Like anything in life that is easy to put off, updating a blog—once you’ve taken a substantial (say 6-month) break—isn’t easy to start back up again. I’ve decided my self-imposed sabbatical has gone on long enough and it’s time to once again pick up my fork and start writing about the food I eat with it.

Recently I went on an extended vacation in the great American Southwest. We spent a few days in Vegas, the ultimate culinary playground, and then a week in Phoenix—while unable to top Sin City in number of celebrity chef-tagged restaruants per square mile, can definitely boast some great food.

First up, Vegas:

Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris (breakfast):  After a 6:30 a.m. flight from St. Louis to Vegas, for most people, the first thing they would want to do as soon as they got off the plane would be hit the slot machines or blackjack tables. Not me. I had breakfast on my mind, and after a little research, I settled on French bistro Mon Ami Gabi, with its solid reviews, promising menu and outside seating right in the center of the strip in the Paris Hotel.

It was the perfect beginning to kick off a three-day stay in Sin City. I had the Croque Madame, which was wonderful, and a mimosa. The french country bread was thickly sliced and a hearty base for the tender ham and melted Gruyere, and the fried egg on top was a deliciously decadent “sauce” when the yolk was broken. It was served with pommes frites—MAG’s version was more like chips, but tasty nonetheless. My husband ordered the French toast, which came with blueberries, but they kindly substituted with strawberries at his request, and a pillow of whip cream. My dad ordered the ham and Gruyere omelette, served with breakfast potatoes and the aforementioned french country bread, and my mom ordered the fresh fruit bouquet with creme fraiche and mint syrup, a side of toast and thick-cut oatmeal.

All in all, a great start to eating our way through Vegas.

Cravings Buffet in the Mirage (dinner):  Since it would be un-American to not tackle at least one buffet while in Vegas, we decided to hit up Cravings in the Mirage at the suggestion of Foder’s before going to LOVE. We showed up about 4:30 to allow plenty of time (and plenty of eating) before our 7 p.m show. An awesomely enough, we got the early-bird discount. So if memory serves, it was $18.95 or so a person.

First, the Cravings dining room was gorgeous for a buffet. Very Zen-like. The individual tables as well as the buffet stations were spread out and we didn’t feel the hog trough-vibe you get at most buffets (I’ll get to the Hilton later). Ethnic food was the specialty and everything was divided by type of cuisine. While it was decidedly still buffet food, it was definitely taken up a notch. My faves were the Asian corner with the various stir-fries, spring rolls and sushi and the Latin section with delicious pan-seared sea bass and chimichurri sauce. Desserts were the big weak point.

As is the point with buffets, I ate way too much, felt sick to my stomach and hated myself for my appalling lack of self-control.

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak at Stone Crab in Caesar’s Forum Shops: Oh, my, was this place delicious. Went there for a Saturday lunch with my mom after some serious shopping at the Forum shops at the recommendation of my trusty guide book.  I ordered the stone crab lunch special for about $20 since it was their specialty and I had never tried stone crab before.  It came with three large crab claws, hashbrowns, cole slaw and key lime pie.

The crab was great, which goes without saying. The claws were super-meaty and served with this tangy mustard that I could have eaten by the spoonful. The hashbrowns were crispy, like I like them and well-seasoned and the special Joe’s cole slaw was very good as well. The key lime pie was the best I’ve ever had, and I know my key lime pie.

M ordered the special, which was a tortilla chip encrusted mahi mahi (perfection), and a green salad with a really tasty vinaigrette. The bread service was outstanding, too, with different variations such as pretzel bread and onion rolls.

‘wichcraft in MGM Grand: We went to Vegas for a wedding, which conveniently happened in a little chapel across the way from Top Chef head judge Tom Colicchio’s super-casual restaurant. We had some time to kill between the ceremony and the reception up in the suite, so we stopped by for a sandwich. I went with the pastrami, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and whole grain mustard on rye and my husband had the roasted pork loin with red cabbage, jalapenos and mustard on ciabatta roll. Both were good, and I could tell they were made out of quality ingredients, but i was underwhelmed.

Las Vegas Hilton Buffet (Sunday brunch): Why we would talk ourselves into another buffet after literally stuffing ourselves sick defies explanation. Though in all fairness, my dad had been to the champagne brunch at the Hilton before and said it was “wonderful.” And it was just eggs, bacon and other breakfast delights, so how could bad could it be? Right? Right?

