Weekend in Kansas/KC

This weekend, I went to Kansas, with enough time to fit in a couple of meals on the Missouri side of Kansas City.

Friday February 8

During my trip out, I had a very short connection at Chicago's Midway. I hadn't planned on getting anything to eat, but when I walked past Superdawg and there was no line, I couldn't resist.


My original thought was to eat at The Golden Ox steak house once I landed at the airport, but since they close at 10:00, I didn't think I would be able to make it in time. So, I didn't bring dressier clothes with me. But my plane actually landed early, so I would have been able to make it in time, had I dressed properly.

But don't feel too bad for me, that just means I had to eat at Stroud's instead.


I ate at the original location in 2001, which is no longer there and loved it, so I was really looking forward to getting back. Stroud's is on the short list of best chicken restaurants in the country.

The meal startes off with really good chicken noodle soup.


The main course features excellent porky green beans.


Since Kansas City is a cottage fries town, I went with those instead of the mashed potatoes. The cottage fries were greasier than I prefer, but still tasted great after being dipped in the delicious peppery gravy.

If I had it to do over again, I would have gone with the mashed potatoes, instead.

Beautiful, sweet, large cinnamon rolls also accompany your meal. Unfortunately, I couldn't get one good photo of them. My waitress gave me six of them, since she knew I was traveling (she said I could eat them while I was driving!), but I still ate three of them there.

But the star here is obviously the fried chicken.



It takes a long time (a good 1/2 hour) since they don't start pan frying it until it is ordered. The crust is so tasty, I would come here just for that, but the meat is just incredibly juicy. Having not been here in six years, I had forgotten how really good the fried chicken here is. If you told me this is the best chicken on earth, I wouldn't argue!

My waitress grabbed my camera and snapped this photo of me.


By the way, the service was fantastic. My waitress gave me some mashed potatoes to take with me (for me to try, she said). Just an all-around great experience!

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=189&RefID=189

I spent the night at the Comfort Inn in downtown KC.

Much more to come.....

Edited to include Superdawg.

Heehee. I like the pic! Nice spread. I was surprised to see this trip report title on the front page - knowing it would be you & it's only Sunday morning! You're SO good about starting trip reports in MID-trip!!!!! Thanks and enjoy the rest of the trip. (Great report, as always - do I need to keep saying that?!?!)

cecif-
Doing my trip reports as soon as possible is paramount for me, since I have a shaky memory and I am a lousy note taker. Still, there is a ton of stuff I forget to put in them that I remember later.

As always, I really appreciate the compliments.

Nice to see warm comfort food here in Northern Illinois where right now it's 2 below zero. You sure do get around, BB!

Thanks for the report. The meal looks delightful. I love how you are able to engage the staff at the places where you eat and enhance your meal.

quote:

Originally posted by buffetbuster

If I had it to do over again, I would have gone with the mashed potatoes, instead.

The mashed potatoes are definitely the way to go. On the other hand, if you're ever in a non-traditional mood, Stroud's makes an excellent chicken fried steak. Mrs. Roadhouse and I were there over the Holidays (KC in general and Stroud's in particular) with my daughter, abe froeman and her SO, and had a fine meal.

So, what's for lunch? If you haven't made up your mind yet, might I suggest either Johnny's Hickory House, 5959 Broadmoor Drive, Mission KS, (913) 432-0777, or B.B.'s Lawnside Bar-B-Q, 1205 E. 85th Street, KCMO (816) 822-7427.

Johnny's is an old stand-by of our good friend Ardie Davis who wrote The Kansas City Pocket Guide, Pig Out Publications, ISBN 0-925175-08-0, a guide to KC's best Greashouses on both sides of the state line.

Johnny's is a neat and tidy suburban restaurant serving some outstanding, if largely unrecognized, Barbecue. They haven't received the same notoriety of old established places like Arthur Bryant's or Gates, nor are they a hot spot like LC's or Oklahoma Joe's. Johnny's just keeps going along without pretense, serving up great, meaty ribs, delicious brisket, pork, and sausage, and a wide range of distinctive side dishes.

