by Sharm | Jul 20, 2010 | Articles
If you have not had the chance to make it to Jasper’s for one of his experiences, you are really missing out. This guy is so talented and knows his food. The flavors he puts together are amazing and he is committed to supporting as many local producers as he can.
This Prosciutto Experience probably had some of the best food I have ever tasted. To be honest I have not had much Prosciutto. Growing up, I don’t think I had even heard of it. It wasn’t until I was older and traveled some that I found out about it.
The only thing to compare it too would be ham or bacon. But there is such a delicacy to the Prosciutto, that it just doesn’t seem to do it justice.
Immediately upon entering we were handed a Peachcello Cocktail, peaches and vodka…..need I say more?
Then for starters there were Castelvetrano Olives, wonderful breads and crackers from the very talented Susanne Frisse of Meadowlark Acres and Ricotta with Orange Olive Oil from the Tasteful Olive.
(More about them another time). There was also a Chilled Local Melon and Prosciutto Soup, these delightful Prosciutto and Melon Pops and a wonderful Frittata. Jasper thought the soup turned out too thick but I thought it was perfect and that it had a wonderful texture. The Melon Pops, were these perfect cubes of sweet melon wrapped in a pink blanket of thinly slice Proscuitto. They were served on a lollipop stick with just a drizzle of balsamic. They were adorable and delicious. And the Fritta, do you see the picture? Yes, that is crispy crumbled Prosciutto on top!
The next course was a Green Egg and Prosciutto dish. It came with some asparagus that was cooked to perfection. The egg was perfect as well; the white had a nice crisp to it and the yolk, delightfully runny.
After that was a wonderful Hand Cut Taglierini Pasta with Proscuittto di Parma, Peas and Romano. By this time I was getting full and knew a couple more courses were coming. So a few bites later it was time to box it up and wait for the next divine dish to arrive.
I of course was not disappointed, upon my plate where these Grilled Medallions of Chicken stuffed with Fontina Cheese and of course Prosciutto. They were perfectly crisp on the outside and with the melted cheese on the inside made all the flavors blended beautifully. It was tender and juicy. Alongside the chicken were Susanne Frisse’s wonderful locally grown Tri Color Potato and Proscuitto stacks. Wow! They were so beautiful and tasted even better. They had a hint of fennel and were just a little bit spicy. I am hoping I can talk her out of that recipe.
Lastly, dessert consisted of a Sweet Polenta Tart with Local Peaches and Vanilla Bean Gelato with Crispy Proscuitto and Orange Caramel. Jasper garnished the dish with local blueberries that were picked that morning and given to him by yours truly! The Gelato and Crispy Proscuitto combination was out of this world. It had that great salty sweet thing going on the tart put it all over the top!
It was truly an Experience. Jasper used a couple of different kinds of prosciutto, gave us the scoop and some history behind it and as you can see, prepared it in some truly unique and delicious ways.
I hope you are able to attend one of Jasper’s “Experiences” The next one up is an Heirloom Tomato Experience get the details below.
“An Heirloom Tomato Experience”
August 9, 2010
Cost is $45.00 per person, does not include wine pairing, tax or gratuity.
For more information or to register call: 816-941-6600, email: jasperjr@aol.com or visit Jasper’s website.
In Good Taste,
Sharm
Prosciutto
by Sharm | Jul 15, 2010 | Articles
I was at Nara as back in March when they hosted the Urban Picnic. They have an event space above the restaurant that is a perfect venue for hosting events and parties.
A couple days later I noticed my coat was missing. I decided Nara was the last place I had it. So I called and sure enough it was there.
I just happened to have my Foodie KC deck and it had a card in there for $10.00 off Nara. I thought perfect; I can retrieve my coat and have dinner too. Well the evening got away from us and we did not end up getting to Nara until after 10:00 p.m.
That actually did not turn out to be a bad thing. The place was hopping and the atmosphere was great. I loved the urban décor and vibe from the music. Nara hosts a wonderful late night happy hour with great drink specials and ½ price appetizers. What a deal!
My husband really likes Sushi, so we ordered a variety of sushi items from the menu. I ate the California Roll but other than that I am not a big sushi or seafood fan. They do make a mean California Roll and I am happy to go to a place where both of us can get something we like. If you are a sushi lover Nara has an exceptional sushi menu and it is all fresh and made to order.
We also got these delectable chicken skewers, an order of crab rangoon and edamame. The chicken skewers were tender and had a wonderful Asian sauce and the edamame perfectly steamed a lightly salted. I love cracking open the edamame pods and popping those little green gems that are hiding inside right into my mouth. Steve really likes crab rangoon, they are not my favorite, but I tried a bite and the shell was crispy and the filling perfectly creamy. 
