Mediterranean Archives - Our Changing Life

Dinner Feast At Jerusalem Cafe

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 10:00:13 +0000

How often do you find yourself wondering why you haven’t frequented a place more often? It seems that we eat at the Jerusalem Cafe food truck every time we are shopping in the West Bottoms, but rarely visit their brick and mortar in Westport. Clearly it was time to check out their new home at 515 Westport Road. Some last-minute Christmas shopping brought us to the area, so we decided to enjoy a dinner feast at this Kansas City Mediterranean restaurant.

Open Spaces

You have to travel back to 1989 to find the start of Jerusalem Cafe. While some may not think that is long ago, it would be five more years before Bartle Hall would open. It was a mere four years after the Kansas City Royals had won their first World Series. For nearly three decades the restaurant operated sandwiched between other businesses on Westport Road. This fall they completed the renovation of their new space, which helps boost visibility. The open floor plan of their new digs comes with a pop of modern accents and an urban vibe.

Walking through the front door, we spotted the gold dome of their brick oven that churns out freshly baked pita bread. While their old space holds many fond memories for their customers, this upscale addition is certainly appealing. By the way, we have heard that the owners are planning to create a new concept restaurant in the old home.

Getting Started

With a full evening of shopping before us, we knew that we were going to need plenty of food to tide us over. Fortunately, finding a dinner feast is never a problem at Jerusalem Cafe. In fact, they even have a Jerusalem Dinner Feast on the menu. Having a menu item that showcases a wide variety of the restaurant’s dishes is a bonus for us. When we told our server our choice, the smile on his face showed that we had made a good selection.

After beginning our meal with a couple of salads, our first tray arrived. It was an appetizer plate that included hummus, falafel, and stuffed grape leaves. As we munched on this variety of tasty bites, we discussed their new home. We noticed a steady stream of customers filing in, and we’re glad we arrived when we did. Their new location certainly provides a considerable uptick in street presence, so we are betting it has boosted their customer visits, as well.

Dinner Feast at Jerusalem Cafe

We were still munching on the appetizers when our server arrived with our main course. When he laid it before us, my first thought was, “How will two people ever eat this?” This over-sized platter was heaping with lamb, chicken, gyro meat, and kifta kabobs. (Kifta is a combination of ground beef and ground lamb.) With all of that protein, we were sure to be stuffed for hours. Of course, the food choices don’t end there.

They also include some roasted vegetables, more pita bread, and laid all of this over a bed of their herb spiced rice. Yeah, we knew we were in trouble if we had any intention of completing the meal in one sitting. After taking a few photos, we dug into this delectable selection of treats. There was plenty of each meat type for both of us to get our fill. As we tasted each new flavor, we tried to hone in on our favorites. The gyro meat was spot on, but the kifta had me coming back for more. Before long, we both threw in the towel and waited for our final course.

Dessert Options

As if there wasn’t already plenty for two, the final course is dessert. I ordered some Mint Tea to accompany my sweet treats. There are two choices for dessert; Baklava or Halva. Our server suggested trying one of each, and it was like he was reading our minds. The Baklava brought all of the sweetness of the honey with the crunch of chopped walnuts. It was everything we expected in a Mediterranean dessert.

Halva was an unexpected choice, which we had never experienced before. The recipe is quite simple, as it consists of crushed sesame seeds with honey. When we heard the description, we couldn’t imagine this combination making for a sweet treat. We couldn’t have been farther off base, as this dish brings one of the most intriguing flavors we have experienced. It makes sense that this combination would be popular since tahini (sesame paste) is a common ingredient in many Mediterranean dishes. With each crumbly bite, we savored the taste of the Middle east.

Staying Consistent

By the end of our meal, we had a variety of dishes on our table. For about $25, you will get a three-course meal that is more than enough for two. In fact, we ended up taking home leftovers from our visit. After packing up our to-go box, we settled up and said our goodbyes. Our holiday shopping may have been only partially completed, but a filling meal had been checked off of our list. Perhaps now that they have higher visibility, we will visit Jerusalem Cafe more often.

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Discover Hidden Flavor – Queen Sweets Bakery

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 09:45:44 +0000

To this day, we are amazed at the number of hidden gems that we find spread around the Kansas City metro. There are so many alcoves and pockets dotting the landscape. Thank goodness for Google Maps, since finding places in the pre-computer age was much more difficult. Of course, there are paths that many of us drive every day, which take us so close to some of these unheralded treasures. I’m not sure how many trips we have made up North Oak Trafficway, coming from downtown KCMO. Little did we realize the hidden flavor we passed on each drive. It took a keen eye to finally spot Queen Sweets Bakery, at 4107 N. Cherry Street.

