Hot Basil in Overland Park

Hot Basil
7258 W 119th St
Overland Park, KS 66213
Website

HOW I FOUND IT:  Heard about it through the grapevine (Cyndi's co-worker mentioned that the Pitch voted this place as having the best soup).  Liking soup, liking Thai, and liking Thai soups, we decided to give it a go.  Our first visit was actually the day after Christmas, in horrible snow, and they were open!

ATMOSPHERE (SCORE: ***):  It's hit and miss really.  The building itself is actually in a strip mall around the corner from a Price Choppper, and next to an eye doctor's office.  Unless you knew it was there, it's highly unlikely you'd notice it from the road.  Once inside, you'll be surprised at how small the place is, seating maybe 25-30 people. Nice white tablecloths, clean and stylish silverware and glasses, this place looks clean and neat without seeming stuffy.  The only issue I had with decor was the tiki style bar at the back of the dining room that I've yet to see someone sitting at.  It seems out of place when taken in the context of the rest of the dining room.  Also, a minor annoyance, but their placement of the dining room's only TV is just downright baffling.  It's down the hallway on the way to the bathroom.  The only reasoning behind it I could think of was since there's a window from the kitchen looking into the hallway, maybe it's there so the kitchen crew can watch it.  Other than that, maybe it's to entertain you while you walk down the hall to use the facilities.  Who knows?

FOOD (SCORE: *****):  Oh damn.  I don't even know where to start.  Our first visit we ordered their famous Thom Yum, which is rumored to have healing properties.  None of us were sick at the time, but after a few spoonfuls of the pungent broth with chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, and chunks of galangal, our nasal passages were mighty clear.  It was delicious, but we preferred the coconut milk creaminess of the Thom Ka we got on our second visit.  After the soup, we had an order of crab rangoons, which (GASP) actually had a lot of crab in them, instead of cream cheese filler!

The menu is full of traditional and non-traditional items, and I've already planned out subsequent visits to try it all.  I've had the Siam chicken in a rum-based sauce that was light and aromatic, and the Gapow, a stir-fry dish served over rice with 2 fried eggs on top.  I had enormous hopes for the Gapow and it was indeed good, but the pork that I ordered with it was more of an italian sausage flavor, not the fatty chunks I had expected.  Still good.

Cyndi and her brother got the Phad Thai and Fried Rice, respectively.  Cyndi's Phad Thai was amazing.  The seasoning was spot on, it was hot enough to make you breathe a little heavy but not make your head explode, and they didn't dump a whole bottle of fish sauce in it.  To be honest, I had lunch entree envy.  And her brother's fried rice was among the best I've ever had.  You could tell the chef actually gave a damn about it, and took the time to make it right, not just make it an afterthought like many non-chinese asian restaurants do.

And then the dessert.  Oh God the dessert.  After the chef came out and chatted with us for a bit, explaining the desserts (to represent French colonial influence on Thai cuisine, he makes chocolate mousse stuffed 'rangoons'!), we decided on the traditional Thai dessert of mangoes and sweet coconut sticky rice.  I'm normally not big on fresh mangoes, but Cyndi urged me to do the combo bite:  combine the mango, sticky rice, and coconut custard on the fork and eat it all together.  It was a perfect bite.  Add to that some "Thai iced tea" and Thai Coffee, both with a fair helping of sweetened condensed milk, and we were stuffed and satisfied, and then some.

SERVICE (SCORE: *****): Our first visit, our server was the chef/owner's daughter, a very friendly young woman who told us all about the place and was overall great.  The second time was a different server who was just as friendly and attentive.  Granted, both visits were during a pretty slow time, but regardless we were pleased with the service. What really put it over the top is when the chef came out after we had eaten our entrees to talk for a bit.  We could tell his heart was really in this operation and he was a genuinely friendly and charismatic individual, who just wanted to make great food and make people happy.

VALUE (SCORE:***1/2):  This one's a bit tricky.  The first visit was during lunch, where your entree comes with a soup and crab rangoon.  Combined with the portion size and food quality, it's a pretty good deal with a average of $9-$10 per entree.  The dinner menu has mostly the same items, but for a little more money and without the soup and rangoon.  Given that it didn't seem the portions got much bigger (They are still quite ample regardless), the dinner menu prices on some items seems disproportionately higher.  Still, with the amount of food you get (had plenty to take home for drunken fourthmeal), you could do far worse for you money.

