New York Dawg Pound

Before I begin this post, I just want to say that there is nothing wrong with shoving one's face full of hot dogs at 11 o'clock in the morning. It's a perfectly reasonable thing to do, and it is a practice that many people do on a regular basis. Note: By "many", I mean 3 people: me and my friends Stephen and Brett.

That said, let me tell you about a little place called New York Dawg Pound. It's a hot dog joint - itself just a short drive from Shawnee Mission Kia, which, as we all know, is "just a short drive...Shawnee Mission Parkway and I-35!" Yes, thank you fake-early-90s-Creed-Wannabe-Ad Jingle Man...but, we all know the last of the great ad jingle writers were Jesse Katsopolis and Joey Gladstone from TV's Full House (see proof on YouTube: Kitty Krispies!).

Yes, the New York Dawg Pound is conveniently located just east of I-35 along Shawnee Mission Parkway. It's a little hard to see off the road, but my Hot Dog radar was in top form as always, leading me to the front door promptly at 11 a.m.

I just couldn't wait to sink my teeth into some good old-fashioned all-beef specialty dogs. Besides, eating lunch at noon is for the birds. Long lines, worse traffic, rumbling stomach...not worth it. Early is the new on-time. Trust me.

Anyway, New York Dog Pound has received some good buzz recently in the local media. Ever since it opened a few weeks ago, I've wanted to check it out, despite the fact that I don't like it when restaurants in Kansas City name themselves after another city or state. I think it hurts my willingness to tell people from out of town about it...it just seems to suggest we are wannabes. Am I alone on this line of thought? Let me know your take. However, I do admit that I'm fully willing to tell anyone from anywhere that KC is home to Oklahoma Joe's. So I'm sure I will get over the name thing pretty quick for this place too.

So, there we were...Brett, Stephen and I mulling over the overhead menu. As you would expect, it's an order at the counter type place. By the time you pay, your dogs are ready for you. I like that speedy service. And man was the product GLORIOUS!

I ordered "The Bronx" combo meal, which allowed me acces to 2 "signature dawgs", one small side and a drink. I, of course, added another "signature dawg" to my order for good measure - bringing my total hot dog count to 3.

My "dawgs" of choice were the Bulldawg (chili, cheese, mustard, onions), the Spike (sauerkraut, onions in hot sauce, spicy mustard), and the Buttercup (basically a Chicago-style dog). My side was onion straws...which were salty, and nothing to write home about (or write a blog about, for that matter).

Whoops, forgot to take the picture before I inhaled the "Spike" Dawg.

However, the onion straws were not my focus. I'm sure if I settle down with them and we spent some quality time together, I would have a lot more good things to add...but I wanted to concentrate my efforts on the three dogs in front of me (boy, if I had a nickel for everytime I said that line!).

All three dogs were incredible. All were anchored by Nathan's Famous all-beef dogs, and all were well dressed and presented perfectly. My favorite was, surprisingly, the Spike - which is touted as a "New York Style" dog. I was a little nervous about the "onions in sauce," since I'm not normally a fan of onions not heavily fried and presented in decending size on a Tetherball Pole at Fiorella's Jack Stack. However, that was the best part of the dog. I was glad I took the risk.

For dessert, I'd recommend (on sight only...I didn't have room to eat it myself) the "Cool Dog." Which appeared to be a hot dog-shaped ice cream dessert.

Downsides, you ask? I really couldn't find any. The owner magically appeared when it was time to ring up my order. He looked at my three dogs and was impressed. I assume that normal people stop after ordering 1 or 2. Although, he said 5 was the record. FYI...I could eat 5 in my sleep if I really wanted to. Any takers?

The menu is diverse (not really). They have lots and lots of hot dog options, though. A bunch of which I wish I could have tried on this first trip, but am excited to return to try the others. (See you soon hot dog with peanut butter and bacon...and you too hot dog with bacon, egg and cheese.)

I'd like to take a quick minute to compare New York Dawg Pound to Dog Nuvo, which is a similar hot dog joint located at about 17th and Main - directly next door to Barkley (the ad agency) and across the street from Bazooka's, not that I know where that place is. For the more casual sinner, you may know the location as being the spot vacated by Souper Man. Actually, now that I think of it, "Barkley's" would be a much better name for a hot dog place than Dog Nuvo. But who am I to judge.

