Pizza 51

Since moving out of the South Plaza area over eight years ago, I don't frequent my old haunts as much as I thought I would. I found a new Peanut to call my own, a coffee shop other than Muddy's, I'm frequenting the northernmost Bo Ling's, and aside from dropping in at the Mixx and Accurso's, I mostly drive quickly through the area to get to my people in Brookside or Waldo. But on a recent warm night we found ourselves pulling up outside Pizza 51 to enjoy a little al fresco pizza.
I'm sure there are times when the place is crawling with college kids, but summer means the place is crawling with the younger set. Yelling, galloping, and making chalk drawings on the concrete patio, these kids were having a good night. Mixed in with the young couples, families, and big parties, the vibe on the patio was lively and fun. Ordering at the counter was easy, our table service was quick and attentive, and the pizza was fairly good. The crust had a crispness and chewiness that was very pleasing, but lacked a little in the flavor department. The toppings were plentiful, however, and the side salads were made even better with the addition of their house herbed vinaigrette, which was more like an herb paste and was wonderful for dipping my pizza crust in.

Pizza 51
5060 Oak Street
816*531*1151
open 11am-10pm daily

Guilty Pleasures

I love the chicken sandwich. Not the bad chicken sandwich - the one with the limp chicken, the horrible lettuce leaf, the see-through pink tomato slice and the low-fat mayo. A good one, for me, means good chicken, good bread, some sort of gooey condiment, and something extra, like pickles. (Pickles aren't a requirement, but they certainly don't hurt anything or anyone.) These are my favorites, in no particular order:

1. Chick-Fil-A: I've talked to a lot of people who are "eh" about the whole Chick-Fil-A madness that seemed to accompany the opening of the Ward Parkway location. I contend, however, that it is the best fast food chicken sandwich money can buy. It's not just the waffle fries, either. The chicken is always hot, perfectly breaded, and looks (and tastes) like good white-meat chicken - not some chopped up processed mess that has been shaped to resemble a patty. And it comes with pickles. You don't even have to ask.

2. Max's: The Charbroiled Chicken at Max's is marinated or basted in a savory somethingorother that, when it comes off the grill, makes it juicy and perfectly seasoned. If you get it with everything, you get mayo, onions, lettuce, and pickles, and by the time you're nearly finished the soft bun is falling apart in your hands. It's a mess, in a good way. Eat it there, on Wornall, and enjoy it while it's hot.

3. Westport Flea Market: The Cajun Chicken sandwich here is awesome. Sometimes they can be a little heavy-handed with the cajun rub, but the flavors themselves are always good. Once they call your name (real or pseudonym), you can dress it however you like it. It's even good with the thousand island dressing.

4. Jerusalem Cafe: Not a traditional pick (and no pickles here), but the Chicken Gyro fills all my other sandwich needs. Good well-seasoned chicken wrapped in freshly-baked pita bread, with lettuce, onion, cheese and a sauce that will make you want to lick the plate. You can use your pita for this, however, and spare yourself any embarrassment.

5. The Mixx: Anything involving the words tarragon mayonnaise and butter croissant would make me smile from ear to ear, but the Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwich ups the ante by mixing it up with tender chicken, crunchy jicama, grapes, and pecans. The crunch factor is a huge plus, and washed down with one of their fresh-squeezed lemonades, this sandwich will pump up your day from good to excellent.

The Recipe for Cool

It's just too hot to do anything but eat popsicles and drink lots and lots of ice water. I've been stockpiling Edy's Frozen Fruit Bars in Lime and Lemonade flavors. Here, to help you cool off, are FIVE excellent places (in no particular order) for frozen treats for when your brain starts to feel melty...

Murray's Ice Cream and Cookies
4120 Pennsylvania
816*931*5646

Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard
6235 Brookside Blvd
816*523*2520

Paleteria Tropicana
830 Southwest Blvd
816*221*0192

Balsano's Gelato Cafe
428 Ward Parkway
816*931*4010

Sheridan's Frozen Custard
Locations all over metro area...

Frondizi's

This has been a busy week - it has made grocery shopping impossible. The fun part about the house not being stocked with groceries is trying to scrounge a decent meal from the stuff you have around the house, and the stupid part about not grocery shopping is trying to scrounge a decent meal from the stuff you have around the house. We quit trying to have fun with the refrigerator after Monday night's meal, which involved a homemade pizza with pesto, garlic, red bell peppers and chicken sausage. It was awesome - I knew I wouldn't be able to follow that up with anything subpar, like toast. Or apples and popcorn.
Tuesday night, riding on my pizza high, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner out, followed by my final birthday present, Lyle Lovett at the Uptown. You can really eat just about anything before you go see Lyle Lovett, because you're not going to remember much about the meal at the end of the night. You will, however, be humming and feeling exceptionally good about life. You will remember Lyle, his Large Band, and why you love Lyle and his Large Band. Maybe you ate, maybe you didn't. Maybe it doesn't really matter.
Thankfully, although it was a meal bound to be forgotten, we chose thoughtfully. We went to Frondizi's, because we wanted to feel good about what we ate, and we wanted to be someplace exceedingly comfortable with excellent service. We had a most-decidedly unforgettable first course. The heirloom tomato salad was served with goat cheese, basil, and balsamic vinegar. The chilled asparagus and English pea soup was refreshingly light and beautifully green. Our main courses - the Kansas City strip with goat cheese polenta and carmelized shallots, and the phyllo-wrapped halibut with roasted red pepper sauce - were expertly prepared. The fish was flaky inside a perfectly crisp crust, and the steak was actually medium rare. I was too eager to move on to our next stop to even consider dessert.
If it hadn't been for Lyle, the meal would've been the star of the night. I allowed myself to forget the details & flavors of the food as I filled my ears and eyes with the concert. I forgot the food. Thankfully, I took notes.

Frondizi's Ristorante
4558 Main Street
816*931*3322

Accurso's Italian Restaurant

I normally reserve visits to Accurso's for the autumn, when you can call ahead and cross all fingers and toes while saying a small prayer that they'll be serving their Butternut Squash Ravioli. I never even think of Italian for lunch, especially not in June, what with the heat and humidity and the heavy food coma that results from a big bowl of pasta at lunchtime. We were initially headed for The Mixx where I was certain that a crispy fresh salad had my name written all over it, but my normally impeccable sense of food timing went tragically awry. The Mixx was mobbed, even at 1pm. Right up the street, however, was my 2nd favorite pasta dish, calling my name.Pair a spicy tomato cream sauce with grilled chicken and al dente pasta, top it with a little grated parmesan and fresh chopped parsley, and you've got the Chicken Penne Pasta Diavlo. The sauce is spicy - by the time you've finished, you've wiped the little beads of sweat off your brow at least twice - and the chicken is big chunks of juicy breast with the grill marks still on. All the pasta lunches come with salad and bread and range in price from $4.95 to $8.95. The food coma was free.

Accurso's Italian Restaurant
5044 Main St.
816*753*0810