#134 - Fizz Burgers & Bottles, Wichita, KS

I drove back from the Big 12 tournament on Saturday.  The drive home always seems to take a million times longer than the drive there, no matter where you're coming from.  I always get really tired--and hungry--right about in Wichita, so it's the perfect place to stop for a little pick-me-up. For some reason the Wi-fi in my hotel room wasn't working Sunday morning on my Surface, so I couldn't find the restaurant.com deal I had found the day before.  So I had to find someplace else to eat.  I hadn't eaten much healthy all weekend, and I was determined to get back to eating much better as soon as I got back.  But this was on the way home, so I was going to make this meal count.  And I came across Fizz Burgers & Bottles, rated #4 in Wichita by TripAdvisor.  Sold.

The restaurant is about a 10 minute drive off the highway, but I've learned in Wichita pretty much anything good and not fast-food is.  And I really wasn't in a huge rush to get back, as I had left kind of early to fit in this stop.  It's on the corner of a strip mall.  From the outside, it has this look like it's a chain burger place.  But it's not; this is the only location.  And  you realize that as soon as you walk inside.  It's not very large, seating maybe 50 inside.  It does have a pretty big outdoor patio, but it was too windy for me out there.  When I arrived there were only 3 tables available inside.  I kind of wanted a 4-top table, but the waitress steered me to a 2-top...that or the bar.  At first I wasn't a fan, but as I watched I realized why.  There was a steady stream of customers coming in the entire time.  And most of them were families or groups.  Duh.

They've got a whole menu of bottled drinks, so of course I had to try one. They had tons of flavors, and I eventually settled on a black cherry soda.

It was really good.  Deep, but not overpowering, black cherry flavor.  The only negative was that it wasn't ice cold.  I thought about asking for a cup of ice, but didn't worry about it.  I know the sodas are bottled, but it would be cool if they offered tastes of different sodas.  Maybe a soda flight, like you can do a beer or wine flight at some bars.

The next thing that caught my eye was the pickles.  At first I was going to pass when I saw they charge for them, but then I realized that they make their own.  Dill or sweet. I couldn't decide which kind to get, and my server said she would bring me some of both.

These were so good!  I was a little worried the dill pickles would be super tart but they really weren't bad.  Just a little tang.  Thick cut and very fresh.  They should offer larger sizes of these to go, because I would have gotten them.  I actually only ate a few so I could eat my meal.  And I took the rest home with me.  They didn't even make it to the end of the night.

They've got an assortment of sandwiches, a soup of the day, and also several salads.  But when I saw that they grind their own burger meat in-house, I knew I had to have a burger.  They have 7 standard burgers, or you can make your own.  The blue burger sounded really good, so I went with that and I subbed grilled onions instead of regular.  They offer both a 1/4lb and 1/2lb burger.  I had no need or desire to be gluttonous, so I went with the 1/4lb. 

I really like that they offer different sizes of fries.  Everything from individual to family sized.  Again, trying to be somewhat good, I got the individual.  They've got several different dipping sauces, and I went with the garlic aioli.

Blue Cheese, Roasted Garlic Sauce, Red Onion, Lettuce, Tomato

The burger was outstanding.  The beef was literally falling apart, but that's okay.  Grilled onions add such awesome flavor that you can never get from raw.  The roasted garlic sauce was really good as well.  A nice, deep background flavor.  The avocado was an up-charge, but well worth it, considering you get 1/2 an avocado.  Most places you get only a few slices.  I ended up eating it separate.  The fries were thick cut, not my favorite cut.  However, they were perfectly cooked (crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside) and super hot.  So I was very happy.  And you get a lot in the individual portion.  The garlic aioli was fantastic.  Stronger than the roasted garlic sauce on the burger, but still not overpowering.  I really didn't even need the ketchup.

The group behind me got a family portion of fries.  I thought it was a little creepy to ask them to take a picture, so I found this one online.

I've never seen that many fries on a platter before.  It was crazy.  And you get all 7 of the dipping sauces to try.

I fully understand why this place is so highly rated.  The food was excellent, the service was friendly and efficient, and it's a very cool atmosphere.  I will definitely go back.

#101 - Manna Wok, Wichita, KS

I seem to always have really good luck with restaurants in Wichita.  I've yet to be disappointed, and TripAdvisor has never led me astray.  Wichita is the perfect place to stop for lunch on my way home from Kansas City, and I try to hit there right around lunchtime. I came across Manna Wok, and it looked very interesting and got great reviews.  The one thing they all did say was to not let the neighborhood or the outside of the restaurant stop you from going.  And as I pulled up, I understood why.  The neighborhood was sketchy at best, and the building itself looked like it was completely closed.  I seriously considered finding someplace else, but read the reviews again, and decided to be adventurous.  I just hoped my car would still be there when I got done.