OVERALL:  We were thrilled with this place.  Too many times I read about a restaurant, get all excited, only to be let down by uninspired food (or worse, just plain bad food), crappy atmosphere, douchebaggy clientele, or poor service.  Hot Basil exceeded my expectations in every way, and it was good to talk with a chef who may be a bit older, but is in no way burnt out, and better yet, HAPPY with what he's doing.  Because when the kitchen is happy, the food just comes out better, dammit.

OVERALL SCORE: ****1/2

The Farmhouse near the River Market

The Farmhouse
300 Delaware St
Kansas City, MO 64105
Website

HOW I FOUND IT:  I read an article about it in the KC Star, and had also read the rave reviews of it online.  I was a fan of the building's previous occupant, Cafe Delaware, before its untimely demise around the end of 2008.  I liked the concept of the The Farmhouse (local, fresh ingredients, all at a good price), and had the day off, so Cyndi and I decided to check it out for lunch.

ATMOSPHERE (SCORE: ***1/2):  I had only been in the bar area when it was Cafe Delaware, so I can't speak for the other half of the dining area, but it looked like it was largely unchanged.  Which is a good thing, I liked the minimal fuss of the open ceiling rafters and the brick walls.  We enjoyed the artwork on the walls, and the layout of the dining room.  The only thing that we didn't care for a whole lot was that it felt almost TOO open.  The high ceilings and unused space in the back of the dining room created an echo that made it sound like a basketball court.

FOOD (SCORE: ***1/2):  This was the main reason I was there.  I was really looking forward to trying one of the many tasty options on their lunch menu (be advised, they are only open for dinner on Thu-Sat).  We split an appetizer of chickpea fritters, fried little cubes of ground chickpeas.  They were slightly under-seasoned, but good nonetheless. However, what really made the dish was the little salad on top which consisted of julienne apples and smoked red peppers, which looked weird on paper but worked perfectly and had Cyndi asking, "How'd they get the apples to taste like bacon?"

Entree decisions were tough, as the options were many:  A Reuben with braised cabbage instead of sauerkraut, pulled pork sliders, a burger that looked outstanding, a Croque Monsieur topped with a fried egg if you desired (I would've).  Everything sounded great.


I ended up getting the hanger steak (since you don't really see it on a menu too often, which is a shame, as it's cheap and flavorful) which was on the menu as "360 day aged hanger steak".  I had meant to ask the waitress about that, thinking it either a typo or maybe some meat purveyor named "360" or something, but I forgot about it because I was too busy thinking about steak.  It came out perfectly cooked, with a large helping of hand-cut french fries that were superb.  The steak itself was topped with a blue cheese butter that worked well with the meat, but was a little overpowering.  Overall, the dish was pretty straightforward, not letting me down at all but at the same time not wowing me.


Cyndi had the seared polenta cake with smoked mushrooms, braised greens, and red onion gastrique.  The flavors on it were each strong on their own, but all together worked in harmony.  The red onions were a wonderful note.  It was a great dish, and if there is an improvement to be made, it's that it could stand to be a bit larger.  However, upon ordering it, the waitress did inform us that it was indeed a small portion, so I can't complain too much.

Dessert is where we hit a snag.   We wanted to split the pie-o-the-day, which was apple-pear pie.  On a cold winter day, I was looking forward to some warm pie.  But it came cold.  I know some people like it that way, I just wish I had been given an option, I guess.  But alas, on to the pie!  The filling and topping were good, nothing I'd bother stealing off a windowsill if I lived in 1960s Mayberry, but good.  Once we got down to the crust, though, it became a battle.  The crust was next to impossible to cut with a fork, it was so hard.  Like, I seriously thought if I put any more pressure on that poor pie, the crust would finally yield and shoot a piece across the room.  Also, the pie had this ginger-maple-brittle thing stuck in it that may or may not have been a touille.  Whatever it was, I'm pretty sure it must have been made a little thick because I about lost a tooth trying to eat it.  Seriously, I think you could encase a prehistoric mosquito in that and start your own Dinosaur Park.

SERVICE (*****):  Service was very good here.  Our waitress managed many other tables in addition to ours, but we never felt forgotten and were never left wanting for drink refills or anything else for that matter.

VALUE (****):   The prices were very reasonable considering the quality of the food. The average price for an entree is 7-8 bucks!

OVERALL:  I really, really wanted this place to be great.  I really liked the concept, and the menu.  It aimed high, and started strong, but fell a little short at the end.  For me, instead of achieving greatness, it landed firmly in very-goodness.  The only problem is, with it being at 3rd and freakin Delaware, I don't really know if it's "very-good" enough for me to make the drive down there again anytime soon.

