Ad Astra, Strong City, Ks

Anyone who says that small towns are dying out has not been on Cottonwood Street in Strong City, Kansas on a weekend evening.  This small town has seen a boom in the local traffic on weekends thanks to the opening of a superb local eatery called Ad Astra.  This wonderful little establishment has found a niche that some might find surprising.  The intriguing menu is full to bursting with locally raised products, many of which are organically raised.  This is not a mom and pop restaurant, a small town diner, nor a fancy eatery.  This is a unique blend of the feel and tastes of all of these styles rolled into one.  It is a small building and reservations are a must!  The popularity of this Flint Hills treasure has made it a destination spot for many foodies.

On a recent visit I was able to try out some new delectable dishes that were wonderful. Started off with a Goat Cheese, Fig Jam and Caramelized onion Flat-bread Pizza starter. This dish was sweet enough to be a dessert pizza.  The flavors melt seamlessly into each other much the way they melt over the light flat bread crust.  For me it would be too sweet to eat solo or as a meal substitute, but to share as an appetizer OR dessert works perfectly.  This dish is a hit on the menu.   

Another starter are the Wings which have become an American staple on many menus.  Why these are better lies in the size and taste of the product.  The cooks prepare the sizable wing portions with a nice sauce that glazes perfectly.  The overall flavor is great in that way that it is balanced so that it is not a bland experience, nor is it a clear out the sinuses. 

For the main meal it was the Spicy Slaw Burger on a Pretzel Bun with homemade chips that called my name.  For burger lovers, this restaurant offers some great flavor combos and selection of the type of patty- beef, longhorn, or bison.  For this visit I selected the longhorn patty.  This burger had a nice juicy flavor and the crisp crunch of the slaw was fabulous.  This burger was a hit.  The chips are really good as well, but they can be a little dry.  Would love to see this establishment add a unique sauce to go with their chips.

To be honest, this restaurant is always a hit with me.  The menu variety meets the need of most any craving and the nightly specials only enhance that fact.  The wait staff is friendly and although busy, tend to do a good job taking care of guests without making them feel rushed.  The interior is kitschy with a wonderful homey feel that encourages conversation and enjoyment.  Some weekend, if you find yourself heading to the Flint Hills area of Kansas, take the time to call ahead to Ad Astra for a reservation (if they can get you in) for a relaxing and tasty dining experience.  Remember- they are only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday!    

For more information click here http://www.adastrafood-drink.com/

Olpe Chicken House; Olpe, Ks

The Olpe Chicken House has long been a treasure of the small Kansas town located on Highway 99 south of Emporia.  It is also a beloved destination for the surrounding area residents for nice, hot meal that has not been changed or influenced by trends in food or cuisine.   This diner that was established in 1958 has long been a favorite of many family and friends.  There are many reasons to love this small town treasure and the food is just one of them.

The menu has not changed much over the years.  Occasionally there might be a new addition but mostly this menu has stayed consistent through, at least, the last 25 years.  Dinners always come with tea or coffee, rolls, salad, and potato choice (baked, hashbrowns or fries- with or without gravy ~mashed available on select days/times only).  These are heart meals like grandma used to make.  The restaurant is best known for the Fried Chicken (which is delicious) but you can also get the Whole Catfish (yes head and all) option which is also quite tasty.  What is it that makes this place so good?  Well that is a question that has long been debated among regulars.  Some say that it is because they are using the same recipes they did back in 1958; others say it is the seasoned equipment that has been in that kitchen since the 70's (the restaurant burned to the ground in the 70's and was rebuilt).  What ever the reason- fans of this diner are as die hard about it as any sports fan out there. 

Now on to the food from this visit.  My family has a bit of a tradition addiction in general and when we dine at the Chicken House, there is a tradition to our ordering.  We are big fans of the appetizers that are offered at the Chicken House.   On this visit we limited ourselves to three because there were only 5 adults dining (this is conservative for us).  On the left are the ever popular Cheddar Crisps, in the center the unique Onion Rings, and on the right Fried Okra.  I have always agreed with Joey from "Friends" that the best food group is fried stuff with cheese.  The Cheddar Crisps are the right size to pop in your mouth and enjoy (though they are usually quite hot when they arrive, so caution on that).   The Onion Rings are not your typical solid breaded number, rather these are very thinly sliced onion rings in a really delicious thin batter that are then fried to a perfect golden complexion.  The Fried Okra is a staple from the farms of the area and is a delicious treat.