We want to thank Queen Sweets Bakery for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

Local Favorite

Queen Sweets Bakery is not huge, so it is not surprising that we have overlooked it. Tucked into a small strip of shops, the husband and wife owners spend their days creating an assortment of Jordanian and Lebanese dishes. When we entered the restaurant, we found a small space to be well lit and inviting. One of the owners greeted us and showed us to our booth. The place was only about half full, but that quickly changed. We had arrived just before 6:00, which appears to be the best time to grab a seat. By 6:15, the place was packed with couples and families.

Middle East Decor

We took a few moments to soak up the atmosphere. Even though their space is limited, the owners of Queen Sweets Bakery have made it inviting. We loved the splash of bright colors and Mediterranean accent pieces. This helped create an environment that had us craving the tastes of Middle Eastern cuisine.

Tasting the Hidden Flavor

Whenever we visit a new restaurant, we scan the menu for anything resembling a sampler platter. We have found that this will allow us to savor a variety of tastes. Not all restaurants will carry this, and some spots have a menu that isn’t really set up for this style of dining. Fortunately, Queen Sweets bakery has a few dishes that work perfectly for getting an assortment of flavors. Our first choice was the Combination Appetizer plate. This dish is created with a collection of Falafel, hummus, Baba Ghanoush, and stuffed grape leaves. *Please note that it would usually have Mediterranean salad, but the owner substituted the stuffed grape leaves. A basket full of pita bread supplied the edible tool to enjoy all of the creamy goodness. A pair of dipping sauces added exotic flavors to the Falafel.

Round Two

You are probably wondering why the owner made the substitution. We actually ordered both plates at the same time. This meant that he knew the Mediterranean salad would already be included in our second choice. We loved that he wanted to make sure we had a more complete sampling of the dishes they offer. Choice number two was the Mashawi Mix Plate. This comes in a regular or family size. Obviously, we decided to go with the smaller of the two, and that was a wise choice. The dish they served us had ample amounts of grilled lamb, chicken, and Kafta shish kabob. (Kafta is a ground lamb and beef mix.) Served with grilled veggies, it is laid out on a bed of delectable saffron rice. It was going to be difficult to finish all of this food.

Queen Sweets

What kind of food bloggers would we be, if we didn’t check out the dessert at a place called Queen Sweets Bakery? Their bakery case was filled with delicious looking treats. With choices like chocolate cake, pecan pie, cheesecake, apple pie, or even tiramisu, it would hard to go wrong. The old saying about when in Rome, reminded us that we should check out a dessert that represents the rest of the dishes we had savored. A pair of walnut Baklavas would work perfectly for this. The flaky layers of pastry captured the honey-sweet flavor, while the pistachio crumbles added some extra crunch. There was no room left in our bellies for any more food, once we finished this dish.

Explore the Hidden Gems

After paying our bill, and saying our goodbyes, it was time to head off to check on our grandcat. This had been another successful excursion to uncover a hidden gem in Kansas City. (You can read about a Mexican cuisine gem here.) Slowly, but surely, we are ticking off the places that have remained hidden from us for so long. Of course, we realize that with each one we investigate, there are at least a dozen others still waiting in the wings. What is your favorite hidden gem?

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Getting Our Greek On At Kinzi Mediterranean Restaurant

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 09:45:06 +0000

Sometimes last minute plans can uncover some interesting destinations. Recently, we were leaving church on a Saturday evening, and decided to find some place nearby for dinner. Since we were in Mission, Kansas, there were plenty of options available. Neither of us wanted to commit to a particular cuisine, so I made the decision to sample a new restaurant. As we cruised down Johnson Drive, we came upon Kinzi, a Mediterranean restaurant. This would be a perfect chance to for getting our Greek on without traveling far from home.

Simplistic Setting

Kinzi sits in a strip mall location at 5329 Johnson Drive. With plenty of other businesses around, it was hard to gauge how busy they were from the outside. Upon entering, we found the place to be about half full, but they would change to near max capacity by the time our food was served. The decor is simple, and has undertones of Mediterranean style. There is a combination of booths and tables to choose from, and guests can seat themselves. We found a nice table in the middle of the action, and soon we were greeted by the owner. This is in line with many of the places we have found in this area. Mission has a few interesting cuisine options, and we were eager to sample another one. (You can see our Thai food experience here.)