Our waitress Colleen was an absolute doll and we had a wonderful time. It seemed we got so caught up in conversation about how good everything was I forgot to use our Foodie KC card. Nara’s late night happy hour is a great deal and our bill was only $29. That included our food, beer and wine all without the discount. I guess I will just have to go back again to use my card, and I am thinking it may be pretty soon because for some reason, I am really craving a California Roll right now.
If you haven’t been to Nara put it on your list. You will love the hip urban feel of the atmosphere and the food even better.
Also don’t forget they have rental space available if you are need of somewhere for your next event.
Nara
1617 Main
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-221-6272
In Good Taste,
Sharm
by Sharm | Jul 7, 2010 | Articles
What a sweet way to send the very best.
Best Regards is a bakery that specializes in gourmet gift baskets and has been around for about 18 years. What makes them special to me and this blog is that they are from the KC metro area, Olathe, KS to be exact. Another reason is that their products are amazingly delicious.
Robert and Cherrie Duensing, owners of Best Regards, stumbled into the cookie business by accident. After 9/11 hit they found that many of the manufacturers they used were changing recipes to cut costs. They felt that this caused some quality decrease, and did not want to send out those products in their gift baskets.
They realized that to meet the high standards they had for memorable taste and quality they were going to have to make their own. They obsessively worked on new cookies, one recipe at a time, searching for the best ingredients they could find without regard to costs. Over the last eight years they have perfected well over 20 different cookies.
As luck would have it my hubby was in Olathe the other day, so I told him to go by and get some items from Best Regards for me to sample, and if they were good I would write about them. Obviously things were pretty darn tasty because here I am blogging away.
If you have read some of the other posts on here you know I love key lime. When I heard their seasonal items right now are key lime products I knew I had to try them all. The key lime pound cake, key lime cookies, and key lime pie. The pound cake was my favorite, it had a sweet key lime glaze and the cake was moist. The cookie was reminiscent of a powdered sugar donut. It was wonderfully thick with the perfect balance of tart and sweet all dipped into lime powdered sugar. The pie was a perfect single-serving treat with a crunchy graham cracker crust and creamy lime filling. 
A few other samples included a chocolate chip cookie that never made it home, but I was told it was good. I am guessing the driver decided he needed a tip. There was also a cranberry orange cookie which Robert says, if he had the opportunity to present a cookie to Oprah that the cranberry orange would be it.
Best Regards offers many types of gift baskets, cookie of the month club, corporate gifts and treats of all kinds including brownies, chocolates, cupcakes and more.
Best Regards offers wholesale, retail and nationwide delivery. They also have free samples of every cookie and seasonal treat available at their retail showroom and offer specials and discounts occasionally on their Facebook page.
I have to tell you that I am sold on Best Regards products. The ingredient labels read just like something that is homemade should: butter, flour, sugar, eggs etc… There was nothing I could not pronounce or did not know what it was. No preservatives, additives or junk! With quality ingredients going in, a quality product comes out.
Next time you need a gift to send or just want some goodies, make sure and visit Best Regards. For more information on their location or to place an order online visit the Best Regards website.
Best Regards is offering a special just for What You’re Missing KC! blog followers and Facebook fans. $5.00 off of a $15 purchase good until Friday, July 16. This will be good for walk in orders (tell them you found them on What You’re Missing KC!) and internet orders. Promotion Code: “Missing”
Best Regards
6759 W. 119th St.
OP, KS 66209
913-782-1505
www.MakeThemSmile.com
In Good Taste,
Sharm
by Sharm | Jun 29, 2010 | Articles
Who dreams up ice cream flavors like Strawberry Balsamic, Sweet Corn, Pineapple Cilantro, Salted Pretzel, and Caramelized Banana? It is the one and only Christopher Elbow.
Christopher Elbow who nationally known for his exquisite handmade chocolates, has been a chef in Las Vegas where help celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse open Delmonico Steakhouse at the Venetian. He then moved to Paris (as in the Paris Resort and Casino) to help chef Jean Joho open the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. Finally Christopher returned to Kansas City to accept the pastry chef position at the American Restaurant. It was there that he began perfecting his chocolate-making skills, and is now a Master Artisanal Chocolatier.
Elbow, now owns Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates, and has shops in Kansas City and San Francisco. He has expanded his passion for making high quality chocolates in unusual flavors, by opening up Glacé Artisanal Ice Cream. At Glacé he is taking a culinary approach to making the ice cream and is passionate about using real ingredients. You can truly taste the difference.
What I love about Christopher’s concept on his ice cream is that when available, most of the flavors can be made with local ingredients. With using local and seasonal ingredients, there will always be a new flavor every few days. He is even working with some schools and community gardens to grow different types of produce to use in the ice cream, and to give the children a sense of the farm to table concept.
