Sunday Brunch at Avenues Bistro in Brookside

It was a sunny, early spring morning; a perfect day for Sunday Brunch at Avenues Bistro in Brookside. We arrived just after 10am, the restaurant was about half full and we were seated immediately.

The service was casual and a bit laid back which seemed appropriate for the morning brunch atmosphere. Our server was attentive and friendly. The brunch was laid out in a large oval serving area in the center of the bistro. The selection was good for the price. Along with the standard fare of pastries, fruits and salads a few of Avenues special dishes were available in heated serving trays. Also included was a made to order breakfast dish; or if you preferred for an addition charge a more unique entrée could be added.

I started the morning with a Bloody Mary and then switched to coffee as I began the standard brunch. I also had a Swiss cheese, spinach, and tomato omelet that was cooked to order. Everything I had was very good and certainly worth the price. I especially enjoyed several of the salads and the hot dishes that were available. I was a bit disappointed in the sweets, which is okay because I am not a big sugar fan. The pasties were good, but most Sunday brunches have a few desserts that stand out. Not today. Also the fruit was lack luster, nothing to get excited about. And good fruit is one thing I do enjoy. Also my omelet was slight over cooked, but then I am very particular about eggs.

Despite these small setbacks, when you take the total experience, the service, atmosphere, price and overall quality of the food I certainly would recommend the Sunday Brunch at Avenues Bistro and will be happy to return again. However, in the mean time I will keep looking for a Sunday Brunch that provides that little extra something that can make it a truly special experience.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation v1.3

Day Four: A Perfect Day in New Orleans
     Before we moved on along the coast we decided to spend another day enjoying New Orleans. Last time I had visited the city all the streetcar lines were running except the St. Charles line. It was still down from damage due to Hurricane Katrina. The St. Charles line is my favorite street car ride. I go from Canal Street out through the warehouse district and the Garden District to S. Carrollton Ave. and back.
     It was still early morning, just after rush hour, but the day was already building to be hot and humid. We decided to take the St. Charles streetcar out to the Camellia Grill for a late breakfast. The car was mostly empty and didn’t stop very much. Most of the windows were down and as we rushed along the breeze flowing across my face felt wonderful.
     At the end of St. Charles we got off and walked across the street to our breakfast destination. I had heard that the Camellia Grill was a great place for breakfast. Regretfully, I wasn’t that impressed. Yes, it does have old south charm, with the waiters running around in their white jackets but in the end it is just a diner. I thought the food was on the level of a Waffle House. Perhaps I just over-anticipated.
     We walked back through the Garden District to the Audubon Zoo. It was getting hot so we hopped the streetcar back to Canal Street and started to walk the French Quarter. As is common along the Gulf, the early afternoon humidity turned to light sun-showers. We were walking along Dauphine Street when large drops of moisture began to pelt the hot sidewalk. At that moment I spotted a used book store. Now I am a sucker for any used bookstore, but in New Orleans, on a rainy afternoon, what more could you ask for. And it was just the type of place you would expect, crammed to the rafters with piles of old books, barely enough room to walk the aisles. I was in heaven.

264 Dauphine Street, New Orleans

     The storm didn’t last long and in an hour we were on our way. I left Dauphine Street Books with an early work by Robert Ruark I had been unable to find, “Grenadine's Spawn”, and Ruth walked out with a New Orleans Dave Robicheaux mystery thriller by James Lee Burke. As we were only a couple of blocks away from the Acme Oyster House we stopped by for early afternoon oysters and a martini or two. After an afternoon swim at the Hotel Pierre and a creole dinner at the Gumbo Shop, one of my favorite places for seafood and orka gumbo, followed by a bit of music on Bourbon Street we were in bed still at an early hour. Yes, a very nice day indeed.

Late Night Supper at the Sycamore

Menu
Saturday. 4.10.2010

Oysters
Beet Salad

Gnocchi

KC Strip
Rainbow Trout
Short Ribs

Tiramisu
Creme Brulee

Expresso

Blogging and the KCRep

As usual I didn’t follow through on my beginning of the year promise to blog more often. Maybe I’m just not born to blog. I hope I have some interesting things to say. But by the time I get to posting it is old news.

Did anyone see the KCRep production of Borderland? What did you think?
I have enjoyed all the productions this year. I was getting a bit tired of the “same old same old” as my father says. But this year Eric Rosen has brought us something new. Thank you.

However, I was disappointed in Borderland. I thought the acting was weak. The first act was boring until right before the intermission; just enough suspense to get me back for the second act. And then it all fell apart.

