In January I visited my sister in Kansas City, MO for her birthday. It was a fun time
visiting my sister. As you may know it's warm here in Houston and I haven't seen
snow in a long time. So I have to admit that it was a shock to see snow on the way in.
As you may know, my family is about food! We are foodies! So when I am in my old age,
I would like to travel and be a food critic. To get a head start, I will also be criticizing
food when I travel to note worthy places. There are two places we went to that I found note worthy in Kansas City.
On her birthday we went to Le fou frog (means The Crazy Frog in French). The restaurant is not flashy on the outside and very easy to miss if you have never been there before. 
Once inside, you will find yourself in a romantic and whimsical French American restaurant. Appetizers can be purchased for up to twenty dollars a plate and an entree will cost you up to forty. Their prices change with the seasonal menu. I think for any restaurant of this stature, a seasonal menu is excellent choice to
ensure the freshest quality of local goods.
Le fou frog – The crazy frogFoie Gras Frais Saute
| Taste: For an appetizer I would say this is a rather heavy plate. However, I appreciated the large foie Gras size. It was a large serving accompanied with an excellent and sweet port wine. I have to admit this was the first piece of foie gras I had. Because of my upbringing, never dismiss a plate until you have it prepared the right way. The foie gras tasted like a large piece of pan seared steak beef fat. Very good and fatty, but not something you'd want to make a plate of. So this is why I am rating this dish Plating: This dish was beautifully plated. The balsamic vinegar was delicious. The foie gras was put on a slice of bread. There were sticks of what I think to be fried spaghetti. I found the sticks to be unnecessary decorations. A chief once said, "everything on the plate must have a reason to compliment what you are serving," I have to agree with that. So this is why I am rating this dish design |
Limande farci saumon fume sauce artichaut, champagne, truffe et creamed
| Taste: The fish was moist in some places and dry in others. I was not impressed for I have had it prepared in a more consistent manner. There were too many flavors that did not bring out the flavor of the fish in my opinion. So this is why I am rating this dish Plating: The vegetables on this plate went well together with the fish. the red tomatoes lifted the pinks. Of course you can never go wrong with green and red since they are complimentary colors. Lastly, the sauce is brown. It was not a good choice with this color palette. This makes the plate look a bit unappetizing. Overall, this plate is what I would expect to see in a wholesome home cooked meal. So this is why I am rating this dish design |
Rack of Lamb served with risotto-not sure of Le Fou Frog's name or description
| Taste: This was my brother-in-law's dish. Of course I resist a taste when offered. I am glad I didn't turn down a few bites of this dish! Everything about this dish was excellent! The lamb was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of spices/glaze to not overpower the lamb itself. It was tender and moist. I had never had risotto until this day. I have had food experts tell me that risotto is a tricky thing to cook. Each morsel of the cheese flavored risotto was smooth and creamy. So this is why I am rating this dish Plating: This plating was simple and elegant. Everything on the plate was purposefully placed. So this is why I am rating this dish design |
Crème Brulee-not sure of Le Fou Frog's name or description
| Taste: I have eaten allot crème Brulee at several restaurants over my lifetime. It was just as I was expected. My spoon passed the sugar tap test as Alton Brown demonstrates on his show Good Eats.The texture with rich and creamy and made with real specs of vanilla. So this is why I am rating this dish Plating: The mint and berries add color to the simply white plates. Less is more when it comes to plating. It is simple and sleek. So this is why I am rating this dish design |
Chocolate Mousse-not sure of Le Fou Frog's name or description
| Taste: Mmmm, chocolate mousse. This was my sister's dessert. First bite you immediately taste rich and creamy. As your mouth warms the mousse., a burst of rich, dark and milk chocolate slathers itself and melts off your tongue. This dessert makes you remember why chocolate is your friend. So this is why I am rating this dish Plating: This plate did taste very good. However, as you can see from this plating, it would have failed the ranks of Iron Chief america. There are so many beautiful ways to plate mousse. The raspberry was the only thing about this dish that makes sense with the mousse. This is not a scoop of ice cream. The dish should reflect simple decadence. This is why I am rating this dish design |
French Apple Torte-not sure of Le Fou Frog's name or description
| Taste: This was a friend's dish. I think her name was amber. It was a great idea to pair this with a wonderful creamy vanilla. But this dish was fantastically tart. It was unappetizing. M sister's friend could not finish this. I myself have to say that I have never eaten a real french torte. One that is in essence similar to this. However, I can tell you that I do not recommend if you are looking for something sweet. But if you can stand to eat a mouthful of lemon peels, this dessert is for you.* This is why I am rating this dish Plating: This dish is not fantastically plated. It is colorful and is appetizing. It is straight to the point and is meaningful. Thus, I give it |
*Overall, I recommend this Le Fou Frog. They gave us excellent service and the food was delicious. They just need to work on the plating of their dishes.
The second place we visited was Oklahoma Joe's BBQ joint. I bought a bottle of my own. Their BBQ is up north vinegary compared to sweet Houston Area BBQ sauce. It's noteworthy because it's one of the best BBQ places in Kansas City, Mo. Get this, it's located in a GAS STATION! Yes, one of the best places to eat BBQ is in the gas station! If you come here there is a culture. They get are always busy I am told. So you will have to wait in line that is usually wraps around to the outside of the building. Chairs fill up quickly, so you will have to wait in line, then get a table. It's get up and go once you are done eating. Hungry customers may hassle you if you sit around for a while after you are done eating. However, the service is good. Don't be discouraged. It's just good BBQ.
BBQ Rib Dinner (1/2 slab)
| Taste: The meat was not as tender as I have had here in Texas. A side of cole slaw and toasted Texas bread. Absolutely delicious so no argument there. This one is rated Plating: It is a simple. The ribs make a statement all on their own. I give it a |
Z-man Sandwich
| Taste: I love this sandwich. It is absolutely superb. The sandwich is built with a kaiser bun, slow cooked brisket, smoked provolone cheese, and topped with two mouth watering onion rings. You can not go wrong here with the quantity, price range and taste. After a bite of this, you will know why they are award winning. This one I must give a Plating: No slim pickings here. A mouth watering and hearty sandwich that is dream worthy once you leave this place. |
Do I recommend it? You betcha! You must eat here on any visit to KC, MO. Have a Z-man. You will thank me.
While you are here, you might want to check out the Miniature Museum.It is stacked pack full of miniature wonders. We weren't allowed to take pictures indoors. :(
Alas, my adventure comes to an end as I take my last picture of the sky before landing in Houston.
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