Getting Our Greek On

After explaining to the owner our purpose, he seemed to be more understanding of why I was taking photos. Looking over the menu, we saw a wide range of options that sounded pretty authentic. When the owner came by to take our order, we pointed out that we were struggling with our decision. He pointed out a couple of sampler platters that would provide a good cross-section of some of their most popular dishes. That sounded like a good plan, so we ordered a couple of them to share. While we waited for our meals, we watched a sudden influx of new diners, and soon the place was nearly packed. Clearly we weren’t the only ones who would be getting their Greek on this evening.

Greek Sampler

Our choices this evening were designed to give us a broad sampling of the food at Kinzi. The Greek Sampler is an assortment of menu items that are commonly found at most Mediterranean restaurants. A serving of Gyro meat is accompanied with onion, lettuce, and tomato, as well as the common Tzatziki sauce. We piled these parts together, on the accompanying pita slices, to create our own miniature Gyros. We also used the pitas to dish up the Hummus and Baba Ghanouj that was served up on both plates. Nestled among the vegetables were three Stuffed Grape Leaves, which are filled with a rice and herb stuffing.

Veggie Plate

The second dish was the Veggie Plate, which shares a couple of the same menu items. Hummus and Baba Ghanouj are common to both plates, which worked out well for us. Being two items popular with us, we were getting our Greek on without having to move the plate back and forth for dipping. More Stuffed Grape Leaves here, as well, so we each had three to enjoy. What differentiates this sampler from the first are the Falafel patties and Spanakopita. The Falafel is made from Fava beans, chickpeas, and spices. Their patties were actually more like balls, and had a bit of a spicy kick. The Spanakopita is a cheese and spinach stuffed pastry made with Phyllo dough. Their version was not as flaky as some we have sampled, but still had good flavor.

Satisfied Samplers

By the end of our meal, we were pushing back unfinished plates. We find that when we are getting our Greek on, the dishes are much more filling than they appear. With plenty of protein being supplied through the Gyro meat, hummus, and Baba Ghanouj, it didn’t take long for our appetites to be quenched. As we headed back to our car, we took one last look at Kinzi, knowing that we would certainly be back in the future. The menu still holds a variety of dishes that we will need to explore. It is satisfying to find a new cuisine option close to home. Have any of you sampled the cuisine at Kinzi? We would love to hear your experiences in the comments section below.

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Food, Fun and Broken Dishes – Tasso’s Greek Restaurant

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 10:00:44 +0000

Who says dinner time has to be just about the dishes? A visit to Tasso’s Greek Restaurant at 8411 Wornall Road, in Kansas City, offers a meal and more. We stopped in on a Friday evening to check out their menu. Our goal was to try our hand at testing a variety of their flavors. While we both love gyros, neither of us have a good in-depth grasp of Greek cuisine. We always get a little giddy when thinking about getting a chance to savor some new tastes. The restaurant makes a noticeable impression from the street, so we had no trouble finding it.

Mood Lighting

Once we stepped inside, I knew we were in for a little bit of a challenge. The interior lighting is heavy on blues, which can make photography a little difficult. On this particular evening I had only brought along our point-and-shoot Nikon camera. While we have a few photography options, this is the camera that I am least familiar with, so I was wanting to get more practice. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have nearly as much lighting range as our Canon DSLR, but we have learned to make the most with what we have on hand. The restaurant has ample seating areas that all afford a good view of the main dance floor. They host lots of special events parties, so they can throw together multiple tables to handle a crowd. On our visit there was a large party celebrating a birthday.

Sampling The Sauce

Our visit was around 6:00, so well before the real party started. The server happily walked us through the menu options, and was helpful in suggesting a way to get a good cross section of the flavors. We started by ordering the Taste of Greece appetizer and a couple of shots of Ouzo. The platter has four flavors of dips that are accompanied by their fresh pita bread. Humos, tzatziki, skordalia, and a spicy feta dip are served in a beautiful presentation. We sampled these as we continued looking over the menu. The ouzo is a traditional Greek aperitif that many have seen referenced in the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It has a distinctive black licorice flavor with undertones of fennel and cloves. It can be overpowering, but at Tasso’s they will add it to their homemade lemonade for a delicious spritzer.

