Local Bars: Lee’s Summit

Posted on February 2nd, 2010 by craighope

Jerry's Bait Shop

As a lifetime resident of Lee’s Summit, I have witnessed a shift in the dormant puritan approach to commerce within our city limits.  Over the past 15 years, progressive leadership and the Chamber of Commerce have created an environment for adults to venture out of their homes and into entertaining venues.  The list is growing but here is a short compilation of local bars and restaurants we have now.  This list will grow and evolve so bookmark and check back.

…in no particular order other than region of the city.

North

Canoe Club – out near Lake Lotawanna, live music, good fish tacos (I hear), and summer deck seating in warmer times.

O’Bryans – locations in Lakewood (north) and Raintree area (south).  Large venue for watching a game, decent food.

Downtown area

Do-Drop-In – harmless dive bar, small,  been around a long time.  Pool table, darts, no food, sassy barkeeps.  No live music…generally (unless Amy hears a song on the jukebox and starts singing).  Not a food place either.  Be warned upon approach.  Lee’s Summit has a no smoking law thus you see the crowd of smokers as you enter the front door.

Ciao Bella – Quaint Italian Bistro.  Good Wine.  Tuesday Nights all-you-can-eat spaghetti (I don’t endorse stuffing yourself with this).

Jerry’s Bait Shop – Live music bar scene in downtown area.  Also in Lenexa, see website for bookings.

Maxwells – Formerly Hartley’s Furniture store.  Kid’s eat free on Tuesdays.  Deck outside (can smell in the summer heat).

The Peanut – Good place to watch a game.  Triple BLT.  Plenty of beer variations.  Deck on the back side.  Like Maxwells, there can be a trash odor in the humid summer months.  The Peanut has many locations throughout KC.

Sharkeez – small sports bar across the street from Do-Drop-In.

West

SidePockets – pool hall, food not worth being a destination, poker on monday nights.  For the old timers, located in the old Thriftway behind Waids (summit shopping center).

RA Longs Sawmill – this is a new place in the New Longview area.  Not so much a bar or any “night life” but a good place to grub and have an adult beverage.

JP Coffee – Good place for coffee by day or a quiet place for wine in the evening.  Very mellow.  Good dessert and sweets too.  The website jpcoffeeco.com is not working but the link is to their Facebook page.

East

Habanero’s – Our kids called it the “air pane” (airplane) place.  Mexican food, good mexican food.  One of my favorites is #14 MONTERREY: Three spicy spinach enchiladas with pepper jack cheese.  You can keep it low carb by ordering the CARNE ASADA SOUP: Strips of grilled steak in a tasty green chili soup.  Not much space in the bar (simply a waiting area).

Bullseye – located on the east side of LS.  pool tables (tues: free pool after 10pm), darts, karaoke, and chicks with tattoos.

Mr. Sushi – I have not been here but I read that their sushi is better than their Japanese steakhouse side.

South

WestSide Bar & Grill – Located down south of 150 near the Raintree area.  Watch sports, food, Poker on wednesdays, Trivia on Fridays.  Covered deck for warmer months.

Eddies Lounge – live music.  South near 150 and 291.  Karaoke.  ladies night on wednesdays.

See also O’Bryans up north (2 locations)

Other Reference:

Downtown Lee’s Summit Shops

White Chili

Posted on January 23rd, 2010 by craighope

Vegetarian Chili or add chicken.

This is a good slow cooker meal that can be vegetarian or with chicken.  It was originally listed as a chicken chili but we made this one time forgetting the chicken and it turned out just fine.  You choose.

5 quart slow cooker

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dried white beans (soaked overnight and drained)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 16 oz (2 x 8 oz) can(s) chopped green chilies
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 6 cups low-fat / low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups grated low-fat, or fat free cheese, divided in equal parts (note: better with regular cheese, but your choice how healthy you need)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• (optional) 2 lbs boneless skinless uncooked cubed chicken breasts.

Garnishes:

• 1 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 cup of your favorite salsa (note: you can also use diced rotel)
• 1/2 cup cilantro

Preparation:

Saute the onions in oil until clear.  Add the garlic, green chilies, cumin, oregano, cloves, cayenne, and chili powder for another 2 minutes.

Place all (not the garnishes) other ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low 8-10 hours, or high 4-6 hours.

Just before serving, add 1 cup of the cheese to melt.

Serve in shallow bowls topped with the garnish.  The cilantro really makes this dish sing.

Sandwich: Deli chicken breast and apple

Posted on January 1st, 2010 by craighope

Nothing special about this sandwich.  I just thought I would share.

Using deli chicken breast and slices of apple, build a quick sandwich on your favorite whole grain, Pita, etc. with a little mayo.  It is an unusually tasty sandwich.

Tags: Sandwich

Blackened Tilapia with Cilantro Mayo

Posted on December 28th, 2009 by craighope

This fish recipe is rather simple and very tasty.  It does require a cast iron skillet which is not as common in most kitchens these days.
1/4 cup paprika
2 TBL ground thyme
2 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 stick melted butter
4 tilapia fillets (…obviously thawed.  If you are like me, you buy these frozed on sale)

Combine the dry ingredients in a shallow dish in which you will dip the fillets and coat.   Dip the fillets in the butter, then into the dry ingredients on each side.

Using a cast iron skillet, heat to medium-high.  Cook the fillets 3 to 4 minues per side.  *** Warning ***  beware of the cloud of seasoning as you cook.

Cilantro Mayo: (mix ingredients and chill)

1 Cup Mayo
1/4 cut fresh chopped cilantro
1 TBL fresh lime juice

Note:  You can top your fish with tomato or use your favorite mango salsa.  This can also be made into a sandwich.

