by Sharm | Nov 21, 2014 | Articles
As much as I love finding local places to eat, I have to say I probably visit Chipotle twice a week. It is so good and fast and the whole family loves it!
The new Sofritas at Chipotle have been in test markets for about a year and have done so well that they have made their way to KC and are mostly available nationwide.
So you may be thinking what the heck is Sofritas?
Chipotle’s new Sofritas is shredded tofu braised with chipotle chilis, roasted poblanos and a blend of aromatic spices made with organic, non-GMO tofu.
The new Sofritas are a great option for Vegetarians but will also satisfy the Carnivore. I am not a vegetarian but am trying to eat less meat so I have tried the Sofritas a few times now and must say they are tasty! I would compare the texture to ground turkey and the taste is similar to their chicken.
If you are not familiar with tofu, it is a great protein made out of soy but honestly does not have much flavor so the spicy seasoning really infuses the braised tofu making the Sofritas quite satisfying.
Sofritas are available in burritos, tacos, burrito bowls and salads. The beauty of Chipotle is you can make it your own by choosing what you like out of all the ingredients they have such as, white or brown cilantro-lime rice, pinto beans or vegetarian black beans, house-made salsas, guacamole, cheese, sour cream and more.
My go to is a burrito bowl with just a 1/2 scoop of the brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, Sofritas, mild salsa, just a dash of the medium salsa, extra corn salsa, guacamole and lettuce. Love it! I also add a few dashes of the Chipotle Tabasco!
Oh, and I also have to have a few tortilla chips. I think they must add something to the salt and lime on them that make them so addictive!
Check out the new Sofritas next time you are at Chipotle. I promise you will really like them!
In Good Taste,
Sharm
by Sharm | Nov 18, 2014 | Articles
If you are looking to dine out this Thanksgiving and have someone else tackle the turkey, below are a list of dining options around the metro. Most require or recommend reservations so be sure to call your restaurant of choice in advance to get exact details on reservation requirements, hours served, menu questions, pricing or more information.
Cooper’s Hawk
Open regular restaurant hours, featuring traditional Thanksgiving fare in addition to regular menu.
4686 Broadway Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-531-1500
The Capital Grill
Thanksgiving favorites. $36 per adult, $15 per child. Ala carte menu is also available. Hours:11am – 9pm
4740 Jefferson Street
Kansas City, MO
816-531-8345
Seasons 52
Traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, including Pumpkin Pie Mini! $26.95; $12.95 Child’s Portion. Full dinner menu also available. 11:30am – 8pm.
340 Ward Parkway
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-531-0052
Sullivan’s Steakhouse
Enjoy a classic roasted turkey dinner- $39 Prix Fixe menu, or savor mouthwatering steaks and seafood with our popular dinner menu. 12pm – 8pm
4501 West 119th Street
Leawood, KS 66209
913-345-0800
Providence New American Kitchen
Executive Eric Chef Carter will host a special three-course Prix Fixe feast all day. $25 for adults, $12.50 for children 12 and under. In addition, Providence will serve its full selection of appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts from the dinner menu all day. The Drum Room Lounge is also open all day for classic cocktails, champagne by the glass, the new bottled cocktails and full bar.
1329 Baltimore in The President Hotel
Kansas City, MO 64105
816-303-1686
Affare
Holiday Brunch from 10:30 am – 3:00 pm, Four course dinner from 3:00 to 8:00 ($48)
1911 Main
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-298-6182
Bristol Seafood Grill Kansas City and Leawood locations
3-course Thanksgiving Prix-Fixe menu. Adults $33 and children 12 & under $17.
Kansas City – 51 East 14th Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
816-448-6007
Leawood – 5400 West 119th Street
Town Center Plaza
Leawood, KS 6620
913-663-5777
Buca di Beppo
Features a traditional turkey dinner feast and your Italian favorites. Open at 11am.
310 West 47th Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-931-6548
Fogo de Chao
This Brazilian steakhouse offers16 cuts of delectable fire roasted meats, Brazilian side dishes, and more. Open 11am – 9pm $48.50.
222 W. 47th Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-931-7700
Golden Ox
Features a traditional Thanksgiving Buffet. Drinks and assorted desserts included. 10:30 am – 6:00 pm. $23.95 per person.