My friend Brett and I agreed, Dog Nuvo's challa buns (basically pretzel bread) are absolutely unbeatable and amazing. It is a perfect setting for their crispy all-beef Frankfurter dogs with their natural casing still on them, which gives them that "snap." They also make their own krauts and mustards (all sorts of flavors). Dog Nuvo is definitely more "upscale" that NYDP, with table service (oh wait, that's Bazooka's.) No, they really do have table service with a waiter, and it is much pricier...too pricey for my blood (pressure).

So for my buck, New York Dawg Pound wins by a foot-long-coney, which speaking of, was absent from both places' menus. Boo! Anyway, New York Dawg Pound just offers me a little bit more, plus the price is half what Dog Nuvo charges.

When it comes to hot dogs, I'm a simple man. Give me an all-beef dog, give me a bun, and give me access to all the topics known to man, and do it without charging too much, and I will be happy. New York Dawg Pound delivered. And I left a happy man...and a proud man, for the gents I ate with couldn't match me dog-for-dog. Maybe next time...and oh, yes, there will be a next time.

Happy Eating!

- BTF

P.S. Editor's Note: Feel free to vote on where I should eat this week by clicking on the poll I've created on the left column! Thanks for reading!

BRGR

So, this week I traveled to Taco Bueno! Actually, Taco No Bueno! That place sucks. And yes, it actually exists. There's one in KCK, and a few other locales here around town. And no, it's not really what this week's blog is about. Don't worry, there will be no more taco joints for at least a few weeks.

Instead, my travels took me and my family to BRGR in Prairie Village's Corinth Square Saturday evening. And by "evening", I mean 5 p.m. Do you have any idea of the kind of people who eat dinner at 5 p.m., especially on a weekend night? And in Prairie Village, no less? And in Corinth Square, even more no less? That place is the Mecca of old people. Tippin's Restaurant actually survived 10 extra years because of the 90 year olds who flocked to Corinth Square to eat a piece of pie to be home in time for Wheel of Fortune.

Note: please don't be offended by my Corinth Square comments. I actually love the place. After all, it has an Arby's. And my "old people comments" are completely unfounded, and based solely on going to Tippin's one too many times while it was still open to get a piece of pie and be home in time for Wheel of Fortune.

Anyway, back to BRGR. And speaking of Wheel of Fortune: I'd like to solve the puzzle, Pat! Is it B-U-R-G-E-R?

Given our early arrival, I was confident we'd stroll in and be the only ones in the place. Instead, a maze of walkers and oxygen machines greeted us (just kidding) as did about 10 other families with kids slurping down milkshakes and ignoring perfectly good Kiddie Meal hot dogs on their plates (not kidding). My mouth was salivating. I love Kiddie Meals.

Part of my hunger pangs came from the fact that my wife, Sarah, and I had plans to join friends for dinner at the Capital Grille that same night. To me, Capital Grille is the greatest thing since sliced...fillet mignon. But I can only afford to go there once every time I crave it. Alas, we had to cancel because our son was sick and our baby monitor's frequency doesn't stretch all the way down to the Plaza. Thanks for nothing Grayco.

Joking aside, BRGR - despite the fact it couldn't afford to buy a vowel - is actually a super hip burger joint that attracts people of all ages, and was absolutely packed to the gills on Saturday night. It was lucky we did arrive so early. We were seated immediately. But not 10 minutes after we arrived, the place was standing room only, and the bar and hostess areas were jam packed...each group staring directly at us, despising us for occupying a potential table.

There's nothing more satisfying than eating a meal at a table while other people scowl at you and secretly wish you'd choke on your food so you keel over dead, thus vacating your spot. Because of that, we ordered milkshakes for dessert. And we enjoyed every last drop before taking 15 minutes to zip up the kids' coats and double checking that we didn't forget anything.

Before we did that, however, we ate. And we ate well. BRGR is a terrific concept, with a good ambiance, and by all accounts serves terrific food. Before I go any further, if you haven't been, you should go. You'll like it.

I've been to BRGR several times, and each time I've ordered a different burger. Nothing, however, has been able to match the first burger I ever ordered from there. That particular burger was named the "Pittsburger." It had coleslaw and fries ON THE BURGER. Yes please.

This time, though, I asked the waiter what his favorite burger was. He was very helpful and knowledgeable about the menu. He gave me a few choices that he preferred. I accepted his suggestion and ordered the Knob Hill. I'm sure that the name Knob Hill is a clever play on some historical event related to the topings included on the burger. However, I have no clue what that might be. The Knob Hill comes on parmesean encrusted bread, and has grilled onions, Russian dressing and some sort of cheese, I forget what kind. It was white, though. If that helps paint the picture better.

