Jerry's Woodsweather Cafe

Someone told me about a place in the Bottoms that had great burgers. I heard "blah, blah, good burgers, blah, weathersomething, blah blah". So when I went to find this place, I couldn't. You see, they don't have a website. And my searches just weren't close enough to the real name to find even a review. Wetherby's? Wetherfields? No and no.

So I gave up for a while...

Then one fine day I picked up a copy of The Pitch, and there it was! An ad! With the address and everything! Yeah!

Then I lost the ad...

So I put the challenge to my husband...Find This Place! And...he did! Jerry's Woodsweather Cafe!

Even though they had changed locations at some point, he found it! I guess the name comes from their old location - on Woodsweather Road.

And guess what? The burgers are good! And although I didn't have room this time, so did the giant chocolate-cake-under-a-dome. Mmmm....

This place is a good ole fashioned diner. Like the kind you trip into when you are traveling in rural Iowa or Arkansas. You see a variety of folks here...construction dudes, white collar dudes, moms with kids. Everyone loves a diner, right?

So the burgers....they are big. They come with the best fries I've had in a long time. They seemed to be hand-cut, but I'm no expert. I just know they tasted damn good. I actually requested a box to take home the leftover fries. Sadly, there was no leftover burger.

Here's what it looked like before it disappeared...The total tab was $7.49 for the burger and the addition of a giant sweet tea. My only suggestion is to pay .50 for extra cheese. The regular slice of cheese was no match for this gigantic monster of a burger.

Jerry's Woodsweather Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch only: Mon-Fri from 5:30am - 3pm; Sat 6am-1pm.

Location: 1414 9th Street (at 9th & Hickory), in the KC Bottoms area

website: none that I could find

Broadmoor Bistro - Baking Fridays

I've written before about Broadmoor Bistro - a bistro-style restaurant staffed entirely by high school students in the Culinary Arts program at Broadmoor Technical Center in the Shawnee Mission School District.

Last month, they started their "Baking Fridays". I've just now returned from the sugar coma that I've been in from enjoying all those delicious goodies last month. I especially enjoyed the Chocolate Decadence and the Snickerdoodle (best I've had...even if I make them myself).

The good news? This Friday (11/21/08) is a Baking Friday. Whee!

Enjoy choices of pies, tarts, cookies and cakes during Broadmoor Baking Fridays. Certain Fridays of the month the students will be selling the products of their lessons that they’ve made in their classes at Broadmoor. Check it out in the school foyer from 12:30-4:00 pm or until sold out on the specified Fridays: Nov. 21, Jan. 16, Feb. 20, and April 17.

Credit cards are preferred and NO CASH will be accepted for purchases.

Also you can order your Thanksgiving holiday pies, to be picked up either Monday or Tuesday of next week.

website: http://www.broadmoorbistro.org

AMC Theatres Premieres "Fork & Screen" Concept

AMC Theatres' Olathe location has re-opened their east wing as an entirely new concept called "Fork & Screen". Fork & Screen offers in-theatre dining, with comfy seats and ample counters or tables on which to eat while watching your movie.


I was invited to a 'sneak peek' of this concept last night, and it is SPECTACULAR.


When you enter the Fork & Screen wing, you first encounter MacGuffins, a lobby-bar that offers food and drinks (both adult and soft). You can dine/drink here either prior to entering the theatre or for dessert afterwards (or both!).


When you are ready to watch your movie, there are two theatre-style choices: the Fork & Screen theatre and CinemaSuites theatre.


The Fork & Screen theatre has larger seats, more legroom between rows, and a roomy counter on which you can dine. A concierge button allows you to call waitstaff when your popcorn runs dry or you need another Guiness. Yes, they have Guiness...I checked.


The even-more-cool, upscale CinemaSuites theatre has larger, reclining seats with footrests, and swivel tables (kinda like college, only with a place to put your beer). CinemaSuites has reserved seating, offered online. There is an additional charge of $10, but $5 comes back as a food credit and for the extra comfort and intimacy, the extra $5 is well worth it.




In conjunction with the Fork & Screen rollout this weekend, AMC is hosting some special events and giveaways, including free movie tickets for a year (Friday), a free Rock 'n' Roll party (Saturday) and a Mom's Day Out (Sunday).


NOTE: To enter the Fork & Screen wing, you must be 18 years old or older, or accompanied by a parent or guardian. To enter the CinemaSuites theatre, you must be 21 years old or older. Movie selections will reflect this demographic.