1600 Genessee Suite 100
Kansas City, MO 64102
816-842-2866
Gram and Dun
Enjoy a special menu fit for the occasion, including Gram and Dun favorites along with a spin on traditional Thanksgiving dishes. If you want to feast at home you can pre-order your turkey with all the fixings and it’ll be packed up and ready for pick-up on Thanksgiving morning, November 27.
600 Ward Parkway
Kansas City, MO 64112
8163892900
Jax Fish House
1st Annual Plaza Lighting Stone Crab Celebration at Jax KC! Full menu also available. Open from 4pm with happy hour all night.
4814 Roanoke Pkwy
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-437-7940
The Journey Steakhouse
Located in the Argosy Casino. Enjoy a mesquite grilled Turkey breast with whipped garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. $28 per person includes soup or salad.
777 NW Argosy Pkwy
Riverside, MO 64150
816-746-3485
McCormick and Schmick’s
Roasted Turkey, Cornbread Stuffing, Apple Squash Casserole, Butternut Squash Bisque and more. Adults $26.99, Children $9.99.
448 West 47th Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-531-6800
Morton’s Grille
Trade in the turkey for steak this year at Morton’s Grille. Open 1 pm to 9 pm.
4646 JC Nichols Parkway
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-531-7799
OP 1906
Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner with a southern twist! Serving 11am – 2pm & 4pm -1 0pm. $28 per person (tax,gratuity & beverages excluded)
6100 College Blvd
Overland Park, KS 66211
913-253-1906
Gaslight Grill
Buffet served from 11 am to 6 pm. $32.95 adults, $17.95 children.
5020 W. 137th St
Leawood, KS 66224
913-897-3540
Julian
Three courses $38 for adults, $18 for kids 10 and under. Seatings from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Menu features butternut squash bisque, brined and roasted turkey breast with dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and turkey gravy, and pumpkin cheesecake with nutmeg whipped cream.
6227 Brookside Plaza
Kansas City, MO 64113
816-214-8454
The Tea Room by Country Keepsakes
Sunday brunch menu that is also served on select holidays such as Thanksging that includes assorted salads, casseroles, sides, turkey , ham, rolls, pies, cakes and cobblers and more. $23.95 adults, $13.99 kids 5-10 and $8.99 for 4 and under. 11 am to 3 pm
501 Main St.
Belton, Missouri 64012
816-348-7888
Chaz on the Plaza
Located in the Raphael Hotel, Chaz features a Thanksgiving buffet with assorted salads, sides, meats and desserts. Adults $55.00, Children 6-12 $19.95. 12 pm to 8 pm.
325 Ward Parkway
Kansas City, Missouri 64112
Plaza III
Served 11am – 9pm. First Course: Plaza III Garden Salad, Entrée: Plated Oven Roasted Turkey
Served with Homemade Cornbread Stuffing, Fresh Green Beans with Red Pepper & Onion, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Fresh Dinner Rolls. Dessert: Pumpkin, Pecan Pie or Apple Pie. Adults $29.95, Children 5-10 $11.95.
4749 Pennsylvania
Kansas City MO 64112
816-753-0000
Avenues Bistro
Enjoy dinner at the restaurant from 11am – 8pm or let them prepare your feast to go and choose your family style fixings. Dinner serves 8-10 people. $139. Pick Up Thursday, November 27,2014 from 9am – 1pm. Last Day To Order is 11/25/14.
Ophelia’s
Located on the historic Independence Square, Ophelias will be serving a traditional holiday buffet. Adults $29.00, Children 5 – 12 $12.50, 4 and under free.
201 N Main
Independence, MO 64050
816.461.4525
Reserve
Located in the Ambassador Hotel. Reserve will be serving a 3 Course Plated Dinner: Soup Du Jour, Oven roasted turkey, mashed potatoes with house-made gravy, seasonal vegetable, stuffing and seasonal dessert.
1111 Grand Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64106
816-298-7700
Michael Forbes
Thanksgiving Buffet served 10 am to 5 pm. Adults $22.90, Children 12 and under $11.00.
128 W 63rd St.
Kansas City, MO 64113
816-333-4355
Metropolitan KC
Located in the downtown Marriott. Enjoy a Thanksgiving Buffet Feast from 11a-3p, adults $26, children 12-4 $13 and 3 and under are free.
200 W. 12th St.
Kansas City, MO 64105
816-421-6800
Lidia’s
Serving a four-course dinner from 12 pm to 6 pm. Adults $45.00, Children 12 and under $15.00.