My BRGR. Fries in the background.

The Knob Hill was no doubt tasty...very, very flavorful. However, I was raised to believe that a burger should be served on a bun. Not a piece of bread...unless it's called a Patty Melt. In that case, it's fair game. Nonetheless, I was a little taken back by the artsy-fartsy bread that sandwiched my burger. It seemed like it belonged on a billboard for Panera's sandwich of the month. Not my style. And the Russian dressing left a little bit to be desired. I'm not picky, honestly, I just wanted a little more bite out of the dressing. It obviously wasn't Barq's brand Russian dressing, if there is such a thing.

Editor's Note: Was that "Barq's" comment the lamest joke of the year so far? Survey says....Ding, ding, ding. Yes, it was.

Alright I'm rambling, the fries were decent and the milkshakes were runny. However, the appetizer killed. The Chilli Fondue was awesome. Soft pretzels, and blue corn chips to dip into a cauldron of zesty cheese. The pretzels were absolutely great. Not too doughey or salty. Just right...(They reminded me a lot of myself, to be honest.)

Cheese in a pot. Pretzels before i got a hold of them.

The joint makes their own ketchup and mustard. Both of which are really, really good.

Homemade condiments.

And I'm serious about the milkshakes. They were presented well, but McDonald's makes 'em better. For what I paid, I expected more.

Just because you put whipped cream on a milkshake doesn't mean it makes it good.

BRGR has other things on the menu, if you don't like burgers...or, I'm sorry, BRGRs. You can sub chicken on any of them. And they have salads and such...if you're watching your manliness.

Chicken sandwich, off the women's menu.

Speaking of manliness, I was a little dissapointed in myself that I barely finished my burger. Maybe because I was a little jealous of the man at the table to next to us who was chomping on a Pittsburger. No wait a minute, that was Shannon Sharpe talking too closely to Dan Marino on the CBS NFL pre-game show. Never mind.

All in all, BRGR is dfntly wrth chckng t. Just get there early on a Saturday night.

My BRGR, halfway through.

- BTF

Taco Factory

Surprise! I'm apparently only visiting restaurants with the name "Taco" in it these days. Last week was Taco Via. This week ... wait for it ... Taco Factory. Yes, you are correct. I did not plan out my next restaurant target very well this week. I should really spread out my food cultures better if I'm going to be considered legit in this blogging business. Alas, the only thing legit about this blog is, well, there is nothing legit about this blog. Sorry about that.

Before I tell you more (actually, very little) about Taco Factory - a terrific new taco joint at 74th Ter. and Broadway (along Wornall) in Waldo - I must say, I'm always a little concerned with the sustainability of a restaurant with the name of its main dish in the title. Example #1: Prime Rib Grill...closed. Example #2: Old Spaghetti Factory...closed. #3 Chef Burger...closed. #4 Mr. Gyros...actually, Mr. Gyros is incredible. I love that place, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. I will also challenge anyone to a Gyro-off, as long as they pay for it. #5. Pizza Hut...closed. What's that? It's still open? Nope. Pizza Hut's been dead to me since they got rid of their dining rooms, abandoned their red roofed architecture and quasi-frosted Coca-Cola drink cups, and nixed their Book It! program. Since then, I've stopped reading, stopped collecting gold stars, and stopped only being able to eat one Personal Pan Pizza at a time. Shame on Pizza Hut. SHAME!

(UPDATE: Okay, so a few readers have alerted me that "allegedly" Pizza Hut's Book It! program still exists. However, it couldn't possibly be as cool as it was in the 80s though...when reading was merely an "optional" activity...like child safety seats.)

Anyway, I couldn't help but hit up Taco Factory on Saturday evening with my wife, another couple and our brood of chitlins. The night before, while engulfing a cheeseburger pizza from Minsky's at a friends house,  me, my wife and a few other couples started playing spin the bottle. No, not really. But it's a lot cooler than saying we were in the middle of a game of Twister...which we weren't playing either. But we were sitting around talking, which is kind of like spin the bottle (or at least it was in my experience). So, somebody threw out Taco Factory as a good place to eat, and we decided to try it out the following night.