B.B's is the exact opposite in that it captures and typifies the classic honky-tonk image of Texas Barbecue as opposed to the quiet, subdued atmosphere at Johnny's. We met a large group there and, between us, tried almost everything on the menu.

Some of the meatiest ribs I've ever seen along with beef, and pork are served with excellent and abundant sides. The beans are among KC's best. Given the choice between the battered French Fries and the home fries (I think that's what they call them), take the home fries. The battered version was gummy, over seasoned, and tasted like they had been made from frozen. The home fries on the other hand were clearly fresh and done to a perfect outer crispness with a fluffy tender inside. Skip the jambalaya and any other non-barbecue options. Won't go into the details, just know that it's always good to stick to the Barbecue in a Barbecue joint.

Either of these options is quite good and an excellent departure from the usual choices in Kansas City. The only deciding factor should be what kind of mood you're in; neat, suburban Johnny's, or the rough and tumble (yet friendly) honky-tonk air at B.B.'s Lawnside.

Have a great trip,

Buddy

P.S. You've probably mentioned this in another thread and I've just missed it, but, what is it that you do for a living that causes you to travel so much and explore all these wonderful places?

B.

BB

I am envious, Stroud's is one of my all time favorites (I have never been to that location), al my trips were to the 85th street location.

I got a special experience the last time I was there, I was taken into the kitchen to see them make the chicken, potatoes and gravy.

Big, OLD cast iron skillets, filled with bubbling hot, oil and chicken.
Real potatoes being mashed, and the gravy was made to order too.

Those cinnamon rolls are heavenly, I am glad she gave you a few extra, and a sample of those AWESOME potatoes.

Looking forward to your take on KC. Have a safe trip back (hopefully before the bottom falls out of the temp tonight. right now 15 and falling winchills at 0 and below)

The soup and green beans are outstanding not to mention the chicken. Looks like the start of another of your great trip reports. Thanks

I never thought of KC as a cottage fries town, but always get them at Strouds. Love them with gravy and hot sause. They are also good microwaved a day or two later.

Looking forward to the rest of your trip. Sorry I couldn't join you.

You get SO much food at Strouds. When the south location was open, I would get a gizzards meal to go. I'm a big eater, but they would give me enough food for 3 meals.

Keith

BB, awesome as always! You're a true RF inspiration! Stroud's sounds like the ideal combination of Roadfood cuisine, people and atmosphere.

Absolutely love your reports!!And the pictures are fantastic.Looking forward to sharing a meal with you when you return to Milwaukee...

People! He hasn't even gone anywhere yet. I have confidence in Mr. BB.

BuffetBuster,

I was so hoping you would have gone here...

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=423&whichpage=24

...for an update to Jerry's Woodsweather Cafe that zataar mentioned in the other trip thread. It has been almost a year for me but this was a gem of a find.

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

BuffetBuster,

I was so hoping you would have gone here...

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=423&whichpage=24

...for an update to Jerry's Woodsweather Cafe that zataar mentioned in the other trip thread. It has been almost a year for me but this was a gem of a find.

I'm going to have to ask Jerry why he calls his cafe "Woodsweather." The name of the road his cafe used to be on before moving to the west bottoms is Woodswether.

It is really a good place.

zataar,

I did ask. He was unaware that it was different believe it or not. Also, I found out the street had been spelled both ways in the past. I had a problem for a while trying to verify and find the place because several web sites had said his restaurant had closed. As it turned out he had only moved. The Woodswether/Woodsweather name confusion may have contributed to that miss assumption. It turned out to be the closest pork tenderloin sandwich restaurant to the office where I was meeting in KC.

Saturday February 9

When my cousin Johnny and I were at Skylight Inn in Ayden, NC a few weeks ago, we were struck by just how quiet the place was. It is almost like everyone is in silent reflection of how good the bbq is. Even Johnny and I were whispering, too.

