April 3, 20133:56 p.m.

I’m so sorry about my absence of late on this dining blog. Three weeks ago, my editors asked me if I’d travel with the Shockers to write stories about the fans and the experience in the tournament. None of us imagined I’d still be going now.

I’m in the airport about to head to Atlanta, and when I return next week, the blog will be back to normal. Rest assured that I’ve been eating in many fabulous restaurants over the past several weeks — it’s just that none of them have been in Wichita.

In the meantime, you should know that Carlos O’ Kelly’s is celebrating Shocker dominance by practically giving away queso and margaritas. All day Saturday, they’ll mark the team’s appearance in the Final Four with 4 cent queso all day. If the Shockers make it to the final game, queso will cost 2 cents on Monday.

Margaritas on Saturday will cost $1.04.

The offer is good at all Wichita Carlos O’ Kelly’s locations.

See you next week.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Uncategorized | Comments

Red Stocking Breakfast is Thursday

Dec. 3, 201211:08 a.m.

Ah, memories. At last year’s breakfast, I dished up fruit and mugged with Brett Harris.

I feel a little lost this Christmas.

I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t on the line of “celebrity servers” at the Red Stocking Breakfast, an annual fundraiser for the Kansas Children’s Service League.

But this year, they’ve scheduled it at the same time I teach a class, so they’re going to somehow have to get the biscuits and gravy and eggs ole dished out without me.

The event is from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Carlos O’ Kelly’s, 7703 E. Douglas Ave. It features a buffet of delicious and hot breakfast items served by recognizable politicians, media folks, etc. Proceeds raised go toward KCSL programs and services.

Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Children age 10 and under eat free. Advance tickets are available online at www.kcsl.org.

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

First remodeled Carlos O’ Kelly’s in Wichita will reopen on Friday

Oct. 25, 201210:35 a.m.

The new Carlos O' Kelly's logo

Carlos O’ Kelly’s, the 30-year-old Mexican restaurant chain that’s headquartered in Wichita, is “rebranding” its restaurants, giving them an all-new look and a new menu.

On Sunday, the restaurant at  4872 S. Broadway closed down, and crews have been hard at work changing everything — booths, tables, carpet, paint, decor, setup. The result is a more modern-looking restaurant that even has new signage, featuring a multi-colored chili pepper.

“It’s very different,” president Jon Rolph said of the new look. “It opens the place up. And it’s a lot less cluttered as far as the decor goes.”

The under-progress interior of the remodeled Carlos O' Kelly's at 4872 S. Broadway.

That restaurant will reopen on Friday featuring a menu that has several new items, including a Cantina burger topped with chili con queso, sauteed onions, bell peppers, bacon and fried jalapeno bites. There are also brisket tacos, grilled fish tacos, seafood enchiladas and more. The chips and salsa will remain the same, and most of the restaurant’s most popular dishes remain unchanged.

A Carlos O’ Kelly’s in Lincoln, Neb., will be the next to be made over. Owners hope to have all 39 Carlos O’ Kelly’s, including the four in Wichita, redone within four years.

Wichita’s other three Carlos O’Kelly’s are at  7703 E. Douglas, 527 S. Ridge Road Circle and 3025 N. Rock Road.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Mexican food, Restaurant remodeling | Comments

Cinco de Mayo dining specials

May 3, 20124:36 p.m.

Free 5 oz. Cinco de Mayo smoothies on Saturday at Taco Bueno.

I’ve gathered up a list of a few Cinco de Mayo dining specials local restaurants have planned.

I’m sure all the Mexican restaurants will be crowded, and some of them are planning food and drink specials, as well as live music.

You also can read about other Cinco de Mayo parties, all of which involve food, in the story I wrote for this weekend’s Go! section.