Alfred Hitchcock once said in an interview about his movies that you must first get people to buy into the McGuffin. Once there you can go anywhere and the audience will follow. And that was the problem with Borderland.

BTW. Did you know La Bodega has a happy hour of half-priced sangria and tapas from 2-6 pm during the week? Perfect timing when the KCRep is at the Copaken.

A Great Double Header

When I selected the dates for the plays at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre I just picked every third or fourth Saturday night because weekends at the first of the month always seem so busy. First Friday. Second Saturday. Everyone wants to be early.

So, I was disappointed when I realized our tickets to “The Drawer Boy” were over the Memorial Holiday Weekend. That weekend usually involves a weekend trip back home to the Ozarks. However, since we had the tickets we decided to stay in town until Sunday.

Last weekend I saw a mention in The Pitch about the restaurant La Bodega, and the wine and tapas. I have always enjoyed a good glass (or bottle) of wine and I have been curious about tapas since my daughter came back from a summer visit to Spain and was all infatuated with their culture.

We decided to double up on Saturday night for tapas at La Bodega and a play at the KCRep. Both were a resounding success.

At La Bodega we did the potato pancakes to clams and mussels. All washed down with cold sangria. As the early evening sun shown on the colorful tiles of the restaurant we might have been in Barcelona.

We ended the evening with a standing ovation for the actors of “The Drawer Boy”. I have seen a few plays in Kansas City, Chicago, Toronto and New York. This was one of the best.

Part Two: Back in Town

The summer weeks are passing fast. Last weekend Dulcinea and I did Zona Rosa on Thursday night. We went for Mexican food at Abuelo’s Mexican Food Embassy. There isn’t a lot that can be done with Tex-Mex unless you hit the mom and pop places. It is essentially the battle of the chains. Abuelo’s is good Mexican chain food.

Late Friday night I was craving Kansas City bar-b-que, some good blues and cold beer. So we headed out to one of the best roadhouses in Kansas City, BB’s Lawnside BBQ. Yes, there is better bar-b-que, bb’s always seems a little overcooked and the sauce could be improved. But you can’t find a better place that blends the essence of Kansas City. Try the Abita Amber, a New Orleans beer that lets you feel the soul of the south. Gary “Alaska” Sloan (from Arkansas) did a great job of bringing down the house with his harmonica, singing and theatrical joy.

Saturday I had to work on finishing an article. But I took off early for dinner at Milano in Crown Center. It had changed since my last visit, with a much smaller menu which seems for the best. I recommend Ravioli Alla Creama Di Trartufo. I’m not one for white sauces, but this sweet, salty dish with a touch of truffles was excellent. The wine list is also limited but if you like reds I recommend the Banfi Col Di Sasso Sangiovese, Toscana. It is a great taste for a small price. Sangiovese is the same grape that is used in Chianti but it doesn’t have that alum taste.

We finished off the night at The American Heartland Theater with Bunk-Bed Brothers. It was closing night.

Sunday was sleep in time.

On The Way Back

On the way back from the Ozarks last weekend I decided to take an indirect route back to Kansas City through Columbia and visit a few old friends still at Mizzou. I also stopped off in Jefferson City at the Capitol Building to get a good view of the Muddy Missouri in flood stage.When I arrived in Columbia at mid-afternoon I had forgotten it was graduation weekend and the campus was packed with new graduates, spouses and parents. I made my way over to the MU Bookstore at Brady Commons because I knew they would be having some end-of-the-year discounts. I can’t walk into a bookstore without buying an armful of books, and when there is a sale on I have to lock my credit card in the car. I was so proud of myself, I only bought three books. One on German settlements in Missouri and two travel books.

While I was in the travel section a student walked in and was looking for the Lonely Planet travel guide that covers Mexico and Central America. The clerk said they did not have it but could order it for him. However, he was leaving the country the next day.

As I have traveled in Central America, I struck up a conversation. He and a friend were planning to tour for the three month summer hiatus. They were flying to Mexico and after exploring some of the Yucatan they were going on to Cuba for a month. After that they had no definite plans except visiting friends in Guatemala. He wanted to go on to Belize and was thinking about Ambergris Caye. Was I ever envious; I wish I had the time, the money and the chutzpah to do that.

It was a hot, sunny afternoon and I had not eaten all day. I met my friends at Booches bar/pool hall for a cheeseburger and ice cold Michelob Light draught beer. When in Columbia make it a goal to have a cheeseburger from Booches, considered by many to be on the world’s best. A perfect ending to a perfect lazy day, only the two hour drive back to Kansas City remained.