A restaurant on the complete other end of that scale is Niecie's

in Kansas City, MO, where I ate breakfast. This is a joyous place!

I have to admit up front.....when I am by myself and I am going to a place for the first time and I know I will most likely be the only white person there, I can be a little concerned. But, I have never had any problem and in fact have always been made to feel very welcome.

Just a few minutes after sitting down in one of the big plush booths, I see a big, menacing looking guy come in the door with his young son. Before he sits down, the man takes off his coat and underneath he is wearing.....a boy scout uniform! I can't tell you how foolish I felt!

Anyway, as much as I enjoy chicken & waffles, which they serve all day, everyday,

I knew I was going to be up to my gizzards in chicken on this trip already. So I went for the "pork chops, fried right"



I thought the hash browns were hard and the eggs were just eggs, but the fried pork chops were wonderful. The outside was tasty, but the meat had a great pork flavor.

The meal also comes with a homemade biscuit that was falling apart soft.


When I inquired about dessert, my waitress listed at least a dozen good possibilities. Since I knew I would most likely be eating a lot of pie in Kansas, I went for the caramel cake.

Moist, with super sweet caramel icing, I would rate this even better than the first-rate caramel cake I had at Henpeck Market last year in Nashville.

Here is a photo of the specials for Saturday.

Pig ear sandwich anyone?

I have to talk some more about the great atmosphere here at Niecie's. The service was quick and super friendly and most of the diners were regulars who happily joined in the exchange of barbs with each other. The waitress the Sterns mentioned in the review, Myra C. (her badge now says 20 years of service), was the chief instigator. When two men came in and took too long to decide where to sit, she yelled across the room, "Don't just stand there like a couple of fools who have never been here before, sit yourself down". The men and just about everyone else broke up. It is that kind of place!

On the way out, I said to Myra C. that I just realized she was the waitress mentioned in the review. She had no idea what I was talking about. So, I showed her the Roadfood review I brought with me. Needless to say, this made her day and she started asking if anyone wanted her autograph! What a fun place this is!

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=4488&RefID=4533

My next stop was to drive back into downtown Kansas City to check out a few art deco buildings I had wanted to see. The Power & Light building

(yeah, I know, lousy angle) had some nice touches on the outside, but what I really wanted to see was the lobby of the building, which looked beautiful through the windows. Unfortunately, all the doors were locked, so I wasn't able to go in.

So, I got back in my car and drove over the border into Kansas.

Much more to come.....

bb, on a whim, we ate at Niecie's second location on 63rd Street in Raytown while in KC over Christmas. I wish I could express the same enthusiasm for this place as you did for the original spot.

This newer outpost is obviously a converted chain restaurant located in the out-lot of a suburban mall. They have done little to alter the cold corporate atmosphere. The food was just okay, nothing special.

I've heard great things about Niecie's. Maybe we need to visit the original location in order to fully appreciate it.

Buddy

the caramel cake looks luscious....and so do the pork chops.
vicarious thrills while cooped up on a cold winter's day. thanks
Beth

BuddyRoadhouse-
I had no idea that there was two Niecie's. Too bad to hear that your experience wasn't as good as mine. I have no doubt that the original location that I visited is under close supervision by the owners and a lot of times, that makes a big difference.

I really appreciate all the suggestions you made for KC, MO. But this trip was more about visiting Kansas, so those were the only two stops I made on the Missouri side. There is so much to see and do and eat in KC, I will almost definitely be back this summer, so your suggestions will come in handy then.

mr chips-
If I do tell people I am an out of towner, which is my usual explanation of why I am taking all those photographs, they almost always take great interest in me.

CajunKing-
Being taken back into the kitchen at Stroud's would undoubtedly be a special experience. I sure do wish I had one of those great cinnamon rolls right now!

Davydd-
That looks like a terrific place and a great BPT, but I spent the vast majority of time in Kansas. I will be looking into this place when I come back this summer. Thanks for the tip!

Great story about Myra C! Keep it comin'....!!!!! (Also liked the scout uniform thing...)
Terrific pics too, of course.