Here are a few other options:

Carlos O’ Kelly’s: The Mexican restaurant chain is once again offering its El Guapo Burrito Challenge. If one person can eat a 5-pound burrito in 30 minutes, it’s free. Two-person eating teams also can try to consume a seven-pounder. The offer is good on Saturday only. Wichita’s Carlos O’ Kelly’s are at 7703 E. Douglas, 527 S. Ridge Road Circle, 3025 N. Rock and 4872 S. Broadway.

Jose Pepper’s: Both Wichita’s Jose Pepper’s at 11423 E. 13th St. and 2243 N. Tyler Road will have a DJ from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, live music from 5 to 11 p.m., games, prizes, drink specials and super-loaded fiesta nachos for $6.99.

Margarita’s Cantina: The Mexican restaurant at 3109 E. Douglas will offer Corona buckets, $4 Cuervo shots, $5 Cuervo margaritas, food specials featuring shrimp, a DJ at 9 p.m. and house band Lotus at 9:30 p.m.

Felipe’s Mexican Restaurant: The location at 445 S. 119th St. West, for example, is having a fiesta on the patio from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday that will include a live DJ, giveaways and discount margaritas.

Taco Bueno: In honor of Cinco de Mayo, all Taco Bueno restaurants will give away free 5 oz. wild berry smoothies all day Saturday.

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

Carlos O’ Kelly’s celebrates 30 with specials

Dec. 12, 20114:07 p.m.

Carlos O’ Kelly’s sure is excited about turning 30. I hate to disappoint you, Carlos, but I’ve done it, and it’s no big whoop. (Ha. Just kidding.)

The Mexican restaurant chain, whose headquarters are in Wichita, opened its first restaurant on Dec. 16, 1981, in Marion, Iowa.

Now, 30 years later, the chain has 41 restaurants, including four in Wichita.

To celebrate the big birthday on Friday, the restaurant is offering several specials.

One is a 7-pound “El Guapo” burrito available on Friday for $19.81. The burrito is big enough to feed many, but if two people can eat it in 30 minutes, they can have it for free. And they’ll get a T-shirt to mark the occasion.

Also, from Friday through Sunday, all Carlos O’Kelly’s will offer half-price house rocks margaritas.

Diners also can pay $19.81 and get one appetizer and two entrees from a special 1980s-decorated menu, recently introduced in honor of the big 3-0.

Wichita’s Carlos O’ Kelly’s are at 7703 E. Douglas, 527 S. Ridge Road Circle, 3025 N. Rock Road and 4872 S. Broadway.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Mexican food, Restaurant birthdays | Comments

See you at the Red Stocking Breakfast on Wednesday?

Dec. 5, 20112:19 p.m.

A celebrity scene from last year's Red Stocking Breakfast

Wednesday is the day for the Red Stocking Breakfast, an event that has become as much a party of my personal Christmas tradition as blogging endlessly about the Chop Suey Palace.

This is probably my 10th year working as a server at the breakfast, which is staged from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Carlos O’ Kelly’s at 7703 E. Douglas. The breakfast raises money for the Kansas Children’s Service League and always draws a huge crowd. I’ve spent so many years on the line, I have the whole buffet memorized — fruit salad, biscuits and gravy, cinnamon rolls, eggs, spicy eggs, link sausages… the list goes on and on. I always leave high on Sterno and Christmas cheer.

Bonnie Bing and I will be on the 8 to 8:45 a.m. shift on Wednesday. Other servers on the list include KAKE’s Susan Peters, Mayor Carl Brewer, Spangles spokeswoman Rene Steven, KSN’s Stephanie Bergman and a whole mess of city council people, county commissioners and local businessfolk.

Tickets are $12 in advance at www.kcsl.org or $15 at the door. Read all the fine print here.

Here’s hoping I get cinnamon roll duty this year.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Breakfast, Buffets, Fundraisers, Uncategorized | Comments

Menu additions at two local favorites

Sept. 12, 201111:54 a.m.

Carlos O' Kelly's new southwestern egg rolls.

A couple of local restaurants have made some changes or additions to their menus that will make fall much tastier.