Wanna go? I've got coupons for one free admission and some buy-one-get-one food. Be the 10th person to comment and I'll send them your way! Good luck!

Go See "Clay"

This is the best play I've seen in a long time! Note the special performance (with beer!) on Saturday:

Special 10 pm performance of CLAY
Saturday, September 27
Kansas City Repertory Theatre

On Saturday, September 27, celebrate the final weekend of acclaimed hip-hop musical Clay's pre-Lincoln Center run at this special 10 p.m. performance at Copaken Stage. All beers only $2--and you can take them into the theatre! Ticketholders will also be invited to a special post-show reception. Tickets only $25!

website: http://adventuroustheatre.com/

Broadmoor Bistro Opens for Fall

Broadmoor Bistro, 6701 W. 83rd Street in Overland Park, is a restaurant in the Broadmoor Technical Center that is run by students. And by "students", I mean junior and senior high school students.

...but this ain't no cheeseburger and fry joint. They serve a 4-course gourmet meal. And it's delicious!

Some friends and I went on their opening night this week. We had to wait a while to get seated, and they attempted to serve us our first appetizer twice. But we chalked this up to opening night jitters.

...and did I mention that the food was fabulous? FABULOUS! They had to wrestle the mistaken second appetizer out of my hands!

Our group decided that we had never had scallops this good! And my tenderloin medallions were absolutely perfect.

I'd recommend this place, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Don't expect gourmet restaurant service. This is student-run. The service was not bad, but it wasn't fabulous either. That said, you are not expected to tip - so bring your patience along.
2. You have to make reservations. The only way to do this is through their website. Dining times start from 5:30 to 7:00pm, in 15-minute increments.
3. You have to pay in advance. If there's a chance you won't make it, pick another date.
4. They are only open on Wednesdays, so you'll have to set your DVR to find out who got booted from "Dancing With the Stars".
5. They don't serve alcohol. Which is a big bummer, because this food is crying out loud for some wonderful wine pairings. But alas, only tea, lemonade and coffee. It IS a high school, afterall.

Even with all these disclaimers...Broadmoor Bistro is definitely worth a visit.

website: http://www.broadmoorbistro.org

Melbee's is Closing on July 31st

This is such a bummer! Text below is copied from the official email.


MelBee's Farewell

Dear Friends,
As many of you know, MelBee's is saying goodbye and will serve its last dinner on Thursday, July 31st. Since announcing our news several weeks ago, we have been truly touched by the outpouring of kind regrets regarding our closing. Words cannot express our gratitude and appreciation for all of your heartfelt words of support and encouragement. It has truly been an honor to serve you over these last six years!

During MelBee's remaining days we hope you will give us the opportunity to say good-bye personally.

• We will be open for dinner on Monday through Saturday evenings until July 31st.
• On Thursday, July 24th we hope you will join us in honoring Christine Germann, the Village Food Pantry & Clothes Closet Director at our Christmas Eve in July Dinner. We will serve our new Summer Menu and Christy Meinhardt and Everette DeVan will entertain. MelBee's friends have been very generous this summer in bringing food items, clothing, paper goods and small appliances.
• Monday, July 28th is our final MelBee's Date Night. Dinner for two and a bottle of wine for $50 per couple.
• Beginning Monday, July 28th, we will be offering all wines remaining in our inventory at 50% discount.

We are currently making plans for the future and will stay in touch to keep you informed. Thank you again for all of your kindness and support over the past several years. It has been with great pleasure that we have been able to serve you.

Hope to see you one last time at MelBee's.

New Spin! Pizza

One of my favorite pizza places, Spin! Neapolitan Pizza, is opening up a new location in Olathe, at 119th & Greenwood (the new strip just east of Blackbob, on the north side of 119th Street). They are scheduled to open this coming Monday, June 16th.

Mmmmm....I can't wait.

website: http://www.spinpizza.com/

Happy Gillis Cafe & Hangout

A few weeks ago, I had lunch with my massage therapist at Happy Gillis Cafe & Hangout. I can definitely attest to the 'hang out' factor - I think our lunch lingered on about 2 hours. Happy Gillis is located in the Little Italy part of the River Market area, which has a very residential feel. We ordered our lunch, then snagged an outside table, as the weather was nice that day. I think only one car drove by as we were lunching outside the cafe.