Cottage fries and fried chicken... Make a mans heart melt.
Thanks for sharing those awesome pics!

Saturday February 9 cont.

First of all, a big tip of the cap to Roadfooder Sfreader. His excellent website on Kansas restaurants was invaluable in helping me plan my trip.

http://www.kansastravel.org/kansasrestaurants.htm

Keith, I really wish our schedules would have worked out better so we could have shared a meal and I could have thanked you in person. Next time I am in the area, for sure!

My first stop in Kansas was in the tiny little town of Hartford to visit the European Bakeshop.

Truthfully, I was very suspicious of this place. I mean, a European bakery in a small town in the middle of nowhere? But as soon as I walked in, I felt much better about the place. There is a blackboard with a list of all the lunch items available.

And their one table was occupied by a woman and her soup & sandwich sure looked good. But, I was there to check out some of their bakery items.

There isn't a huge selection, but everything looks like it is made fresh.

They have pies, breads, cookies, but since I knew I was limited by what I could carry home, I ordered lightly. The one item I ate immediately, a dark chocolate truffle was intensely chocolatey and satisfying!

The rest I ate later and will show them then.

I asked the friendly owners, John & Evelyne O'Connor how such a small town could support a sophisticated bakery like this and they told me that it couldn't, but people come regularly from nearby Emporia and further to their place. By the way, Evelyne, who is French, still has a very strong, lovely accent.

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=3274&RefID=3336

http://www.europeanbakeshop.com/

I drove away wishing I had bought more than I did, but knowing I still had lots of food coming that day.

My next target was the Chicken House in another tiny town, Olpe. My GPS decided that the best route from Hartford to Olpe included this alledged road.

Oh well, at least I was only driving a rental!

Pulling up at the Chicken House

about 15 minutes after they opened, I was only their third customer of the day. But that didn't last long and they were soon swamped for lunch. People in Kansas will obviously drive a long way for a good meal, which is a quality I admire!

Of course, I had to order the chicken and got the three piece dinner.
A salad comes with the meal and one of the dressing choices was called Dorothy Lynch. Having never heard of it before, I asked the waitress. She said it was along the lines of a French dressing. So, I went with that.

I asked if Dorothy Lynch dressing was a specialty of theirs and she said no, it is available in the local grocery stores, too. The dressing was good (I like French dressing, so that helps) and the greens were very finely chopped. Good salad!

The menu and the Roadfood review mention that the onion rings here are a specialty. But French fries come with the meal and I would have had to order the onion rings as a side. After seeing how big an order was on another table (I saw a couple of grandparents come in with their grandson and immediately place two orders of onion rings!), I declined myself.

But the waitress still brought me a couple, just to try. Wasn't that nice of her?

Crunchy, greasy and sweet tasting, these are very good onion rings.

Finally, after a long wait ( I don't mind, since fried chicken to order should take a long time!), my main course came out.


First of all, this chicken had the most brittle crust I have ever seen. Just looking at it, made the crust fall away. And it was delicious, too. The meat itself was tender and juicy and I had no problem putting away all three pieces. Good french fries, too. Oh, I shouldn't call them that, since here they are called freedom fries.

By this point, I was quite full and I had planned on going straight to another restaurant from here, so I passed on the pies. Sorry to let you down CajunKing! But they looked homemade and good.


When I was driving to the Chicken House, I was thinking that this place didn't stand a chance with me. After having fried chicken the night before at Stroud's, how could anyplace compare. And although Stroud's was clearly superior, this place held its own. Anybody driving through the Emporia area would do well to stop in for a fine chicken dinner!

One more thing I should mention. In the review for Chicken House in Eat Your Way Across the USA, Jane & Michael mention the homemade honey wheat-nut bread. Unfortunately, they no longer serve it, since the owner Leonard who used to make it, passed away a few years ago.

Much more to come.....

Saturday February 9 cont.

