North

A few weeks ago North opened, so I decided to eat there. This restaurant is owned by FOX Restaurant Concepts based out of Arizona. This group has eleven different concepts and each of them is unique. North is Modern Italian Cuisine and has exceptional tasting appetizers and entrées. My favorite dish was the Short Rib “Osso Buco” with roasted root vegetables and white polenta. The short ribs were so tender they melted in your mouth and the polenta was rich and creamy. The only disappointment was the desserts because everything had great taste but the desserts were kind of bland. I really enjoyed North and the flavors were intense.


Crescenza Cheese Bruschetta

























Asparagus, prosciutto de Parma

Meatballs






























Pomodoro, Reggiano Parmesan

Prosciutto and Melon Pizza
















Honeydew, cantaloupe

Pacific Bass
















Eggplant ratatouille, green beans

Seared Scallops
















Sweet corn orzo, organic tomato salad

Short Rib
















Roasted root vegetables, white polenta

Nutella Mousse Cake
























Chocolate hazelnut cake, chocolate sauce, vanilla whip cream, toasted hazelnuts

Sour Cherry Croissant Bread Pudding
















Warm house-made croissant, vanilla bean gelato, sour cherry coulis

Tiramisu
















Espresso, grand marnier soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone, shaved chocolate

Houlihan's

I ate at Houlihan's recently in Olathe, Kansas. When looking at the menu it has a variety of cuisines from Thai to American. In addition to the regular menu Houlihan's has a seasonal menu which changes four times a year. My favorite thing was the mini desserts. I tried all of them on the menu and they each were unique in their own way. If I had to choose one though, it’d be the White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie. I think it’s a great idea to have mini desserts because you’re already full but just want a little sweetness for the full experience and they’re only $2.49. Also I really liked the mini burgers. They are topped with tomato and ranch style greens on a miniature toasted bun. Houlihan's is a great restaurant that can appeal to everyone.


French Fried Asparagus

Breaded with provencal bread crumbs, lemon-horseradish créme dipping sauce

Mini Burgers











Tillamook cheddar cheese, tomato and ranch-style greens

Warm Almond Crusted Brie

Walnut raisin crisps, fig-balsamic glaze, grapes, baby greens

Almond Crusted Tilapia

Amaretto beurre blanc, fresh seasonal berries, grilled asparagus

Grilled Chile-Lime Shrimp

Pico rice, black beans, napa slaw, chipotle mayo dipping sauce

Pot Roast

Mashed potatoes, homestyle vegetables, red wine mushroom sauce

White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

Fresh bananas, pastry cream, caramel drizzle, white chocolate shavings

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Cointreau chantilly cream, caramel

Chocolate Cappuccino Cake

Chocolate ganache and espresso icing, vanilla ice cream, Kahlua fudge sauce

Snickers Crunch Ice Cream Dome

Oreo and peanut crust, Kahlua fudge sauce

Créme Brûlée

Vanilla bean custard, caramelized sugar top

An American Place

I ate at An American Place in St. Louis founded by Larry Forgione. Larry Forgione started a culinary revolution in America in 1979 at the River Café in Brooklyn. He had an idea to use only local ingredients in his restaurants which he learned from working in London and Paris. At this time only a few people were doing this including Alice Waters of Chez Panisse. From the eighties until now he has been considered The God Father of American Cuisine. My favorite dish at the restaurant was the Housemade Rootbeer Glazed Ribs. The ribs were covered in a spicy sauce and the blue corn fritters were a perfect match for the dish. Another great dish I had was the cheese board. All the cheeses on the plate were from American farmsteads and were served with toasted bread. Larry Forgione had great tasting food to go with the upscale atmosphere.


Lemoncello and Mint Ceviche





























Fresh seafood, cucumber and red onion relish

Housemade Rootbeer Glazed Ribs




















Grilled red onion rings, blue corn fritters

Grilled Sweet Corn Bisque
















Chive creme fraiche, jumbo lump crabmeat, shaved jicama salad

Shrimp and Grits

Ramp greens grits, mushroom stuffed trotter, cardinale sauce

Trio of Rabbit

Smothered leg, sage sausage with cherry compote, oil poached loin and dirty rice

Prairie Grass Farm Lamb Duo

Grilled eggplant, berbere, crimson lentils, phyllo wrapped shoulder

From An American Place Cheese Board

American farmstead cheeses with toasted bread

Dark Chocolate Tart

Caramel, hazelnut oil, vanilla ice cream

Summer Berry Pudding Cake

Apple saba, honey sorbet, basil seed tuile

Caramel Roasted Apricots

Peach butter, sweet pie crust, peach leaf ice cream

Niche

Gerard Craft is the chef and owner of Niche in Benton Park. He is one of the top ten chefs on the Food and Wine Magazines Best New Chefs in America List. This award is open to anyone who has been a chef for five years or less. While talking to Gerard he said he found the place on the internet while living with his wife in Salt Lake City. My favorite dish at the restaurant was the Pork Loin. The first thing I ate on the dish was the pan fried grits. The instant I ate them the flavor of Lucky Charms entered my mouth but later I found out there was white chocolate in the grits, so that made sense. The food was great and I could see why he won this award.


Dia's Cheese Bread

















White Anchovies




























Toast, tomato jam

Chicken Liver Terrine























Citrus-date compote, mixed greens

Pan Fried Brandade
















Egg, arugula, mustard greens

Black Fin Tuna

Watermelon, basil, black olive vinaigrette

Pork Loin

Pan fried grits, corn, mustard greens, peach, sherry vinegar jus

Seared Scallops

Roasted mushrooms, sunchoke-potato puree, greens, brown butter

Roasted Chicken

Warm potato salad, smoked bacon, green beans, watermelon

Roasted Baby Beets

Feta, pistachios

Greek Yogurt Pudding

Rhubarb, pistachio shortbread

Tollhouse Pie

Ice cream, caramel, hot fudge

Cherry Upside-down Cake

Toasted almond ice cream