I was daring and ordered the Bahn Mi sandwich, which boasted grilled chicken, a variety of Mexican veggies, and fresh jalepeno peppers. Yep! They were fresh and hot...but not too overpowering. Very good! My lunch partner had the Curry Chicken Salad. She had been to Happy's before and she liked this salad so much that she had not seen it necessary to order anything different.

We struck up a conversation after our lunch with Todd Schulte, the owner of Happy Gillis. He also owns The Happy Soup Eater, which makes homemade soup weekly for delivery to hungry, soup-loving customers. He said that Happy's had been open for a few months and the lunch crowd was good some days, and not so good other days. We promised to spread the word.

So....GO THERE! You'll like it!

website: http://www.happysoupeater.com/ (Happy Gillis doesn't have a dedicated website yet)

The Drum Room

I visited The Drum Room (1335 Baltimore, right inside the Hilton President Hotel) today for lunch with a friend. Our overall experience was good, but I have to say, I think going to this place for lunch is like going to World of Fun in October. Sure, it's the same great place, but the ambiance is missing somewhat.

You see, The Drum Room is known for their music and their martinis, neither of which was present over the lunch hour. Well, I suppose I could have tried a martini, but I didn't...

Maybe because of this, or maybe because of the surprisingly lack of signage for this joint, there were no huge crowds here over lunch. Actually, if you were looking for a nice, quiet lunch spot to talk business (or gossip) and have some great food, this would be your place. The entire time we were there, we only saw 4 other diners.

Other than the lack of customers, our experience was great. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive, and the food was WONDERFUL. I chose the "Soup, Salad and 1/2 Sandwich" option. I love trying multiple food options in one meal - I stink at multi-tasking and this makes me feel like I'm at least trying to multi-task. My lunch partner chose the Drum Room Burger with Sweet Potato fries. I don't remember seeing even a crumbs left on her plate when she was finished.

For my S, S & S trio, I chose Tomato Bisque, Caesar Salad, and the Lump Crab Cake Sandwich. The bisque was thick and creamy, and served with some yummy, seemingly homemade crackers poking up from the red-orange goodness. The Caesar salad was very good (though none I've tried have ever matched Garozzo's Caesar salad - it's the standard by which I judge all other Caesars). The Crab Cake sandwich was surprisingly good. It was served open-faced, with some diced avocado and tomato sprinkled on top. All this for $11.

I'd love to try this place at happy hour, or during a performance, when it's really hopping!

Website: http://drumroomkc.com/

More Restaurant Closings....

• Cheeseburger in Paradise (Leawood location only) - closed back in February of this year
• Papa Keno's Pizza (downtown OP) - heard today that they have about $100K of back taxes so the state has seized the property and shut them down. Bummer.

Masala's Indian Restaurant (coming soon!)

Just drove by Whole Foods today and saw a banner announcing Masala's Indian Restaurant going in where Ohana Hawaiian BBQ was (91st & Metcalf area - Overland Park). They weren't too far along, but I'm eager to try it when they open. Stay tuned!

On a related note: Why are there no Indian restaurant chains? Almost every other nationality has a restaurant chain, with multiple locations, if not within multiple cities, within the same city. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

BabyCakes

Mmmmm....who doesn't like cupcakes?

BabyCakes is a cupcake bakery, located at 108 E. Missouri Ave (in the River Market area, next door to Harry's Country Club). They have mini-cupcakes, regular-sized cupcakes and jumbo-sized cupcakes. Oh, and candy too (called "Frou Frous" on their website), although when I visited they were sold out of the candy. Darn! I'll just have to make a return trip...

I bought a 4-pack of cupcakes to check the place out: Vanilla w/ vanilla frosting; Chocolate w/ white frosting; Lemon w/ lemon frosting and Vanilla w/ chocolate frosting. Even though they were beautiful and came in a cute little 4-pack container, it didn't take long for all the cupcakes to disappear. Oops! I forgot to share.

From my analysis, the key to the perfect cupcake is in the frosting. The cupcake has to be good, but it need not be great. BabyCakes' frosting is pure heaven (especially the chocolate variety - yum!). If I could make frosting like this, I wouldn't eat anything else. The cupcake is really just a delivery vehicle for the frosting.

The only problem is...this is an expensive habit. Regular-sized cupcakes are $2.20 each. Minis are $10 for a dozen. Jumbos are $3.50.