My plan after leaving Chicken House was to drive to Hutchinson to try the bbq at Roy's Hickory Pit BBQ. I knew they closed at 3:00 on Saturdays or when they run out of meat. I called to confirm their hours and the woman who answered the phone said they were having a "wild and woolly day" and they were going to be out of meat very soon. Knowing I was about an hour and a half away, I disappointedly changed plans and headed for Wichita.

I really want to get to Roy's someday.....that must be some really good 'que!

http://www.roysbbq.com/

My first stop in Wichita was Nu Way Cafe.


Nu Way Cafe is a small chain of restaurants in the Wichita area that specializes in loose meat sandwiches. I hadn't planned on visiting here, but Sfreader mentioned I should at least stop in for their homemade root beer. And I'm glad I did. This is the 32 oz., which comes in a huge frosty mug.

Good, creamy, delicious root beer.

While I was here, I decided I might as well get something to eat. Real surprise, huh? I ordered one of the loose meat sandwiches

which come standard with pickle, onion and mustard. Good combination and good sandwich. I also got an order of the onion rings and enjoyed those, too.


Here is a shot of the sandwich portion of the menu board.


http://www.kansastravel.org/wichitanuway.htm

Now being stuffed beyond belief, it was time to do some sightseeing. I drove around and saw some of the interesting buildings in Wichita, which were nice. But as soon as I pulled up at Wichita North High School, I knew I hit paydirt.





I realize no none else out there might care about this as much as I do, but I was genuinely thrilled to see this gorgeous building. Even the flagpole was something special.


How many high schools have a statue like this in their courtyard?


While I was walking around, I struck up a conversation with a friendly maintenance woman, who didn't mind me seeing the school interior. She even walked around unlocking some doors for me, so I could see some rooms. Although not as nice as the outside, it is lovely, too.


Since Wichita is best known for aircraft manufacturing, I thought visiting the local aviation museum would be a good idea. Not particularly big, this art deco building, I believe, used to be the old airport terminal. They have a decent size grounds with plenty of modern planes

and lots of displays on the inside. They do seem to be currently refurbishing lots of older planes, too. My single favorite thing here was being able to go up in the control tower.


I stayed here a good hour plus, until they closed at 5:00PM. For anyone who enjoys aviation or history, this place is worth the visit.

http://www.kansasaviationmuseum.org/

Much more to come and I promise lots more food photos.....

Buffetbuster, that is so cool! Since I am here in Emporia, I'm delighted that you were able to stop at the Chicken House. Definitely an institution around here, and I'm also glad that you stopped at the European Bakeshop. Yes, a lot of us here in Emporia go to these places. The sunflower wheat bread that the Chicken House has served in the past is occasionally available in our local stores.

For anyone coming through Emporia, you need to try some of these "Roadfood" places:

J's Carryout (south Commercial, as you come up Highway 99 north from Olpe). A very small building with some inside seating, and incredible burgers, chili dogs, fries, etc. And you get a free vanilla ice cream cone if you are ordering and eating inside.

Bobby D's (Merchant St). BBQ fans, here you go. Bobby's barbecue sauce is homemade and comes in mild or hot. It's a bit thinner than the KC barbecue sauce, and available at the table for you to use as you like. Really good smoked ribs and brisket in particular, along with sides of cheesy potatoes and other goodies. Try the blackberry or peach cobblers.

Wheat State Pizza (north Commercial, near Emporia State U). Not local as in Emporia, but this pizza place started in Lawrence and the owner has branched out. Our Wheat State Pizza is now in a former Godfather's building and very convenient for students. I recommend the pizza on a thin whole wheat crust; well, at least you think you are eating healthy!

Amanda's Cafe (Commercial, in the Kress Center). This cafe is relatively new. For us in Emporia, it's our closest equivalent to Panera. Several sandwiches and soups are available for lunch, and the sandwiches are on her homemade bread (choices include French bread and honey whole wheat.)

Any Roadfooders who are coming up or down I-35, I-335/Turnpike, or Highway 99 -- drop me a message ahead of time, and I'll do recommendations!

zeebaneighba-
Thanks for the reply.....I love to hear from locals.