So there we were at the Taco Factory. Four adults, three kids under 3 (that sounds like an Ingram's magazine cover story, by the way). The experience started out a little shaky...the only two high-chairs in the place were already taken...by the same table (bastards stole our legendary move of hoarding high-chairs. Well played.). However, once we regrouped, reasserted ourselves to the task at hand, we made our way up to the counter.

At Taco Factory, you order at the counter, get your beverage (alcohol is served too, by the way), take your seat, and wait for your number to flash on the high-def television. Man, our number looked almost real on that high-def television. Totally worth it.

Speaking of high-def, the place was loaded with HD screens. Honestly. I was impressed. There was actually one dude there who had finished eating about 3 hours earlier that was sticking around to watch the Ravens-Steelers game, this being Pittsburgh or Baltimore and all. Not a bad place to watch a game, though, for real.

So, I'll spare you the details of my failed attempts of keeping my kids in line. Instead, I'll focus on the food. If you ask me, the friends we went with, and especially my wife, the food was absolutely terrific.

I think the best way for me to put it is this: It was the opposite of everything I despise about neighborhood taco joints. It wasn't greasy. It didn't waste my precious belly real estate with beans and rice (or at least, my dish didn't). It wasn't overly cheesy, and it wasn't too overpriced. I asked the woman taking orders (she appeared to be the owner, I think), what the best thing on the menu was. She said "you can't go wrong with the Tacos and the Burritos." So I went with the tacos. All of their tacos are "Baja Tacos,", which I don't really know (nor pretend to, nor care) what that means. Nonetheless, there are plenty of meat/protein choices to choose from: shredded beef, ground beef, ground turkey, shredded pork, fish, baby seal, etc.

I was a little full from a four-course meal at Jasper's for lunch. Honestly, I had a four-course meal over lunch. Aren't proud of me? I've made it! Jasper's sausage is ridiculously good. I didn't think I could stomach another meal after that.

However, there I was at Taco Factory, with a choice to make. So I ordered three soft tacos (a la carte at $1.99): chicken, shreeded beef and shredded pork. All three were phenomenal - they had tasty meat, the right amount of lettuce, cheese, tamatoes, and a choice hot or mild salsa (I asked for both, and both were great.)

My wife ordered the chicken tacos, and went back for seconds, which is unheard of. Ever since I've met her, never once has that happened before. Our friends left satisfied too. They each had a margarita, one frosted, one on ice. The fountain drinks were on target...and refills were free (what a novel idea!).

The ambiance was nice, but needs to be lived in a little longer to be considered quaint. The tables are nice and spread out, but it could fit a few more in there and still be comfortable and feel a little more homely. The people working were friendly and helpful and didn't mind the kids at all. It was a solid, good, affordable meal (I think our total was $27 for two adults and two little kids - I'll take that any day) that left everyone very pleased.

Don't get me wrong. There are more authentic places in town, and I'm sure I'm biased because this place is in my neighborhood and will always get the benefit of the doubt in my mind. However, I really think this place has legs. It's open late on Friday and Saturdays (until 3:30 a.m.). As if that matters to me. I always get excited when a place says their open late. But ever since our first kid was born, the only things I really care about being open late are QuikTrip and Walgreens.

My only suggestion is this: The place could use a few more high-chairs. In a neighborhood like ours, those things are like gold.

That one hitch aside, I encourage you to check out Taco Factory. And don't be like me and forget to pick up a to-go menu...I forgot to grab one and it's been pissing me off ever since. I guess I'll just have to go back and get one...along with 5 more soft tacos.

- BTF

Taco Via

If you know anything about me, you know there are two things I love in this world: 1. Eating alone, 2. Johnson County, Kansas.

Pysch.

I loathe both, but I put my feelings aside when it comes to eating a good meal.

A work appointment last Friday brought me into the neighborhood of Taco Via at 95th and Antioch (edited from previous, incorrect intersection - again, that goes with my love of Johnson County). And by "neighborhood", I mean I was nowhere close when I remembered that Taco Via had been sounding good for the past few weeks. Well, lucky me, I happened to be on the Kansas side of the State Line at the time, albeit, about 20 minutes away. But, hey, it was Friday, and I was lonely, so I thought I'd have a nice lunch date with ...myself.

A little bit of history about Taco Via: There used to be a lot more of them around town, and now there are not. That's about all I know about the place. I miss the old one out at 123rd and State Line. Or was that Taco John's? What the hell was the difference, anyways? I'd love to know.

