Big Mac Veggie Burger

I arrived home tonight with only a little time for dinner and little on-hand with which to work.

My mind quickly thought of the veggie burger patties we had in the freezer (thanks, Costco), but one wasn't going to be enough. The bread bag had one legit slice of bread and two heels. I yanked them out, plus two veg patties and threw them all in the toaster oven.

Meanwhile, I grabbed the mayo and hit it with several dashes of Chipotle Tabasco - one of my favorite hot sauces ever. Out came the bread and I slathered on the chipotle-tabasco-mayo sauce.

Grabbed some of the red leaf lettuce from the fridge, stacked everything up and next thing I knew, I had a tasty veggie burger big mac in my hands. Huge, quite filling, zesty and, ultimately, quite satisfying.

...okay, so the photo doesn't make it look so hot. But trust me, it was great!

Finally Went to Vietnam

Restaurant: Vietnam Cafe
Location: 522 Campbell St, KC MO
Food: Good, cheap pho and other Vietnamese classics
Service: Brisk, friendly
Atmosphere: A step up from typical KC Asian restaurant
Price: Cheap! Fill up for fast food prices.
Rating: One napkin


When it comes to Asian takeout, we all have our favorites. Recently I was chided for proclaiming that I was faithful to Saigon 39 in Westport, though, and it ended up finally pushing me out of my comfort zone.

When I asked my challenger for a better recommendation, he gave me the answer I was expecting to hear - the place that so many people have now told me is the best in town but I hadn't considered seriously enough to try - Vietnam Cafe in Columbus Park.So, after staying late at work one night last week, and knowing I was on my own for dinner, I decided to hit this place up for takeout on the way home.



After a quick perusal of reviews and recommendations on Yelp, the Pitch and other sites, I decided on some kind of soup. Someone had brought the spicy beef back from a lunch break recently and it looked delicious, so I made it my pick.

The friendly gal who answered the phone took my order promptly and hung up - didn't even ask my name. So I hastily buzzed over to be sure no one else was given my soup by accident before I could retrieve it. I've heard this joint gets very busy during the lunch rush and on weekends but lucky for me there were only a few diners there when I arrived. The dining room had a pleasant feel to it and the folks sitting there eating were smiling and laughing. They looked like regulars, very comfortable with the setting, almost like it was their own dining room. I like that.

I also like that you see so many Asian people eating here. There is a growing pocket of Asian families living in Columbus Park and the river market area now, evidenced by the handful of Asian grocers that have popped up in the area over the last few years. And just like any big city where ethnic groups settle together, everyone benefits from the establishments they form to cater to their own traditions... like great, authentic restaurants.

As I paid my cash and picked up my takeout containers, I was shocked by their weight. These were full dishes and I'd only paid $6.50 plus tax! The cloudy brown broth smelled scrumptious and had a slight amount of bright orange oil in it from the beef that provided its flavor.

I assembled the dish by first placing a heap of rice noodles in the bottom of my bowl - thick and slightly chewy, soon to be saturated with the flavors of my beef broth. I then layered on the thinly sliced beef, a huge slice of Fresno pepper (red jalapeno), the sliced veggies - cabbage, carrot and more, dropped in a big sprig of cilantro, and poured on the broth to cover it all. My box o' ingredients also came with a massive branch of purple-stemmed Thai basil that filled the room with a wonderful fresh scent. I decided that I didn't need it in my dish but was impressed that it was provided. Given its size, they must have grown it themselves, perhaps on the restaurant premises.

So how was it? Hot, satisfying, only slightly spicy, and fresh, through and through. Still, overall, I'd have to say pretty average. That's not a bad thing when it comes to Pho, I just wasn't completely blown away, the way I was told I would. Would I drive the extra distance to get this over my usual at Saigon 39? Probably not. But I'll certainly return for a cheap lunch on a regular basis now, since it's close to the office and there are groups who make the jaunt almost every day.

The food is good, the prices are great, the atmosphere is actually pretty decent... all in all a solid pick. Glad I went.

Rating: one napkin

Bichelmeyer Doesn't Sound Mexican... But It Surely Is

Restaurant: Bichelmeyer Meats (Carniceria Bichelmeyer)
Location: 704 Cheyenne Avenue, KCK 66105

Food: Full service butcher shop, but I came for the tacos (they also serve hot tamales)
Service: Tell 'em what kind of tacos you want, they hand you the tacos. Nice folks.
Atmosphere: Meaty
Price: $1.50 tacos
Rating: One napkin

Been doing some taco research online recently and to my surprise I've learned that a butcher shop in KCK with a name that sounds anything but Mexican serves some highly regarded, authentic Mexican tacos. Fresh off my recent trip to Cancun Fiesta Fresh where I found the street tacos satisfying and totally delicious, I decided to take a quick trip to Bichelmeyer for a comparison.



Bichelmeyer is located just north of the river on Cheyenne Ave in KCK (if you know where Quick's BBQ is, it's directly across the street). Tacos are not their main business. Bichelmeyer is a butcher shop, not a restaurant. The incidental table and chairs on hand for taco eaters don't change that fact.

A Saturday-only affair, the taco counter is hardly noticeable upon entry and may not even be manned at all times. Rest assured, though, fresh corn tortillas, warm pork and shredded beef and diced onion, cilantro, salsa and guacamole sauce are standing by at-the-ready.

Both Elizabeth and I went for one of each. The pork, I believe, was adobada, reddish in color, clearly marinated in chiles. Mine was tender and crazy-flavorful. The diced onion and cilantro on top added just a little contrast and the thin avocado sauce cooled it off nicely. In seconds it was gone, inhaled by the vortex that was my digestive system.

The shredded beef (barbacoa) was exceedingly tender. In fact, we both found it to be a little too wet, perhaps having sat in its own juices too long. It had broken down into somewhat of a soft, beefy mush, too uniform in texture. Drained only slightly or perhaps not shredded quite so fine, it would have been outstanding with the red salsa I drizzled over top, again accompanied by diced onion and cilantro.

Once consumed, the takeaway was that we had definitely just eaten flavorful, cheap, authentic street food. Healthy it was not. Manicured by a chef, neither. No, these were straight-up street tacos - a little raunchy but filled with good flavor. Executed with a little more attention to detail, they'd have been great.

Forced to choose, I'd give the edge to Cancun Fiesta Fresh, but they were nearly identical in preparation and flavor. CCF gets an edge in that their taco preparation is the focus of their business, and that comes through in what you eat.

Rating: one napkin


[Pictured above is a boy who spent the entire 30 minutes we were there shouting, "Hot tamales! Get some hot tamales!" The staff jokingly griped at him to stop which only encouraged him to keep it up for continued effect. He was entertaining himself during a boring afternoon with the act of annoyance, something we've all done at that age. It was a funny little slice of life.]