A couple of questions. Since Leonard passed away, who makes the wheat bread they sell in the stores? And can you shed anymore light on Dorothy Lynch salad dressing? Is it widespread or fairly localized?

One more.....how good are the pies at Chicken House? I get the feeling I really messed up by not getting a slice.

Glad to oblige! I can tell you that the Dorothy Lynch salad dressing is available in the Midwest and West. Here's a link to the store locators:

http://www.dorothylynch.com/storelocator/index.cfm

I think that the sunflower wheat bread was actually made by another local company. Now, I can't vouch one way or another for Leonard Coble making bread...I just don't know.

The pies are indeed very good at the Chicken House! However, I really don't think you messed up by not getting a slice, as it looks like you had some other great places to go in Kansas. Next time...a slice to go. BTW, the Chicken House building is, I believe, the second one. The first Chicken House location in the same place burned down in the early 1970s. I was there just once, as a tyke of 11 years old. Thirty-odd years later, of course, people here still think of it as the "new" building!

Forgot another local place in Emporia, Bruff's (now located at what is now the Guesthouse Inn on the I-35 and Industrial Road exit.) Bruff's has kind of an interesting history. It was a bar and grill in downtown Emporia, and became known for excellent seasoned and grilled steaks and burgers. It burned down several years ago (good heavens, my post doesn't sound too promising...!) At any rate, the owner relocated in an abandoned restaurant at the above motel -- which was at that time a Ramada Inn, formerly a Holiday Inn! Well, the much larger space started to attract a different crowd, more families, etc. So, Bruff's has stayed where it is and is a fun local sports bar, etc. Still serving excellent steaks!

I have spent some time in a LOT of high schools - but that is one of the nicest ones I have ever seen. Ironically, one of the most recent nice high schools that I passed was on the way to Loveless Cafe in Nashville. If you were heading out to the restaurant, it was on one of the roads that I traveled to get there. If I remember right, Mr. Chips or ellen4641 may have been with me when I first saw it and was amazed at how nice it was. The biggest difference - that was definitely a private school with serious coin - yours looks like the local public high school. Nice find.

Saturday February 9 cont.

After leaving the museum, I found Doc's Steak House

in Wichita, which has appeared in old Roadfood books. What a strange shaped building it is on the inside.

Their website is garlic salad.com, so it is fairly obvious what I have to order as an appetizer. The garlic salad

is basically garlicy cole slaw on a bed on lettuce. I thought the taste of garlic would be overpowering, but it seemed to have just the right amount and was fresh tasting and delicious. I would stop in again just to get this dish. They do also offer double garlic and triple garlic, but I think that would be overkill for me.

For my steak, I went for the small (11 oz.) T-Bone

but I thought the steak itself was nothing special. The price was unbelievably cheap, though, as this meal cost less than $14.00 minus tip. This place is obviously very popular with the locals and by 5:30 there was a wait for a table.

http://www.garlicsalad.com/

My hotel for the night was in Salina, so I got back on the highway and headed north. While I was driving through Emporia earlier in the day, I passed an ice cream place called Brahm's. It looked good, but I had too many miles to cover, so I didn't stop in.

Now, while driving on I-135 north, I passed several signs advertising a Brahm's in the various towns, so obviously they are a chain I had never heard of before. Instead of stopping, I wanted to save my appetite for my last planned stop of the night and I was hoping there would be a Brahm's in Salina.

Once again, fate smiled on me, since as I pulled up to my hotel, the Comfort Inn, a Brahm's literally sat next door.

I checked into my hotel and relaxed for a few hours.

Much more to come.....

buffetbuster, does the Chicken House still call their French Fries, Freedom Fries?

My take on Doc's Steak House was similar to yours.

zeebaneighba, thanks so much for the Emporia sugestions. Bobby D's is the only one that I have tried. While it didn't click for me, I look forward to checking out the others.

Keith