Manna Wok is TINY.  There are maybe 8 tables.  And they are packed together tight. Every inch of wall space is covered by pictures of patrons in the restaurant, and then at each table there's photo books with more pictures.  They've also got tons of just random stuff on the counters and in the entrance.  I swear it could be a museum.

It's owned by a couple; the husband cooks, while the wife runs the front of the house. They both still have a REALLY strong accent, and we did a lot of pointing to help me decide what to eat.  I started with the Kim Bab.  It's like sushi, but with no fish

It was just like sushi!  Thinly sliced beef and veggies with rice, wrapped in seaweed.  I was very surprised how much it was for just an appetizer. It was savory and absolutely delicious.  The flavors worked really well together. 

For lunch, I started with a salad 

They use that same dressing as I had in the sushi buffet in Lewisville, the stuff that looks like pureed baby food.  But it was still really good.

Then I got the beef bulgogi.  I had read that they make it at your table, but I think that's when it's more than one person, and also just at dinner.

Wow, this was amazing.  The marinated beef was perfectly cooked and delicious.  I had never tasted kimchee before.  I had seen it tons of times in Asian markets, but never was adventurous enough to try it.  Boy have I been missing out.  The kimchee was really, really good.  Tons of flavor, and I'm definitely glad I got medium spice because the hot would have been too much for me.  The rice was the same sticky rice used in sushi, and was delicious.  And it helped tone down the kick of the kimchee.

As I was eating, the owners came out and ate their lunch too.  And as I was finishing, they struck up a conversation.  They were so friendly, and very excited when I told them I'd found them on TripAdvisor and was just driving through. 

Will I go back?  Well, I promised the owners I would be back next time I'm in Wichita. And I can't go back on my word.  Besides, the food was amazing, and next time I want my picture to go on the wall!

#85 - Sabor Latin Bar & Grill, Wichita, KS

The Saturday morning of the Big 12 tourney I woke up, ran 6 miles, and then headed home.  Probably not the best idea, because my legs were super sore from sitting in the car for so long and I was exhausted after a couple of hours.  But I timed it out perfectly to hit Wichita about lunchtime.  I had gone on TripAdvisor to look for a place to eat, and came across Sabor Latin Bar & Grill.  It's right in Old Town Wichita, an area with a Warren theatre and lots of other restaurants and shops.  It was ranked in the top 5 restaurants in Wichita, so I decided to try it out.

I arrived well after the lunch rush, but there were still a few tables of people there.  The restaurant looks kind of industrial, with a full bar near the entrance, about 20 tables inside, and a small outdoor patio with about 10 tables.  The kitchen isn't fully open, but you can still see and hear them cooking and talking in the back, particularly if you're seated close to the kitchen as I was.

There was only one server working almost the whole time I was there.  I understand it was after the lunch rush, but it was still way too much for one person.  It took quite a while for me to be served, although he did come over and tell me he would be with me as fast as he could after I was seated.  It's not his fault, but it detracted from the experience.  And then I heard the manager/owner in the kitchen arguing with one of the cooks about how he was slicing the meat...he wasn't doing it against the grain, so it was tough, but he didn't want to hear it.  There was a little bit of a language barrier because the chef was Hispanic, and had kind of broken English, so another chef had to help translate some of it.  So that didn't help things either.  From their argument I really thought the chef was going to walk out.  Thankfully the fight didn't last too long.

As usual, I was having a hard time deciding what to eat.  I started with the plantanures

Crispy Plantain Chips | Served with Chimichurri and Avocado Crema

These chips were so good!  Growing up my mom made plaintains all the time.  She used to bake them, but they were way too mushy for me to eat so she would also fry them for me.  But when she did it was thick cut slices.  These were very thinly cut, crisp, not greasy, and freshly cooked.  The avocado crema was pretty good, but I really liked the chimichurri.  It had a lot of garlic, so once again it's a good thing I wasn't going to be kissing anyone.  The down side to the long wait for my meal was that I kept eating the chips.  But I finally forced myself to stop, and asked the waiter to bag the rest so I could take them home.

For my main dish I went with the sandwich de vegetariano with a side of black bean frito

Sauteed Mushroom Blend, Roasted Red Bell Pepper | Manchego & Mozzarella Cheese |
Tomato | Avocado | Spinach | Chimichurri | Mayo

I don't normally order veggie sandwiches, but after the funtivities of the Big 12, I felt like I needed something healthy.  Plus it sounded delish.  Plus it was on ciabatta bread.  Plus when I asked the server he said it was awesome.  And he was right.  The sandwich was huge, but really really good.  The chimichurri is very oily and there was too much on the bread so when I picked it up, some of the middle fell out.  But I honestly didn't even realize that it came with the chimichurri until I bit into it.  So next time I would get it on the side. That's my only complaint about the sandwich. The black beans were absolutely delicious.  It's smashed beans sautéed with onions, topped with sour cream and cilantro.  The beans aren't spicy at all, but the sour cream adds a nice cool texture and taste to the dish.