One is Carlos O’Kelly’s, the locally owned Mexican chain that each year challenges its 41 restaurants to a cook-off. The best dishes the stores come up with are added to the menu for a limited time.

On Sunday, the restaurant started serving southwestern egg rolls created in Marion, Iowa; Hawaiian chicken fajitas, teriyaki glazed and topped with pineapple pick de gallo, from Ames, Iowa; Poblano pork pastel, featuring sweet corn masa cakes smothered with braised pork, from Rochester, Minn.; a fajita steak burrito created in  Sioux City, Iowa; and a cinnamon flautas dessert invented in Manhattan.

The new dishes are available now through the end of October.

Watermark Cafe, the cozy little eatery inside Watermark Books, also has added some items to its menu, including several sandwiches ( the PrairyErth made with grilled chicken, provolone, radishes, sunflower seeds and lettuce topped with pesto aioli on an herbed flatbread sounds interesting); a black-eyed pea salad; and breakfast items such as a Nutella and banana-filled puffed pastry, and “Green Eggs & Spam,” made with egg, pepper jack cheese and fried Spam on a toasted bagel.

You can find Watermark’s full menu on its website. Cafe hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Menu changes, Menus, Mexican food | Comments

Exciting dining addition to Riverfest

May 12, 20113:23 p.m.

Sometimes, the Wichita River Festival wears me out. (I’ve only been covering it for 13 years, ya know.)

But one thing I always love about the festival is the food (which I’ve been reviewing for 13 years, ya know.) I’ve come to love some of the annual offerings, and each year I can’t wait for my Tad’s Bodacious Burrito or tray full of deep fried dill pickle spears (with dipping sauce.)

This year, the festival is offering a new type of food court that could be very cool. The Waterwalk Pavilion will be set up nightly on the lawn near the Hyatt fountains. Under a huge tent, a local restaurant will sell food, and nearby, a local band will perform. Adult beverages will be served, and a new rule allows partakers to walk with their drinks in hand along the river.

The festival is trying to attract a young professional crowd with the new event, and if I count as a young professional, their efforts are probably going to work on me. Following is the schedule festival president Janet Wright sent me. They’re still trying to find a few restaurants to fill in on certain nights, but I plan to be there for sure on June 9 and June 11.

Saturday, June 4

6 – 9:30 p.m. – Grateful Not to Be Dead
6 – 8 p.m. – Carlos O’Kelley’s Mexican Café
Chicken Burrito Wrap with Beans, Chips & Salsa, $10
Chili Con Queso with Chips & Salsa, $10
Carlos Nachos Supreme, $7

Sunday, June 5

6 p.m. – Rachelle Coba Band
6 – 8 p.m. – BBQ from the world-famous Wichita Wagonmasters grill
BBQ Brisket Sandwich, Cole Slaw & Baked Beans, $8
BBQ Brisket Sandwich, Brat, Cole Slaw & Baked Beans, $10

Monday, June 6

7:30-8:45 pm – Flatland String Band
Restaurant TBA

Tuesday, June 7

7:30-8:45 pm – Walnut River String Band
6 – 8 p.m. – Truffles
Choice of meatball sub or chicken parmigiana sub, pasta salad, chips, cookies, $7
Choice of pasta Caesar salad, garlic bread, roasted potatoes with vegetables, brownies $10

Wednesday, June 8

7:15-8:45 pm – Swing Daddies
6 – 8 p.m. – Caffe Moderne
Chicken Veggie Wrap with salad, chips & cookie, $10
Southwest Veggie Wrap with salad, chips & cookie, $10

Thursday, June 9

6-8:45 pm – Mudbugs Cajun & Zydeco Band
6 – 8 p.m. – Hyatt Harvest Kitchen & Bar
Choice of dirty or white rice, chicken and Andouille sausage
jambalaya, crawfish & pepperjack cornbread, $8

Friday, June 10

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

Saturday, June 11
4:30-6:30 pm – Smugglin’ Yo-Yos
7:00-9:45 pm – Ten Day Wish
Restaurant TBA

Beverages

Pepsi Products                     $3 or 2/$5.00

Budweiser                                          $4.00

Craft Beer                                          $4.00

Wine & Specialty Drinks            $5.00

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

Cinco De Mayo: Cheap Corona for all

May 4, 201110:54 a.m.