Back to the food. I totally spaced on the fact that the Taco Via lunch "special" is a pretty safe bet. You basically get a Taco, Nacho and a Sancho for about $6. Which, when I think about it a little more, is a total rip off. There's a place on the Boulevard...Paco's (I'll be heading there soon)...that gives you much more food than that for pennies on the dollar (Side note: I had no idea what that phrase meant up until about 2 years ago...)

Regardless, I failed to remember to get the "special." So I, of course, ordered basically the same components of the special, except I forgot to say the magic word: "special." So...I over spent ($11) and over ordered...and left under satisfied...Not for the product, that was good. I just had buyers regret. I assume Elliot Spitzer had similar misgivings a few years back.

Perhaps my regret was fueled by the bad soap opera on the 15-inch tube-TV that I watched while eating my meal. Or perhaps it was the fact that to get a refill on my Diet Coke, you have to PAY 75 cents! What is this, 1993? Seriously, I didn't know it was legal to still charge for refills. What a joke. The funniest part is that the damn menu on the wall is basically a Coca-Cola advertisement. You mean to tell me that Coke has branded the entire menu (which is straight out of the 70s, and consists of pictures of the food...a la most Chinese take-out joints), and they're still charging for refills? It left a dry taste in my mouth, literally. Or maybe that was the salsa, which is pretty good, I admit. Watery, but welcoming.

Meanwhile, the Sancho is a terrific concoction. Last time I checked, a Sancho is just a loaded soft taco with lettuce and tomatoes. I opted for the beef. (That's what she said.) The tacos are terrific too. The "Nacho" cracks me up. It's like a Tijuana version of the standard "Nacho" that we all have come to know and love (i.e. Lew's, Peanut, etc.). If a newcomer walked in to the place and said, "Man, nachos sound good, I'll have that,", they would be more disappointed than Michael Douglas is in his son...his real son, not the one in that movie where M.D. is a high-powered judge and his son is some pharm-party, cabinet thief, pill popper. Catherine Zeta Jones is in it too. Decent movie. Wish i could remember what it's called. Actually, unless it's Basic Instinct or the Perfect Murder, I really don't care.

Anyway, the Nacho is a flat, crunchy corn tortilla with cheese, salsa and crushed jalepenos. It looks like some gamer nerd made it in his microwave in between games of Zelda. It's surprisingly tasty though.

All in all, it was a good meal. I'll definitely continue my patronage. And one more thing, if you go to Taco Via, remember to order a cheese cup. I seemed to be the only patron in the place that didn't know to do that. I was extremely jealous. I felt like that idiot at the Royals game that gets a soft pretzel without getting "Cheese as you please" for $3.75 extra. Totally worth it.

Anyway, get over there to Taco Via. Just bring 75 cents for a refill.

 

- BTF

Where to Eat in KC?

Hello Friends,

One of my five New Year's resolutions for 2011 - the one completely counterintuitive to the other four resolutions (each of which are centered on eliminating my man-boobs) - is to finally launch a blog to share my random thoughts on Kansas City's food establishments.

I hereby deem this my inaugural posting of Where to Eat in KC.

Now, a few of you were privy to the original name of this blog: Brewster the Foodster. Well, judging by your smirks and my foresight into the fact that the name would lead you to call me "Brewster the Foodster" for the rest of my life, I've renamed this pet project to more aptly describe the blog's goal: To post quick, helpful musings on places to eat in Kansas City.

There will be no rhyme or reason to the places I select. My only requirement...for myself...is to have actually gone to the place about which I am posting. In short, once I hit up a restuarant, I'll post my thoughts on the food, atmosphere, service and "recommendability" (ie. whether its good for a work lunch, a dinner date, an "I don't really like you, but I owe you a lunch so let's go here" outing, or a must-eat.) My guidelines to keep me honest include:

• I will post each Monday. 
• I will highlight at least one "KC food joint" each week. 
• The places I select will be based on my curiousity and my cravings...and eventually (hopefully) your input and recommendations.
• Comments are most certainly welcome...keep 'em clean. 
• Also, for your viewing pleasure, I will post a listing of some of the places to eat (at your own risk) in various parts of town. These lists will rotate each week. To kick things off, I've posted a listing of some places to try in Waldo, my stopping grounds (see column listing on to the left).

Thanks for visiting Where to Eat in KC. Don't be a stranger, and feel free to pass this along.

Cheers.

Brewster