Tags: Blackened Tilapia

Grilled Vegetables

Posted on December 28th, 2009 by craighope

Vegetables of your choice.

Zucchini, eggplant, portobello mushrooms for example.  (halve them, slice them etc)

1/2 lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tsp grill seasoning (we use the McMormick’s Montreal Steak)
1 TBL Worcestershire sauce
1 large clove garlic, crushed
3 TBL olive oil.

Throw all the ingredients and vegetables into a bag or container to marinate until needed.

Grill the vegetables for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Mashed Cauliflower

Posted on December 28th, 2009 by craighope

This is your faux mashed potato dish.  There are many variations out there mainly because you can make this dish to your liking.  Experiment as you see fit.  The important factor is that now you can eat a healthy substitute.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower
2 TBL butter (or reduced fat margerine)
2 TBL 1% milk
2 TBL ricotta cheese
2 TBL sour cream
salt/pepper to taste

Use fat-free as you see fit from the ingredients above.  Cut the cauliflower into 6 pieces.  Microwave for 6 minutes per pound until tender.  Drain and put in a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and process a little more.

Optional: add a couple cloves of garlic (minced).  Put the minced garlic in the microwave for the final minute to release the love oils from the cloves.

Optional 2: Add cheddar cheese to your liking.

Tags: Mashed Cauliflower

The Rick “Sanchez Salsa”

Posted on December 22nd, 2009 by craighope

The recipe originates from co-worker Rick Sanchez.  This is a great demonstration that not all salsa’s are created equal.   Enjoy.

Sanchez Salsa
Serving: A blender full of salsa

Ingredients
3 Roma Tomatoes (Roma tomatoes work best because of their texture)
9 Tomatillos (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo for more)
1/4 – 1/2 yellow onion (depending on your taste)
Chili(s) of choice
 Mild = 2 jalapeños (seeded)
 Med = 2 Jalapeños (1 seeded, 1 whole)
 Hot (several options) = Jalapeño (2 whole), 1 Jalapeño (whole) 1 Serrano (whole), or 1 habanero (whole)
1 – 2 garlic cloves – either 1 large one or 2 regular sized
1/2 lime = I also like to zest some of the lime skin into it
1/3 bush of cilantro
salt to taste

Directions (Workplan)  <— that’s an inside joke
1) Grill (preferably with wood or wood chips on coals) or broil tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, chiles, and garlic. Cook each side for 5-10 minutes or until it is slightly charred, then flip. The tomato and jalapeños will be done sooner and the skins will start to tighten and peel back. The tomatillos and onion will take slightly longer to cook and the skin will not peel back. They are ready when they become soft. Some of them might pop. You want to try to remove them just before they pop. This is an acquired skill .

2) Remove cilantro leaves from stems and chop. I usually just cut the whole bush in half and throw away the bottom stems to save time. Seed (if needed) and slice chiles into 1/4′s. Slice the onion into 1/4′s (no need to finely chop since it will be blended).

3) Add all ingredients into blender or food processor (preferable) with a splash of lime and salt to taste, then blend on a low speed. Stop the blender occaisionaly to allow the larger chunks to sink to the bottom.

Taco Salad – easy low carb

Posted on December 17th, 2009 by craighope

This isn’t really a recipe, but simply a way to transform your favorite Mexican feast into many low carb (reheatable) meals for those families on the run.

Here is what my wife and I do.  We brown 3 lbs of ground beef and season with 3 packets of taco seasoning (your choice).  We don’t eat this entire batch for a family of four on the first night.  We will throw in the fridge and eat many leftovers.

Other ingredients for Taco Salad

- Lettuce, shredded (you can even buy the bags if you are in a hurry)
- Black Beans (canned of course)
- Chopped Tomatoes
- Black Olives
- Shredded cheese of your choice (Monterrey is good, Pepper Jack is good, but anything will work depending on your taste)
- If you have time, makes some Guacamole.  Guac doesn’t keep well thus not very utilitarian for the work week.

Pile up on plates and eat.

Important note here:  No chips, no tortillas, no shells.  You can have some around for the kids.

If your brain requires the taco experience, you can use large leaves of lettuce to act as a taco shell.

Green Bean Salad

Posted on December 16th, 2009 by craighope

Green Bean Salad

Keeps well in the fridge. This recipe is a bit high in fat with the mayo and sour cream.  But hey, look at the green you can eat.  It is a really tasty summer dish.

Ingredients

- 4 cups of fresh green beans, snapped and blanched
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayo (note: the sour cream and mayo are a 1-1 ratio if you are increasing this recipe)
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 or 3 tbls horseradish (your preference)
- 4 shakes of worstechester sauce.
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 shakes of tabasco

1. wash the green beans (duh).

2. blanch the green beans

3. toss together all the ingredients with the green beans.

Optional: top with hard boiled egg slices and crispy bacon bits.

Serve the dish cold.

Tags: Green Bean Salad

Three Bean Salad

Posted on December 16th, 2009 by craighope

Three Bean Salad

This recipe is full of flavor and is a great leftover salad. Keeps well in the fridge. This recipe is pretty inexpensive too!

Ingredients

- 1 (16 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can cut green beans, drained
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can cut golden wax beans, drained
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 2 tbls minced red onion
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup olive oil (note: you can use 1/2 cup of either only depending on your taste)
- 2 tbls white wine vinegar
- splash of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbls Dijon mustard
- 2 tbls greek seasoning

1. combine the first 6 ingredients

2. whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, and greek seasoning. Pour over the bean mixture. Cover and chill for 4 hours. Stir occassionally.