It's too late for me...I'm hooked! I'll be searching the sofa cushions for cupcake money. See you there!

website: http://www.babycakeskc.com/ (like most bakeries, they are closed on Mondays)

Restaurant Closings

Farewell to:

• Sarah's on Grand (will be opening under new owners at some point)
• Rockrose (will be opening as J Murphy's Irish Pub in June 2008)
• Timbers BBQ (closed early April - not sure why or if another restaurant will be going in)
• Ohana Hawaiian BBQ (by Whole Foods around 91st & Metcalf - rumor has it that an Indian restaurant will be going in)

Early Birds Love Hereford House Happy Hour

In an attempt to create traffic when there is normally little or none, lots of restaurants are offering an "Early Dining" option. Often this takes the form of a Happy Hour special in the bar only, but not always.

Melbee's, for example, has a $25 fixed price, 3-course meal, provided you can get there before 6:00pm. * Their normal offering is a $38 fixed priced, 4-course meal. That's quite a big savings if you can make it there in time!

My current favorite for "eating early" is Hereford House. I've visited the new Shawnee location (435 & Midland Drive) and taken advantage of this offer. Often. From 4:00 - 6:00pm, in the bar only, their offerings include:

for a measly $4.50:

• 1/2 pound steakburger w/ fries
• Boneless buffalo wings (very good ones!) w/ fries

for a frugal $6.50:

• KC Strip Sandwich (grilled onions and mushrooms) w/ fries

for a miserly $8.50:

• 8 oz. Kansas City strip w/ fries
• 4 oz. filet Oscar (crab and Bearnaise sauce) served w/ asparagus spears

NOTE: There are more options. I'm only listing this ones I've tried and liked (I haven't disliked any). Also, options and prices appear to change slightly at different Hereford House locations.

Want an adult beverage with your early dinner? How about a $3 house Cabernet or Chardonnay? Or a $3 Boulevard brew?

This is a great meal (it is Hereford House, after all) for a great price. See you there!

websites:
Melbee's: http://www.kansascitymenus.com/melbees
Hereford House: http://www.herefordhouse.com/

* Call ahead to confirm that they still offer this special. I'm not seeing it listed on their website.

Lill's on 17th - Can you keep a Secret?

UPDATE - 5/20/08: Due to low attendance, these Monday night dinners have been cancelled. If I hear of them starting again, I'll post.

A secret dinner, that is. Lill's on 17th is officially closed on Mondays. If you drive by the house-converted-to-a-restaurant and look at the sign out front, there are no Monday hours listed. However, that's not really true....

There's a Secret Dinner on Monday nights at Lill's. Anyone is invited, but not everyone knows about it. In fact, there is no mention at all of this on Lill's website. I was lucky enough to get a flyer from a shop owner in Lill's neighborhood.

There are a few rules regarding Monday night dinners:

• No choices - there is only one set menu each week. (there is always a vegetarian option)
• The menu changes each week.
• Food is served family style.
• There are two seating times: 6:00pm (recommended for parties with kids) and 7:30pm.
• Only cash and checks are accepted
• Cost is $10 adult; $5 kids under 10 (Drinks, tax & tip not included)
• Reservations are required

Last week's menu had the theme of "Comfort Food" - Mac & Cheese, served with sides of mushrooms and broccoli, with homemade biscuits and frosted brownie for dessert. If you think this is a bland menu, then you would be wrong. The Mac & Cheese was not to be confused with the stuff from the blue box - penne pasta smothered in a wonderfully rich cheese sauce and topped with a golden brown bread crumb topping. Let's just say I had thirds of it!

On the side were sauteed mushrooms and bright green steamed broccoli. Whether you mixed these in with your mac, or had them as sides, you couldn't go wrong here.

They aren't kidding about the family style - Lill's is not a large place, and our party of six ended up sitting at the same long table with a younger couple. It didn't take long before we ended up striking up a conversation with them and found that we knew some people in common - the whole small-world thing, you know.

Just tonight, I went back again. Tonight's theme was "Breakfast for Dinner" (one of my personal favorites). The menu was pancakes, eggs, bacon, cheese grits, hash browns, biscuits & gravy, fresh fruit and cinnamon rolls. Whew! You had me at "pancakes"!

Tonight it was just me and my four-year-old son going for dinner. We shared a table with four other ladies that my son happily flirted with.