There is something about the salads at the Chicken House, there is a very unique flavor that you don't find with most house salads.  The lettuce and cabbage are very finely chopped with thinly sliced carrots on top.  our family is split on the perfect dressing as some like Dorothy Lynch and others the Creamy Italian (pictured here); personally I like the vinegar and oil option.

Over the years I have learned the hard way about our family tradition of ordering several fried appetizers.  I used to order the Chicken Fried Steak diner with gravy covered hash-browns when I was younger and could eat that much.  These days I have learned to opt for a liter finish to the meal.  My favorite is a bowl of Cottage cheese and a BLT.  This combo is a perfect way to balance out the grease laden first course yet still have a bit greasy goodness with the bacon.  The toasted bread is layered with fresh lettuce, ripe tomatoes, a small dab of real mayonnaise, and perfectly cooked bacon.  This is a common order and it has never been anything less than perfectly prepared.  The cottage cheese is a nice counter flavor to all of the grease.   

There are a lot of reasons that could account for the success of and love for the Olpe Chicken House.  Personally, I believe that it is the loyalty of the staff and the highly respected family that has run it through the years.  In the 25+ years that I have been going to the Olpe Chicken House, the faces that have waited on me have been significantly fewer in number than you would expect.  Many of the staff are veterans of the food service industry that have been there for a long time.  That is a phenomenon you do not see very often in food service.  After working in that industry for many of my early years I found myself saying "If you really want to know if a restaurant is good, pay attention to the wait staff. Do they eat there? Do they want to stay there?"  This will tell you more accurately than any review is the place is a winner.  Evidently the Chicken House is.

Generally you are going to spend $10-15 dollars per person and it is well worth it!

http://olpechickenhouse.com/

Taco Republic Kansas City, Ks

Look out Oklahoma Joe's there is a new kid on the block.... but you may not have to pay too close attention.  Taco Republic, a well known food truck in the KC metro area, recently opened a permanent location right across the street from the original Ok Joe's location, 47th and Mission Road.   This new hip restaurant has been creating a bit of a stir in the neighborhood surrounding it and not always in a positive way.  The location selection may be ideal considering that it is directly in eyesight of an established BBQ joint that rarely has a slow night.  There is the potential to draw away potential customers that are stuck in a long line of fellow BBQ hounds.... but it will likely only happen once.   The restaurant is brightly painted and has fold away exterior walls allowing for an open air dining experience- too bad winter in Kansas is coming on fast, heat bills will likely be high.  

All that aside- it is really the food that matters. Granted the restaurant has only been open a few weeks.  The benefits of that fact is they have more wait staff than they will actually need, so service is pretty prompt and generally friendly.  Down side is the food has likely not yet hit a consistency and the over populated wait staff want to turn over tables quickly so they can make more money.  Stopped for a late lunch around 1:00 pm but there was still a pretty good crowd (fighting for a "legal" parking space).

A standard in many Mexican or even Tex-Mex restaurants are the Chips and Salsa that come with your meals.  This is available but must be requested and is actually a menu item at $2.  This is not that odd considering they are going for a higher end feel.  The rojo sauce (their salsa) is a finely pureed version that had a decent spice to it.  The chips were a bit on the greasy side and were a mix of flat tortilla and puffed tortilla chips (there were also a few pork rind crumbles in the bottom of the basket). 

There are several menu options to select from but of course it is the tacos that the restaurant wants to be known for.  A positive aspect of the menu selection is that there are many gluten free tacos available for those with this particular dietary restriction.  So the tacos that were sampled were the "Old School" ground beef taco (both baskets), the "Mole" chicken taco (left) and the "Feliz" chicken taco (right).  

The "Old School" taco had a nice flavor to it.  There was no strong overwhelming spice or pepper taste, just a blend of the ingredients that worked nicely with each other.  The "Mole" was disappointing as a taco.  The combination of chipolte slaw, grilled chicken and mole sauce seemed like a good pick for a slightly spicy kick.  However, this was very bland and the flavors did not work very well together.  The "Feliz" however did have a nice kick to it that was not overpowering in spice.  If you like really spicy food then opt for some different selections and none of these were, what most would consider, "spicy".   

Again, its the hip NEW restaurant to check out and hopefully the balance of a strong consistent dining experience will set in- but it is not there yet.  Service was good, parking was a pain, food was ok.  Tacos are priced out individually so if you are hungry, take that into consideration.  Can have two tacos, chips and salsa for abut $10 per person.   

http://eattacorepublic.com/