Thursday, December 6, 2012

Los Tules

Loosely translated, “Lost tools.” (I know roughly enough Spanish to get me stabbed in Mexico.)

What’s better than a happy hour with $1 tacos? A happy hour with $1 tacos that’s four hours long. Welcome to Los Tules, Mondays through Wednesdays from 4 to 8 p.m.

These are seriously awesome tacos, too. They’re fried-shut corn tortillas filled with ground beef, then garnished with a ton of cheese and lettuce. For maximum cheese delivery, turn your taco parallel to the ground and eat it like a stuffed nacho. Never let cheese go to waste.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Twisted Doughnut


Finally, a doughnut shop for the crazy, mixed-up world of today.

Who’s got two thumbs and is bonkers for doughnuts? My daughter, that’s who. So for a fun Saturday morning treat, I took her to Twisted Doughnut, Kansas City’s newest doughnuteria.

Twisted Doughnut is from the brains behind Smallcakes, and shares space with that cupcakery’s original location. They’ve got some unusual varieties of doughnuts and long johns, a few of which involve bacon. Then they’ve also got your everyday glazed and cake doughnuts -- you know, for all the squares and lame-o dweebyheads.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Hiland Light


‘Land, no.

How cheap is Hiland Light? It’s so cheap that even I think it’s nasty.

And seriously, at $4.99 for a 20 pack, Hiland Light may be the cheapest beer I’ve ever had. I’m pretty sure the last time I bought Meister Brau it was at least $2.89 for a sixer, and that was in the ‘90s.

I found Hiland Light at the Missouri Lukas Liquor. They had a few small sample glasses out, and it tasted fine enough to bring home for a trial run as the cheap beer of the house -- after all, at 25 cents per can compared to 48 cents for a Natural Light (case of 24 for $11.49), that’s a savings of $4.60. Or in other terms, about three Taco Bell Beefy 5-Layer Burritos.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Robert's Western World (Lunch Blog in Nashville, Pt. 2)

My bologna has a first name -- it’s F R I E D.

I’ve been a fan of old school country music ever since I was introduced to it in college by Mike Soden, fellow alumni of KU's campus station KJHK 90.7 FM and host of the fondly remembered Jayhawk Hayride.

The band that really did it for me was BR5-49, whose self-titled full-length debut had just come out right around then. At the time they were recording it, BR5-49 was also playing four-hour sets three times a week as the house band at Robert’s Western World. And as that record remains one of my favorites to this day, I wanted to stop at Robert’s to have a beer and check out BR5-49’s old stomping grounds while I was in Nashville.



Like so many of the places on Lower Broadway, Robert’s has live music from open to close, and a handful of people were enjoying afternoon beers and listening to Dave Cox finish up a lunchtime set when we walked in. The two of us took a seat at a high top, and Nicole started eyeing the shelves full of boots lining the nearby wall. Even though a little bit of daylight was coming in through the front window, there’s something about Robert’s that makes it feel like it's always almost last call inside those walls.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Pancake Pantry (Lunch Blog in Nashville, Pt. 1)

On the road again.

Went to Nashville on business the other week. While I mostly subsisted on hotel food, there are a couple of places I went that I’d like to tell y’all about. (Apparently it only takes a day or two in Tennessee for this former Southern boy’s accent to come back -- at least when I type, anyway.)

The first place is Pancake Pantry. My co-worker Nicole and I arrived in Nashville mid-morning with some time to spare before we could check into the hotel, so we decided to get some breakfast and found this restaurant on Urbanspoon. They’ve got 23 different kinds of pancakes. 23! Who’s tough stuff now, IHOP?

Friday, March 30, 2012

Chef’s Classic Knock OUT ‘Bout

“8 Chefs. 3 Rounds. 1 Champion.”

It was a battle royale at St. James Academy last Saturday for the Chef’s Classic Knock OUT ‘Bout.

At this boxing-themed culinary throwdown, eight local chefs competed for a trophy roughly the size of a high school freshman. In each of rounds one and two, the chefs prepared an appetizer and all attendees got a ticket to vote for their favorite. The top two chefs then advanced to round three -- a secret ingredient, Iron Chef-style, head-to-head cookoff.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Majestic Restaurant

Monocles optional.

For our most recent Guys’ Night, we decided to check out the Majestic Restaurant for some fancy drinks and cheap happy hour eats. Robert had been there for happy hour before, and swore on the deliciousness of the housemade corn dogs. Seeing as how we’re already big fans of your everyday non-gourmet corn dogs, he pretty much had Dorsett and I sold immediately.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Brannigans Potato Crisps (U.K. Snacks, Part 2)

Pair these entrée-flavored chips with chip-flavored chips and you’ve got yourself a complete meal.

While Chris and I were waiting to board the plane back home, these unusual Brannigans flavors of chips -- pardon me, flavours of crisps -- caught my eye at an airport gift shop. You’ll notice they’re all based on main course meat dishes.

According to the bags, these are “proper thick cut crisps.” That’s good, because if one wishes to maintain a respectable standing within British society, one mustn’t be seen associating with crisps of the improper sort. You’d never live down the scandal.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Natty Daddy

Bad dad.

Did you know that Natural Light is the fifth best-selling beer in the United States? It’s true, all thanks to the efforts of myself, Shaw, Dorsett and the collective buying power of the high school population of America. You’re welcome, Anheuser-Busch.

I cannot, however, say thanks back for Natty Daddy ($1.79), the latest addition to the Natural Light family. Discovered out in the wild on a Friday afternoon beer run, there was no way I could pass it up, but I so wish I had.