I continued munching on the plaintains on my drive home, and had enough left when I got there to eat a few later that night.  Then I got tired of the garlic smell and had to throw rest of the sauce away.

Will I go back?  Yes of course!  The server issue had to be a very rare occurrence, otherwise the restaurant wouldn't get such good reviews and a high rating.  Plus, there's other menu items that I want to try.  But regardless, I will always start with the plantanures.

 

#44 - Bann Thai, Wichita, KS

So I realized yesterday that I was so excited to blog about my meals in Dallas that I completely forgot about an amazing lunch I had in Wichita on my way home from the Big 12 tournament!

About a year ago, my mom bought a certificate through Deal Chicken that gave her $400 in restaurant.com gift certificates for $40.   Overall I think it's a great deal.  Most of the restaurants offer certificates in values ranging from $5 - $100.  However, many restaurants have lots of stipulations, and others make you spend at least $35-$40 before you can even use it.  Also, the restaurant options aren't always the greatest, depending on the city, and of course I can never find many good options in the cities where I am.  There are a couple of Stillwater restaurants on the list...El Vaquero is one of them, but you have to spend $50 before you can use the coupon.  Who the heck spends that much at a Mexican restaurant??  You have to go with a big group to have any chance of hitting that.  About a month ago my mom reminded me that I needed to start using the certificate so that it wouldn't go to waste.  The good thing though, is that once you print the  individual certificates they "never" expire. So this weekend I'm going to find a few more in OKC and print them out and use them in the next few months.  I found a $25 certificate for the restaurant at the team hotel in Kansas City, but never got around to using it.  The morning I was leaving I gave it to a couple of our donors to use for their breakfast.  I had also found a certificate for Bann Thai in Wichita.  It had gotten some good reviews online, so I figured I would check it out.  And besides, I only had to spend $10 to use the $5 certificate. 

The restaurant is located in a strip mall, about 5 miles off of I-35.  I drove through a really nice neighborhood, into what looked like a not-so great neighborhood, and then turned into the strip mall.  No chance I would  have found this place just by driving by, and not just because it's kind of on the back side of the mall...more because on any other day I would race straight through that part of town without stopping.  But I figured I was already there, and wanted to give it a shot.  It's got about 10 tables, and only 2 of them were occupied.  Again, on a normal day during lunch that would not be a good sign.  But I was deteremined to see it through.  I have to admit I was surprised when my Diet Coke was delivered in a can with a glass of ice. The waiter did, however, open it and pour some into my glass for me.  My waiter was very nice, but spoke very little English, and what he did speak was very broken.  Thank goodness for menus!  The owner came out a few minutes later to offer help on what to order.  Her English isn't great either, but she pointed out items on the menu as she talked, so that helped.

I decided to start with the spring rolls

Crispy spring rolls stuffed with vermicelli and vegetables. 
Served with plum sauce

I was shocked to get 5 rolls!  At most places you get 2-4 maximum.  They were hot, fresh and delicious.  The plum sauce added a great sweetness to the savory rolls. 

I really wanted the honey duck, but they didn't have it available.  She explained the reason to me, but to be honest I couldn't really understand what she said.  So I just said okay, and decided to go with the Pad Khing chicken.  She said they make their own chili paste, so I told her to go ahead and do medium.  A few minutes later the waiter  came back over and told me a story about the Thai origins of the name.  Couldn't even begin to tell you what he said, so I just smiled and acted like I knew what he was talking about.

Sliced ginger, mushroom, onion stir fried with chicken and sauteed with the house sauce

She told me it would be a "little spicy".  She LIED...my mouth was on fire from the first bite!  And that made me sad, because I didn't get to enjoy the meal as much as I wanted.  On the other hand, the veggies were all cooked tender-crisp, which I really love, and it was a lot of food for the money.   And I'm glad that they threw in a bunch of extra veggies, like the corn and baby carrots, because  it just added to the overall flavor.

I was already pretty full and had no plans for dessert.  But I needed something to stop the burn.  I was planning to just go and pick up some candy at the gas station, but when the owner suggested the Thai pancake, I figured why not.  I had never tried one before, and I was sold when she said white chocolate was one of the topping options.

This was one of the best desserts I've ever had!  The pancake was thin and light, and stuffed with nutella. Honestly, anything stuffed with nutella is to die for.  I loved the little white chocolate chips on the edge.  I was stuffed about halfway through, but there was no way I was leaving any of it on the plate, so I just plowed through.

Will I go back?  You know, I think I will!