First Tuesday talk will feature local food celebs

March 5, 201310:09 a.m.

Schane Gross

Two of Wichita’s most recognizable restaurant celebs will be speaking as part of a panel at Creative Rush’s First Tuesday talk, scheduled for 6:45 p.m. tonight.

Schane Gross, owner of downtown’s popular bar The Anchor, and chef Jason Febres, the chef and owner at Taste and See, will be two of the three panelists talking about “Success in the Unexpected.”

Local musican Ryan Windham also will be on the panel. The talk will be at Bluebird Arthouse at 924 W. Douglas.

The panelists will speak for about 45 minutes, then they’ll answer questions.

‎Anna Murdoc’s Cafe will be providing Indian tacos, and Febres is bringing dessert. Admission is free.

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

Chef Febres schedules Spike TV watch party

March 1, 20139:21 a.m.

The episode of Spike TV’s show “Bar Rescue” that features Chef Jason Febres of Taste & See is tentatively scheduled to air on March 24.

So Febres and his staff at the restaurant are tentatively planning a big watch party.

They plan to open up the restaurant at 3825 E Harry plus the new adjoined banquet room and put the show on big screen TVs. Febres will serve tapas before the 6 p.m. show, and then he hopes to offer a buffet patrons who want to stay can purchase once it’s over.  He also promises a seafood ice bar, live music and “sexy cocktails.”

Febres was selected to fly to Los Angeles in January to be part of the show, in which gruff host Jon Taffer and a team of experts go to a struggling bar and try to turn it around.

The restaurant is asking for RSVPs. Call 316-771-7393 if you want to attend. The watch party date will change if Spike TV changes the show’s air date.

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

Chef Jason cooking kangaroo, alpaca & lion

July 27, 201210:42 a.m.

Taste & See’s envelope-pushing chef Jason Febres is planning a very… exotic dinner next month. It’s already sold out, so you can’t go. But I thought you might be interested in the details.

The $160-a-person dinner, scheduled for Aug. 14 at Taste & See, 3825 E. Harry, will feature Febres cooking unusual and exotic meats, “Iron Chef” style. On his eight-course menu are meats most people havn’t considered trying: wild hare from Scotland, Indian farm-raised alpaca, Australian crocodile tenderloin, African water buffalo, Australian kangaroo loin fillets, African antelope osso bucco and… and…. (wait for it)…. African lion.

Febres called this week to see if I wanted to attend the dinner, but alas, I’ll be out of town. I’m not sure I’m adventurous enough to dine on lion, anyway.

I’ll be curious to hear what attendees of the dinner think. I don’t know of anyone who’s sampled meat THIS exotic. It’s legal to sell the meat of lions raised in captivity, but that wasn’t much comfort last year to some Arizona residents whose ire persuaded a restaurant to scrap plans to sell lion tacos. 

What do you think? Would you (or have you) sampled any of the meats on this menu?

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

Febres commits a Celeb & Chef Cookoff three-peat

June 13, 20125:03 p.m.

Tanya Tandoc, right, announces Taste & See's Jason Febres the winner of the cookoff.

As I stated earlier, the Celebrity & Chef Cookoff, a benefit for the Orpheum that happens each summer at the Corporate Hills Marriott, is one of the must fun fundraisers put on in Wichita.

I was a judge for last night’s event, along with Chef Tanya Tandoc and Beth Bower of the American Institute of Wine and Food, and our job was hard. We had to taste the dishes come up with on the spot in 45 minutes by eight teams of local chefs paired with well-known Wichitans, who worked as their sous chefs.

The experiment Febres conducted in these test tubes was a total success.

Though we didn’t want to be predictable, the dish prepared by Taste & See’s Chef Jason Febres was definitely the best. He’s already won the past two years, so we tried everything we could think of to talk ourselves out of giving him the title again. But we couldn’t. He created a four-course tasting that included a fried egg/scallop/bacon combo and a test tube gazpacho shooter. His flavors were all clean and fabulous.

We also loved the dishes prepared by The Petroleum Club’s Jake Lippincott, who along with partner Kelly Uran of Bank of the West, made a delectable salmon and scallop duo. And the dish by Kevin Derks of Newport Grill included some amazing fried potato and brussels sprouts shavings that I’d love to eat again. His partner was Splurge magazine publisher Jody Klein.

The event also included plentiful samples of dishes from restaurants all over Wichita, including Lotus Leaf Cafe & , The Anchor, Cero’s, Two Brothers BBQ and more.

Here are a few pictures from the event.

Congressman Mike Pompeo, right, was paired with Marshall Roth, the executive chef of Treat America at Beech Activity Center.

Splurge magazine publisher Jody Klein, right, and her partner chef, Kevin Derks of Newport Grill, prepared another of our favorite dishes.

The judges: Tanya Tandoc, Beth Bower and me.

Bocconcini's chef Nathan Toubia with his partner, the WSU Foundation's Elizabeth King. The duo prepared a homemade ravioli.

Event emcees Dick Honeyman and his wife Bonnie Bing.

The Petroleum Club's Jake Lippincott, with his partner Kelly Uran, made a delicious salmon/scallop duo.

Tallgrass Country Club chef Ben George.

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

Taste & See expanding, adding dinner

May 22, 201211:14 a.m.

It started as a cooking school and party venue. Then last year, executive chef Jason Febres started serving lunch at his Taste & See at 3825 E. Harry.

Now, he’s about to achieve a long-held goal of adding dinner to his offerings.

Starting on June 1, Taste & See will be open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Febres said he will be serving a long list of tapas plus lighter options such as sandwiches and fish tacos. The heavier entrees on his menu, which he’s perfecting right now, will focus on global cuisine — Italian dishes, Spanish paella, Argentinian steaks, etc. Febres, who has a full bar, also will serve several exotic drinks, such as sangria, Limoncello and Brazilian caipirinhas.

Taste & See’s dining room recently has been remodeled, and there are now more booths, tables and a bar. Febres is moving his cooking classes and private parties to an adjoined room with 1,200 square feet, which is being fitted with a kitchen and should be done this summer. He also hopes to add patio dining this fall.

Taste & See will continue to serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information, call 316-771-7393.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Chefs, New hours, Tapas | Comments

Chef Jason: Made for television

March 28, 201210:59 a.m.

From the day I met Chef Jason Febres, I felt like he was made for television.

It doesn’t take much to see that he has what it takes to star on a Food Network or Bravo cooking show — charisma, Latin good looks and culinary ability.

His only problem: He lives in Wichita, and contestants on those shows usually come from New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc…

But Febres isn’t going to let that stop him. The chef, who opened Sabor and now owns Taste & See at 3825 E. Harry, is making a bid to get on Food Network’s show “Chopped.”

He’s filled out an application, and now he’s taking the advice of an industry expert who told him to get a video made and get it viewed. Febres’ goal is to have as many people as possible view the above video in hopes that it will boost his chances.

“I have always wanted to do one of those shows,” he said. “I know at some point, I will find a way.”

My favorite part of the video, which was made by a Febres friend, comes in the opening minutes when he announces: “I AM the ultimate Latin fusion experience.”

Warning: Don’t watch the video if you’re hungry. Or lonely.

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