Tomorrow is Cinco De Mayo, an annual excuse to eat fajitas, drown margaritas and fiesta through the night.

Several local restaurants and bars are putting on Cinco De Mayo parties and offering Mexican specials.

Here’s a guide to where to some of the places you can spend your May 5. Let me know if I’m missing someone…

Cinco De Vino Wine Tasting and Mexican Food Fiesta: The YMCA is raising money for its Strong Kids campaign with a wine and Mexican food party at Rock Island Studios, 338 N. Mead. Food will be provided by Abuelo’s, and tickets are $35 by calling 316-264-4066, extension 223, or $40 at the door. Also, $15 designated driver tickets are available. The party is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Carlos O’ Kelly’s, several Wichita locations: The local chain says Cinco De Mayo is its busiest day of the year and is offering 1/2 price house margaritas all day, meaning a full size is $2.50. A Cinco Sampler is $9.99, and chili con queso is $1.50. The restaurant also will be giving away T-shirts, hats, maracas and more.

Felipe’s at 21st and Woodlawn is offering its third annual Cinco De Mayo party, which will include $3 Coronas, $5 margaritas, $3 Bud Lights and more.

Heroes, 117 N. Mosley: The recently overhauled bar will offer $2 Coronas, $3 Cuervo Silver shots and will feature its soon-to-debut white queso with tri-colored chips. The Cuervo “Shot Girls” will vista the bar at 9 p.m.

Abuelo’s, 1413 N. Waterfront Parkway: The restaurant will offer $5 “Mexican Flag” margaritas, beer specials and free shakers and shot glasses to early margarita orderers. Diners also can find food specials from 3 to 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close in the bar and patio areas.

Fizz Burgers & Bottles, 7718 E 37th St. N., 316-260-2888: The burger restaurant is offering a chorizo taco dinner plus buckets of bottles: four beers for $12 or four sodas for $10. The restaurant also will award a Cindo de Mayo gift basket to one Facebook fan who “likes” the page before 5 p.m. today.

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

Red Stocking Breakfast

Dec. 8, 201011:11 a.m.
Among the celebrity servers at this morning's annual Red Stocking Breakfast were Tracy Cassidy and Bonnie Bing, front and Rene Steven and Susan Peters, back.

Among the celebrity servers at this morning's annual Red Stocking Breakfast were Tracy Cassidy and Bonnie Bing, front and Rene Steven and Susan Peters, back.

In some ways, the annual Red Stocking Breakfast at Carlos O’ Kelly’s is one of my favorite events of the year. I get to see Wichita’s fancy people slopping biscuits and gravy for the masses, and I get to say hello to a lot of hungry people.

But in some ways, it’s the most horrible day of the year because I completely blow the day’s calorie allotment before 9 a.m. After an hour of slopping for the masses, I’m hungry.

The Red Stocking Breakfast is an annual fundraiser for the Kansas Children’s Service League. Carlos O’ Kelly’s cooks up a huge breakfast buffet, and more than 600 people stand in line to have the steamy goodness served up by local celebrities.

This morning, I served bowls of fruit next to Spangles’ Rene Steven, who was deftly delivering cinnamon rolls to plates. City councilman Jeff Longwell was dishing out sausage links, Bonnie Bing was on gravy duty, and B-98′s Tracy Cassidy was assigned to the biscuits. Susan Peters was there, too, as was Mayor Carol Brewer, KSN’s Stephanie Bergman and many more.

Every year, I think Carlos O’Kelly’s should go into the breakfast business. I’m now miserable with a gut full of juevos rancheros, breakfast tacos, cinnamon rolls and… well, I’ll stop there.

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