I should mention that this dinner at Lill's is pretty laid-back. This is no fancy-pants dining experience. It's more like going to a good friend's house for dinner. For example, we got our biscuits and were happily munching away when someone noticed, "where's the gravy?" Oops. That was quickly remedied. Then there was some bad news about the cinnamon rolls. They did not rise in time to be baked for dinner. I took the news in stride, but my son was a little peeved. Another biscuit soothed his pain.

In summary, Lill's on Monday night is a casual, comfortable, easy dinner. You will get some wonderful food - plenty of it - and you might even make a friend or two.

website: http://www.kansascitymenus.com/lillson17th/ (but you won't see any mention of this dinner there! Call or email for details about Monday night dinner: 816-421-4441 or jamer33@gmail.com)

The Upper Crust: Quiche + Pie = Dinner

The Upper Crust is a pie bakery, located in the lower depths of Pryde's in Westport (a kitchen and home store), that is only open on Fridays and Saturdays.

I called The Upper Crust about their pies. While on the phone, the kind lady mentioned that they also have two weekly quiches. I figured quiche + pie = easy dinner, so I took her up on the offer.

My quiche choices were Italian Cheese or Bleu Cheese Tomato. The Blue Cheese Tomato made me say "yum" out loud, so I ordered that one. They have too many choices of pie to list - see their website or call them.

The pies I chose were All American Apple and Lemon Meringue. I got two petite pies (1-2 servings), so I could try several flavors.

Fast-forward to dinner...

We had a friend over for dinner to sample the goods. The quiche was difficult to heat up. As suggested by The Upper Crust staff, I heated it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, but it still felt cold in the middle. If I left it in the oven longer, I feared that the crust would cook too much. Finally, I resorted to the microwave (20-30 seconds per slice) and that worked wonderfully.

Friend and I had two pieces of quiche each. As I expected, it was yummy. Hubbie only had one slice, but I suspect he was saving up for pie. It was unanimous...good quiche!

When time came for the pies, Hubbie chose Apple, while Friend and I chose Lemon Meringue. It was thumbs-up all around for both pies. Not one to miss out on pie, I tried the remaining Apple pie for breakfast the following morning and it was indeed a good choice!

The All American Apple had a perfect crust (the most difficult part of the pie to get right, in my opinion) and the apples inside were sugared and baked to the perfect consistency.

The Lemon Meringue was a thing of beauty to look at. The meringue was a delightful tan color and stood up in curvy spikes a couple inches above the pie! Inside of being gooey, the meringue was springy. This resulted in a good mix of gooey lemon filling with springy meringue combined in every bite. This was seriously a great pie!

The Upper Crust also has a good selection of cookies and seasonal items (they had heart-shaped cookies for Valentine's Day the day of my visit).

I would suggest ordering ahead to make sure you get your first choices. My next choice will be German Chocolate Pie - I eyed it in the store and it looked delish!

website: http://www.prydeskitchen.com/store/the-upper-crust.html

Sarah's on Grand...is Grand!

I visited Sarah's last night for dinner. I had heard from no less than three independent sources that I absolutely had to go check this place out. Never one to ignore a good restaurant recommendation, I made reservations for 8:00pm on a Thursday. When we got there, it was obvious that reservations were not needed during the week - we were one of two tables occupied in the very trendy dining area.

After talking to Sarah post-dinner, she told us that dinner hasn't quite caught-on yet. Lunch is very busy though.

Our dinner started out with a brisk discussion of the decor, including all the interesting art on the walls, the orange flourescent lights that face the street and especially the interesting placemats, which were black metal and looked like many different-sized washers had been welded together.

Then the food came, and we forgot the decor entirely.

I ordered the Gorgonzola Pasta w/petite chicken meatballs. Once I read "petite chicken meatballs" I knew this was the entree for me. I had to see what "petite chicken meatballs" were! Let me tell you, they were delicious. The dish was comprised of corkscrew pasta, roma tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and the aforementioned meatballs. All happily bathed in a gorgonzola cream sauce that was rich, but still light, if such a thing is possible. Mmmmm....

My two male companions both opted for the Chicken Under a Brick. One was surprised when the entree arrived sans brick. However, they both devoured the somewhat flattened (from the brick, I suppose) chicken breast and the mashed potatoes and asparagus that accompanied it. A light cream sauce was drizzled across the entire thing. Clean plates for both of these two! I was only allowed one bite!