The day I went, the flavor board had a Rosemary Caramel flavor. What? Rosemary Caramel, are you kidding me? I love rosemary! I love caramel, but wouldn’t you know it, that flavor was out!
Well, it was really not that unfortunate that they did not have the Rosemary Caramel flavor that day because there were so many other flavors I wanted try too. So, I finally narrowed my choices down to the flavors, Peanut Butter and Jelly and Goat Cheese Cherry. Wow! The PB&J had the nostalgia of the classic sandwich with an artisanal creamy twist, and was made with homemade jam. The the Goat Cheese Cherry, was a perfect mix of sweet creaminess and tartness. Unbelievable! But, I was still on a mission to get there when they has some Rosemary Caramel. I called the shop and asked on the facebook page when it would be available, and as gracious as Christopher is he kept me in the loop on when it would be in.
A few days later I got the message that is was made, so I got myself straight to Glacé to get a container and I was not disappointed. First there is a hint of rosemary and then the caramel hits. I am actually eating some right now! It is delicious!
With so many wonderful and unique flavors, and an actual chef in the kitchen making it fresh, I don’t think I can ever go to a chain ice cream shop again.
If you are unsure about some of the flavor combinations I have mentioned, don’t worry. Glacé offers a flavor for everyone, including the old stand by’s like vanilla bean and of course chocolate, three kinds of it as a matter of fact.
With the location being just off the plaza, it is the perfect place to get a treat after a day of shopping or dining. I recommend you take a trip to Glacé to beat the heat and enjoy some cool and creamy artisan ice cream in flavors that will absolutely make you melt. Enjoy!
Glacé
Sunday-Thursday: 12-9:30
Friday-Saturday: 12-10:30
4960 Main St., Kansas City, MO
816-561-1117
And as always if you have a great food find in KC. Email me
In Good Taste,
Sharm
by Sharm | Jun 28, 2010 | Articles
My spin, on Spin! Pizza.
I have been hearing such great things about Spin! Neapolitan Pizza that I just had to try it for myself. Well, what I was hearing was right. If you haven’t been you should take the time to do so. I was in awe of the delicious selections of the handmade pizzas.
I was there with my daughter for lunch. And with such a selection of gourmet goodness, it was a tough decision. After much deliberation, we finally chose the POLLO ARROSTO E CHEVRE (Roast Chicken & Goat Cheese) Pizza. It came with Caramelized Onions, Crimini Mushrooms and we added on the Onion Fig Marmalade. Wow!! Really Good!
The stone oven gives the crust just the right amount of crispiness. The combination of the creamy goat cheese along with onion fig marmalade was the perfect balance of salty and sweet.
Spin! has a great selection of pizzas, sandwiches, salads, soups, flatbreads and spreads. Spin! also offers a great selection of wines. 
At the Olathe, Overland Park and Lee’s Summit locations, you can bring in your favorite bottle of wine. The corkage fee is $1.00 on weekdays and $5.00 on the weekends. What a deal!
Although I had a wonderful lunch with my daughter, I was wishing there were a few more of us so we could try some of the other menu items. The rosemary flatbread with the roasted red pepper and goat cheese spread was just calling my name. I can’t wait to go back and try it.
Even thought it was just the two of us, and we could have finished off the whole pizza we ordered. We decided to pace ourselves and save room for the gelato.
Spin’s gelato is cool and creamy and comes in a variety of flavors. The gelato is served with a homemade Italian cookie. The cookies are made by Dicapo Foods, a local company right here in KC that makes Italian Holiday and Wedding Cookies.
Spin! Offers Spin! Club, a free club that earns you free pizza and more.
One more bonus that makes Spin! even better is, you don’t have to feel guilty if you over indulged a bit. You can take Spin! for a ride, a bike ride that is. Once a week, there is a meet up at each location for a 12 to 24 mile bike ride. Check out Spin!Rides for the details on times and locations.
Spin has 4 KC metro area locations, Overland Park, Olathe, Lee’s Summit and Kansas City. I was at the Lee’s Summit location and I loved the hip urban feel of the décor. The service was great and the food was delicious.
Take a spin and check out Spin! Neapolitan Pizza. It will make you dizzy with delight!
Visit Spin’s! Website for information on locations, hours and menu items.
And as always, if you have a great food find in KC. Email me
In Good Taste,
Sharm
by Sharm | Jun 14, 2010 | Articles
blanc burgers + bottles is an upscale burger establishment.
blanc’s focus is on gourmet burgers and, of course, all of the fixings to go with them.