101 West 22nd Street
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-221-3722
If you are headed to the Plaza lighting ceremony, quite a few coffee shops, bakeries and bars will be open starting at 5 pm. Check out the County Club Plaza website for complete details.
by Sharm | Nov 17, 2014 | Articles
I travel quite a bit and the Sony Xperia Z2 tablet recently loaned out to me by Verizon Wireless has become my travel buddy. It is now time for me to send it back but before I do, here is the scoop on what I loved about the tablet.
While the traveling keeps me busy, there is plenty of wait times with it and that is where this tablet shines.
First of all it is extremely thin, light weight, portable and android format offers a never ending list of apps and games in the Google Play store.
The WiFi capabilities make it easy to join available networks, so to pass the time waiting in the airports, I can hook up and surf the web, check email and even watch live TV by signing into our television service provider via their app. The WiFi also worked in the airplane as I could connect to the planes WiFi service making the time fly, literally!
Some of my travels also include many hours in the car. I am usually not the driver so to pass the time there, the mobile hotspot feature on the tablet allows for connectivity on go. It is easy to pull up driving directions and research many other travel options such as restaurants, hotels and shopping.
The biggest lifesaver on my recent travels with this tablet is when one of my trips got extended and I was without my laptop. I was able to log in to my blog on the tablet and write a post and upload pictures. Although, typing on the tablet was not quite as easy as the laptop it worked in a pinch and was thankful to not miss the deadline.
I am not tech savvy enough to go into all the specifications so you can find them here. I will tell you the battery life lasted two days with quite a bit of use. I also enjoyed watching and gaming on the 10 inch HD screen. The tablet has both a rear and front facing camera and is also waterproof.
Since this tablet was only on loan to me, I was hesitant to put the waterproof feature to test. The Sony website claims it can easily handle a plunge in the sink. It also claims you can take pictures with it while swimming in freshwater for up to 30 minutes and even dive with it for up to 1.5 meters. Just make sure that all the covers for the micro USB port, the micro SIM slot and the memory card slot are firmly closed.
I really enjoyed using this tablet and even found myself grabbing it at home to check email or do a quick Google search as it was quicker than firing up the laptop.
I wish to thank Verizon Wireless for lending me the tablet and also want to share with you, some big news from them.
Mobile data usage is expected to be at an all-time high this holiday season as friends and family travel and connect to stay in touch. To help ease the stress of traveling on one of the year’s biggest travel days, Verizon Wireless is declaring Nov. 26 as Connection Day.
This celebration offers wireless customers on any carrier the opportunity to connect with friends, family, games, apps, and news, thanks to partnerships with Amazon, Apple, Boingo Wireless, Conde Nast, Gogo Technologies JetBlue and Pandora.
In addition, Verizon is also giving its MORE Everything customers the gift of 1GB of data at no extra cost.
Partner offers are as follows:
Amazon: Selection of 10 free/discounted apps, plus two free Audible book downloads (new members) or $10 Audible credit (current members)
Apple: A special offer from iTunes to be revealed on Nov. 26
Condé Nast: Free Digital Edition downloads of 17 Conde Nast Publications, including Wired, Vanity Fair and GQ.
Free Wi-Fi: 30-minute complimentary Internet sessions through Boingo Wireless (at airports) and Gogo Technologies (in-flight).
JetBlue: Free in-flight Fly-Fi (Wi-Fi) for flights between November 26th and December 24th.
Pandora Media: Free seven-day trial of Pandora One.
Get all the details about Connection Day here.
by Sharm | Nov 7, 2014 | Articles
Are you ready to experience the impossible?
Food Network Celebrity Chef and host of the television show Dinner Impossible Robert Irvine, is coming to Kansas City!
Robert Irvine LIVE is more than just a cooking demo. This interactive show will provide multiple opportunities for audience participation while witnessing the challenging nature of the TV show, Dinner: Impossible, come to life right before your eyes.
Multiple cameras setup on the stage provide a close-up view of all the excitement. In each segment of the show Robert will face a new and unique culinary challenge. This multimedia experience will include music and video content specifically produced for this show and is combined to seamlessly work with the cooking to provide an experience unlike any other.
The show is Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 8:00 p.m.. at the Midland Theater. Ticket prices range from $39.50 to $135.00
Tickets are on sale now at midlandkc.com.