Party Time

Before our visit I had reached out to some of our connections at the Kansas City Eats Facebook group. They have been very supportive of us and are always ready and willing to throw out some suggestions for local places we can feature on our website. When we visited Des Moines, we had the chance to dine at Olympic Flame, which is a downtown Greek restaurant. (You can read about that visit here.) Some of the Kansas City Eats members immediately recognized it and offered a Kansas City version that paralleled that destination. Live entertainment is certainly an added bonus, which Tasso’s offers plenty of. About the time our first plate had arrived, Bill Gladden was beginning his evening set. This local musician has been entertaining the crowds at Tasso’s for over 25 years, so he is an expert of getting everyone into a good mood.

Our Main Course

The start of the music drew our attention away from the menus, but soon we realized that we needed to determine our main course. The dips had buffered our appetites quite a bit, but we knew that we should sample more of the restaurant’s flavors. We decided to stick with the appetizer section of the menu and selected Pikilia. This mixed plate comes as a two person or four person serving size. We opted for the two, since we were sure we would be full at the end. A heaping serving of gyro meat is the main portion of the meal and comes with more pita bread. This is accompanied by Tiropita, which is a phyllo pastry filled with an egg and cheese mixture. There is also a serving of Spanakopita, which is a spinach and cheese version. These dainty looking delights were actually very savory.

Break Dancing Greek Style

The manager, John Kalliris, would periodically step out onto the dance floor located in front of the band. A large stack of plates are situated nearby with the purpose of being broken in celebration. Even though it was early in the evening, we would see diners come forward to try their hand at this tradition. John would be handy to offer tips to the newbies and soon the floor would be littered with the remnants of the impromptu celebrations. Afterwards, a staff member would make a quick sweep of the space and it would be ready for the next outbreak. This unique entertainment certainly was something new for us. Just as the time came for us to leave a belly dancer began preparing to continue the evening entertainment. While we were unable to catch her show, it gives us another good reason to plan a return visit. That and sampling more of the menu and Ouzo. Opa!

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Reclined Elegance At The Basha Cuisine

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 10:00:48 +0000

Rewind a couple of years, and we made a visit to The Basha Cuisine with our daughter. She has always been an adventurous soul when it comes to testing various cuisines. This may be the reason we have been so willing to expand our palettes, by visiting the unique restaurants that can be found tucked away around Kansas City. This specific purveyor of Mediterranean cuisine can be found just off of Metcalf Avenue at 7016 W. 105th Street in Overland Park. It’s a little difficult to locate, but well worth the effort, as it offers plenty of reclined elegance during meal time.

Lunch Break

We had just finished a visit to the Johnson County Museum and were looking for something unusual for a late lunch. (You can read about the museum here) Wanting to go somewhere that would have a menu that allowed us to sample a variety of their dishes, we remembered The Basha Cuisine. Since we had taken our time at the museum, we arrived at the restaurant in the middle of the afternoon. This allowed us to have the place almost to ourselves, but not completely. During the week they close between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm, but not on Fridays and Saturdays.

Reclined Elegance

The hostess led us to a booth, but tables are also available. One of the more interesting seating areas is a small room near the back corner of the restaurant. Here we found three low divans filled with throw pillows. A grouping of tables are the appropriate height to accompany this lounge style seating. It appears to be designed for groups of people, but it is probably available to smaller numbers. We made a mental note of this area for future reference. It may be fun to dine in a more reclined fashion.

Mix and Match Meal

Since neither of us truly remembered our previous visit, we decided to sample a variety of the dishes available at The Basha Cuisine. We discussed our desire with our server, and she made some excellent suggestions. Our meal began with the Sampler Platter from the appetizer section of the menu. This tray, which is pictured in the title shot of this article, consists of four items. A serving of hummus rests on one end of the platter, and is topped with a spicy sauce. Glad we had plenty of water to quench the heat. Sitting opposite of the hummus is a serving of Baba Ghanouj, which while similar in appearance is made with eggplant instead of chickpeas. The topping sauce was not as hot, but still quite flavorful. Three falafel offered a different texture for chickpeas, as these are fried. Stuffed Grape Leaves containing rice, tomato, and a nice touch of spices completed the platter.

For our main dishes we ordered the Mixed Grill Platter. A heaping mound of rice anchors the plate and its three accompaniments. Shish Tawook is grilled chicken skewers flavored with a house blend of herbs. Grilled Kefta is a blend of ground beef and lamb that is shaped into a log before cooking. This matches well with the Tahini sauce they serve in a cup. Gyro beef rounds out the trio and can be stuffed into the pitas. These are delicious when garnished with the garlic sauce and marinated salad that accompanies the platter. As you can see, our choices were more than enough to satisfy both of our appetites. For less than $30.00, including tip, we were able to enjoy a Mediterranean feast. How many of you have discovered this hidden gem?

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