If you’ve read my previous post from a few weeks ago on b:2 you know I just love blanc, and I was so excited when learned I had won a free happy hour for me and 9 of my friends from them on facebook. I thought “This is great that I get to share such a wonderful restaurant with all of my friends.” If you have a facebook and do not have them “liked” I suggest you do so. These guys are always doing cool stuff like that. I also mentioned all the yummy things on the menu that I still wanted to try like the Shatto cheese curds and the adult milkshakes.
The happy hour began with a couple of drinks and then we got a plate of sliders with their house made pickles and an assortment of all their fries. The Gouda cheese fries, the truffle fries, the regular fries and the sweet potato fries. All served up with the house made ketchup..jpg)
Well you know I couldn’t stop there because I had not yet fulfilled my blanc mission. I did get to check off the Gouda fries and I must say they are amazing. Imagine their already delicious fries and then add gouda cheese and bacon. Oh yeah!!! But I still needed the Shatto cheese curds and an adult milkshake.
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Well I was not disappointed. The cheese curds were warm and crispy on the outside and gooey melted cheese on the inside, and the shake was the Key Lime Pie flavor, it was sprinkled with real graham cracker crumbs to give it an authentic Key Lime Pie taste. YUM!
What I love about blanc and why I was so excited to share it with my friends is everything there is local and fresh. blanc uses locally supplied beef, bread from the local Farm to Market Bread Company which bakes their buns fresh for them daily. They use Kansas City’s own Foo’s Frozen Custard and milk from Shatto Dairy for their shakes. Even the beer and soda are local with such brands as Boulevard and Soda Vie.
Well I have to give a big THANK YOU to the guys at blanc and say my friends were impressed. blanc…I believe you just acquired a few more customers.
I suggest you gather some friends and check out blanc for yourself. And you don’t have to win a happy hour to enjoy blanc’s offerings. blanc offers a great happy hour at the Plaza location, Monday – Friday 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. With all sorts of yummy deals like:
Boulevad pilsner beer battered Shatto cheese curds with tomatillo chutne…$3.50
Peppadew poppers…flash fried, stuffed with goat cheese mousse….$4.00
Calamari ‘fries’…cornmeal-dusted calamari and lemon aioli..$4.00
Hand cut fries…$2.00
Truffle fries…$2.50
Sweet potato fries…$2.00
Boulevard pale ale onion rings…$2.50
Hand cut fries + smoked gouda fondue…$4.00
They also have a list of drink specials which include:
All Missouri 12oz beers are half price.
This includes:
Boulevard unfiltered wheat, pale ale, single wide ipa, & pilsner….all $2.00
Schlafly dry-hopped & apa, no. 15…. both $2.25
O’fallon smoked porter & 5 day ipa….both $2.25
bud light….$1.50
All large format Missouri beers are $3.00 off.
This includes:
Boulevard double-wide ipa, long strange tripel, sixth glass, & tank 7….$10.00
Schlafly biere de garde & gran cru….$11.00 bourbon barrel stout….$13.00
They also offer 1/2 price premium well drinks….$2.50
This includes: Smirnoff vodka, Beefeater gin, Bacardi rum, Jose Cuervo tequila, Jim Beam bourbon, Dewar’s scotch.
Last but not least wine. 1/2 price wine by the glass.
Kansas laws are a little different concerning happy hours so at the Mission Farms location every Tuesday is Boulevard nights. Enjoy $4 off any Boulevard Smoke Stack series beer and a Boulevard burger, an 8oz burger with Seeyoulater dopplebock onion marmalade, Boulevard pale ale mustard, sautéed mushrooms, smoked Gouda on a Farm to Market/ Boulevard unfiltered wheat bun. This special is also available at the Plaza location on Tuesdays as well. Sounds delicious to me!!
Visit one of blanc’s 2 locations today!
Missouri:
Country Club Plaza
4710 Jefferson Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-931-6200
Kansas
Mission Farms
10583 Mission Road
Leawood, KS 66206
913-381-4500
www.blancburgers.com
And as always, if you have a great food find in KC you think I am missing Email me
In Good Taste,
Sharm
(More about them another time). There was also a Chilled Local Melon and Prosciutto Soup, these delightful Prosciutto and Melon Pops and a wonderful Frittata. Jasper thought the soup turned out too thick but I thought it was perfect and that it had a wonderful texture. The Melon Pops, were these perfect cubes of sweet melon wrapped in a pink blanket of thinly slice Proscuitto. They were served on a lollipop stick with just a drizzle of balsamic. They were adorable and delicious. And the Fritta, do you see the picture? Yes, that is crispy crumbled Prosciutto on top!
The next course was a Green Egg and Prosciutto dish. It came with some asparagus that was cooked to perfection. The egg was perfect as well; the white had a nice crisp to it and the yolk, delightfully runny.
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