My female companion went for the Trout, which came with a little "belt" of cubed sweet potatoes, drizzled with a balsamic dressing. I got a bite before she dug in and found both the trout and the sweet potatoes very flavorful and yummy.

Our male companions wanted dessert. Since Sarah is the former pastry chef from Capital Grille, I was interested, but just too darn full from the Pasta. But when the Flourless Chocolate Cake, drizzled with raspberry sauce arrived, I caved in a tried it.

Most if not all Flourless Chocolate Cake that I've had (and I've had a lot, okay?) is somewhat dry. As you eat it, you have to "cleave" off bitefuls from the main cake. Not this one. This was the most moist and gooey Flourless Chocolate Cake I've ever had. It has ruined me forever. In a good way, of course. Again, I was slow and only got two bites this time. Drat!

So, in a nutshell....try Sarah's! It's a grand place for dinner.

website: http://www.sarahsongrand.com/

Souperman Fights the Winter Chills

On this cold, snowy day, a friend and I visited Souperman, a long-but-not-very-wide restaurant in the downtown Crossroads area that specializes in - what else - soup!

We shook the snow off as we entered Souperman and were faced with a chalkboard listing all the freshly-made soups for the day. We put in our order at the counter and by the time we paid, our lunch was ready. The smells in this place are amazing!

The place was busy, but mostly folks were taking their lunch away, probably back to work. We had no problem getting a table in the mostly metal-themed dining area.

I chose the Poblano Corn Chowda and a Portobello Mushroom with Roasted Peppers, Goat Cheese and Grilled Onions Sanditto. The chowda was the right blend of creamy/spicy/corny goodness and the sanditto just made me smile.

What's a Sanditto? Well, it's basically a foil-wrapped, enclosed panini, with all your favorite stuff in there. I'd say it's like a Hot Pocket, but those are gross, and this was delish. Just try one, okay?

My dining companion had the Curried Pumpkin Bisque and a Smoked Turkey Melt with Swiss, Tomato, Spinach, and Pesto Sanditto. I didn't get a taste of either, darn it! By the time I'd gotten my face out of my lunch, her lunch was gone!

Souperman only serves lunch, and is only open from 10:00am - 3:00pm. Go early to get the best choices, before they are gone. This is the perfect place to chase away the winter chills.

website: http://www.kansascitymenus.com/souperman/

A "Bleck" and a "Yum"

First the "Yum!"

Pizza Bella, 1810 Baltimore. Their menu is not extensive - it's basically on the placemat - salads, antipasta and wood-fired pizzas - but everything was wonderful. During our visit, we enjoyed a zesty caesar salad, and split a Margherita pizza and a Proscuitto pizza between three of us.

They have a nice, wide selection of wines and beers (I secretly loved that Bud was not on the list!).

We finished off with Tiramisu and Italian gelato and some GIGANTIC cups of nice dark-roast coffee.

The atmosphere is very urban, yet comfortable and the wood-fired ovens made the place warm and inviting. Definitely try this place if you get the chance. Be warned: We were there on a Wednesday evening and it was packed!

website: http://www.kansascitymenus.com/pizzabella

Now, the "Bleck!"
Granny's Chicken Ranch, The Legends (in the previous McBride's pad site)

Who doesn't love some pan-fried chicken or chicken-fried chicken every once in a while? I do, so I had high hopes that Granny's might be the place for me.

Alas, no. This place is no Stroud's. Nor KT Fryer's.

I ordered the Chicken-fried Chicken. My son got drumsticks. We both got the mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits and cinnamon rolls. After dinner, we both agreed that the cinnamon rolls were (by far) the best part of the meal.

I'm not sure what Granny puts in her gravy, but I expect chicken fried chicken gravy to be mostly white - a creamy gravy. Granny's gravy is a beige color. And lumpy. I suspect it might have been some sort of sausage gravy - the type you put on biscuits - which (trust me) does NOT work on chicken. But even after scraping all the gravy off, the chicken was overcooked. The drumsticks were too. And the biscuits basically just tasted like lard and flour.

Maybe Granny's is just going through some New Restaurant growing pains. That said, next time I want chicken fried or pan-fried chicken, I'll wait for the new Stroud's to open.

And one more thing - a pet peeve of mine: If you are going to put your menu on your website, make sure that it is READABLE. Granny's isn't.

website: http://grannyschickenranch.com/