The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 106

PREYIEWRESTAURANTSPAST REPASTS Square but the food makes it a welcome addition For starters try the creamed mild mushrooms the seared baby lamb chops or the crab bisque For entrees the roasted lobster tail and the roasted rack of lamb were very good So was the filet which was tender enough to cut with a table knife (Reviewed 73198) Marina Grog and Galley: Lake Lotawana (816) 578-5511: The Marina sits at the edge of Lake Lotawana and its deck provides a splendid view of one of Jackson largest bodies of water The food is good too: For starters try the escargot the calamari or the baked Brie For entrees try the seafood pasta the filet and lobster tail or the crab supreme au gratin (Reviewed 72498) Italian 1201 103rd St (816) 941-6600: Jasper's has changed locales but the food remains top-notch Northern Italian cuisine The polenta the lobster ravioli the osso bucco and the scampi Livornese are all highly recommended The new venue has a lush and handsome dining room and a deck with a splendid view of Indian Creek (Reviewed V2199) Kansas City: 101 22nd St (816) 221-3722: Lidia's lives up to its lofty reputation at nearly every turn For starters try the calamari or the arugula salad don't pass up the pasta sampler and by all means try the fish soup the osso bucco and the duck gnocchi get plenty of excellent food at a reasonable price in one of the more dazzling restaurant environments in the city (Reviewed 122598) Mezzaluna Ristorante: 7809 QuM-ra Road Lenexa (913) 248-0087: The food is the celebrity here and most of what re had was ne ir exemplary The cuisine is primarily nouvelle: fresh Continued from Page 35 looking for a place to dine or grab a snack Wednesdays through Saturdays offers its "After Hours" menu which includes a short adventurous list of inexpensive tapas pizza and pasta dishes It's all fresh and lively (Reviewed 9399) Cafe: 6307 Brookskfe Plaza (816) 333-4048: Carmen's has some lineage to other well-known restaurants (Cafe Barcelona but it stands on its own as a place to get good food at reasonable prices The cala-mari was a nice appetizer and the salmon diablo chicken spiedini and steak margarita were very good entrees (Reviewed 7999) 746 Massachusetts Lawrence (785) 843-4111: is in a former bank building in the middle of Lawrence's business district but the cuisine aims to please more than the college student on a fixed income The menu includes some very good gourmet pizza some fine pasta dishes and several meat and seafood entrees (the salmon with shallot crust the ahi tuna and the filet with cognac sauce) that were worth the drive from Kansas City (Reviewed 121898) El Caribe Cafe and Bar: 12112 87th St Parkway Lenexa (913) 599-2270: The festive decor will get you in the mood for the lively cuisine Try the smoked marlin dip the conch fritters or the crab cakes for starters and the paella or the pescado la Veracruzana for an entree And be sure to leave room for a slice of the mango cheesecake (Reviewed 8798) Restaurant- 201 Main St Independence (816) 461-4525: This sleek restaurant looks a bit out of place on the stately Independence healthful light and served in moderate portions But if you are so Kansas City that you order steaks at Italian restaurants Mezzaluna has a dish for you: a very nice beef tenderloin in a contrapuntal Barolo wine sauce (Reviewed 101698) Mexican Sot Azteca Mexican Grill: 542 Southwest Blvd Kansas City Kan (913) 362-08171 This building has housed many a business but it looks like Sol Azteca may be the one to stay What you get are big platters of fresh vibrant food at very reasonable prices Make sure to try two of the feature dishes: the chile Colorado and the camitas Both are memorable (Reviewed 42399) Asian Thai 2000 Noodle and Rice Restaurant 10815 Shawnee Mission Parkway (913) 962-0090: In a former in Shawnee two sisters are dishing out authentic aromatic Thai food at very reasonable prices Try the co-conut-lemongrass soup the som turn papaya salad the pad thai and the king crab curry Save room for the dessert special tapioca mixed with coconut milk and served over rice with palm nut seeds (Reviewed 111700) The Thai Place: 9356 87th St Overland Park (913) 649-5420: This Johnson County strip-mall restaurant offers a large menu of authentic Thai food The was an infernal medley of greens seafood and red chilies a delight once you adjust to the heat Not everything is hot (you can order everything medium or mild) but all lively and served in big portions at a good price Don't hesitate to ask your servers for advice and recommendations (Reviewed 91099) Go to Country Club Plaza Eat definitive Tex-Mex Take the Mambo Taxi Don't say we didn't warn you 614-620 West 48th Street 8169606426 Iran Coc COMIDA TEX MEX COW SABOR the Bootand Don't Kansas City TRADITION 13000 90th 913-894-4600 kc star LCs Bar BQ (816) 923-4484 RD 50 HWY 64129 1AKF IHi: STAR INTO VOI LII SNI-A-BAR KC MO ODAY COUPON BUY 1 DINNER ENTREE GET 2ND DINNER ENTREE Voted "Best Brunch in Kansas City" by the 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