OVERALL SCORE: ****

Cafe Europa in Brookside

Cafe Europa
323 E. 55th St
Kansas City, MO 64113
Website

HOW I FOUND IT:  So the wife and I woke up a little bit early (for us), and decided we wanted some Sunday brunch, an oft overlooked meal in our household.  I went online to look up some good lookin brunch spots, and stumbled across Cafe Europa.  The menu looked simple and tasty, the hours for brunch were pretty flexible (10am to 3pm), and they even have their own bakery?  We were sold.

ATMOSPHERE (SCORE:  ***):  We pulled up to the place after almost driving right past it.  It's in a strip mall along with a bunch of other 'mom-n-pop' stores on 55th, a small, unassuming place.  When you walk in the door you're immediately treated to their bakery, with a glass case full of cupcakes, cookies, and other delights that looked outstanding.  I was starting to get excited.  The dining room itself was a sort of weird tan/beige color that you might expect to see in the kitchen of a southern Johnson County 'cookie cutter house', not a little cafe.  The dining room was small, but didn't feel crowded, and the windows let in plenty of sunlight.

FOOD (SCORE: *****):  I had a tough time deciding, but I ended up getting the Eggs Benedict, and Cyndi got the smoked salmon with potato latke.  And we ordered a side of biscuit and gravy to split, because we are freaks when it comes to our B&G. 

My Benedict was perfect and awesome.  The homemade english muffins had a slight sourdough twang to them, the ham was a large but thin slice, which I liked better than the thick chunk of canadian bacon you get at most places, the eggs were perfect, and the Hollandaise a smooth, rich-but-not-heavy delicacy.


Cyndi enjoyed her smoked salmon on latke, which came with the traditional accompaniments of onions, egg whites, egg yolks, and capers.  The latke was much bigger than we thought it would be, but it wasn't obscenely large.


The gravy on the biscuit was very tasty, but the biscuit itself, being touted as 'homemade' on the menu, was a little ho-hum.

I didn't order the pancakes myself, but if I go back for brunch, that would likely be my choice as I saw a few orders come out and they looked fluffy and awesome.  Overall, we were quite pleased with the food itself.

However, a good dining experience relies on a blend of great food AND great service, and well...

SERVICE (SCORE: Guess. ):  Oh.  Hell.  Naw.  Grab a Snickers, cuz this is gonna take a while. Service was the deal-breaker for us.  Our waitress came by in a timely manner after we were sat, and took our order, and seemed polite and pleasant enough.  But we'll never really know how pleasant she might be, because she never came back.  Seriously, the bus boy was by our table more than she was.  At first I didn't mind, as I really don't like when a server hovers too much.  But then I ran out of coffee.  And water.  And I sat there, broken-hearted, as I watched all the OTHER tables get refills of both from THEIR servers.  But where was ours?  I also noticed her other tables had similar looks of despair.  And I really couldn't even flag someone down because we had apparently drank some sort of invisibility tonic that must've been slipped into our waters.

Eventually the bus-boy came to my aid and made sure I didn't pass out from dehydration, but by the time someone came by to ask if I wanted any more coffee (which I had wanted for about 15-20 min), I declined because we were already done eating.  The busboy came by and removed our plates for us, and a few minutes later the server finally came by and, seeing the empty table, said "your brunch should be out soon", and I had to inform her that we had already eaten, and would like the check.  She mumbled a "sorry" and brought the check, I returned it with my debit card, and then she disappeared for another long stretch.  My pregnant wife actually joked that maybe she should fake her water breaking so we could just get the hell out of there.  She finally returned and gave a half-hearted apology again, and walked away.

Since I work in the restaurant industry and consider myself a decent human being/softie at heart, I don't have it in me to stiff, or even undertip a server, even when service is horrible.  Sometimes I wish I could be that guy, but I just can't.  So I didn't stiff her.  But I did write on the check, "After you took our order, we never saw you.  I wanted more coffee :(  "  Hoping that the frowny face might make the constructive criticism not seem too angry.  Whatever, she'll probably stab me if I come back in there.  But don't worry, because of the service, I won't! 

VALUE (SCORE: ***):  A bit pricey as far as brunch goes, but the food was so good I can't complain.  For the two of us, having the 2 entrees, side of biscuits and gravy, a coffee, and an O.J., our total was about $30.00

OVERALL:  Down to earth, straight up good food that seduces you like a sexy siren, backed up with service that slips something in your drink and leaves you waking up on the bathroom floor, violated and missing a kidney.  Seriously, I liked this place quite a bit, but the frustration makes me really not want to give it another chance.

OVERALL SCORE: Had the service been good, I'd say ****
but alas, it drags it down to ***