Maybe our standards have changed or they were having an off day, but it was terrible. Like greasy pork chops stacked to the smudged plastic germ protectors-terrible. All the breakfast meats were  greasy beyond belief, the eggs were flavorless, and the lunch part of the brunch was unmemorable—save for the fact that my mom was so angry that we had paid almost $20 per person for another buffet that we were unhappy with it bordered on amusing. Oh and a lady almost poked me in the eye with a feather from her enormous Sunday hat.

Really, there’s not much more to say. Just bad.

La Creperie in Paris: I went for a solo walk on the strip after brunch and before our next show (Jersey Boy @ the Venetian) to do a little shopping. Well, shopping makes me hungry so I stopped for a snack in the Paris at La Creperie after being drawn in by the sweet smell of fresh crepes. I went with the Favorite, which was the traditional mixed berries and whipped cream. The made-to-order crepe was huge ($7)  and I couldn’t finish the whole thing. It was light, fluffy and stuffed to the brim with a delicious mix of blackberries, raspberries and blueberries and topped with a perfect pillow of sweet whipped cream. It almost redeemed brunch entirely.

Grand Lux Cafe in Venetian: When I’m on vacation or anywhere new, really, I like to try restaurants that I can’t find back at home. But on the other hand, when you’re traveling with other people, you have to compromise, too (funny, I thought the Hilton buffet was a compromise, but I digress). Now, I’m not a chain snob (I adore Chili’s, Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s french fries, for crying out loud), but surrounded by all these wonderful restaurants in the Venetian, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t crying a little on the inside when we went to Grand Lux Cafe, the Cheesecake Factory’s inferior sister restaurant.  But we were starving, it was late and Grand Lux was a few steps away from the Jersey Boy’s theater.

Started with Asian Nachos, which were crispy fried wontons with chicken in a tangy peanut sauce, topped with wasabi cream and melted cheese. Pretty good, but also had the fake Asian flavor found in Lean Cuisines.

For my entree, I ordered a combo of two of their specialties, Shaking Beef and Caramel Chicken, both Asian-inspired—or uninspired, I should say. Just both very generic, Disneyland-does-Asian-style dishes. Though, what more did I have the right to expect?

I would talk about the entrees of my dinnermates, but most of them got the same thing I did. My dad got a burger that he was really happy with, so I probably should have followed my instinct and just went with a sandwich.

I will say, though, we ordered bananas foster and cheesecake for dessert and both were very good. So it wasn’t a total bust.

Border Grill in Mandalay Bay: For our last meal in Vegas, we chose Border Grill, the Vegas outpost of chefs Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales” Santa Monica restaurant. I had been to the original a few years ago and was highly impressed, so we thought we’d give the glittery Vegas version a shot.

I’m so glad we did. Went there for lunch, just before 11:30. The restaurant was still pretty empty and we were sat right away.

For appetizers we ordered fresh-made guacamole and then their special, some sort of potato-stuffed taquito, which was very tasty, but probably the least impressive part of the meal. The guac was wonderful, made with very fresh, simple ingredients.

I also order the house margarita with their tequila of the day, the triple-distilled Corralejo. I about fell out of my chair when I took a sip, because this margarita was the best I have ever had in my life.  Made with freshly squeezed lime juice and organic agave nectar, it transported me to a beach in Mexico. Transcendent.

Entrees: I ordered the special, a shrimp and poblano quesadilla with a mix of delicious cheeses… perhaps manchego, cojita and something else. Everyone else ordered some version of their house tacos, carne asada, fish tacos and al pastor. All came with their own special touches. The tacos as pastor came with pineapple salsa, the fish tacos with tomatillo avocado crema and the carne asada with caramelized onion. So tasty.

Also, a word on service. We had excellent service at every single restaurant we went to. Border Grill was probably the standout, but Vegas servers work hard for the money, so hard for it honey…

All in all a great trip for my palate. Vegas never disappoints.

Another KC weekend, another dinner out with foodie friends L and M. Aixois was a place we’ve been wanting to try for awhile now, so to say that we were coming in with great expectations is probably an understatement. Maybe that’s what led to our disappointment with almost every aspect of the cozy little Brookside bistro—maybe if we hadn’t expected delicious food and impeccable service then we wouldn’t have been so underwhelmed. Too bad dropping $60+ without anticipating that I would be in for an incredible meal just isn’t a luxury I and my other twentysomething friends can afford.

aixois

We went on the night where winter was just about to make its last stand and KU  happened to be playing in the Sweet Sixteen. We showed up around 8 p.m., just as the restaurant was clearing out. I doubt this is typical for a Friday night, but the emptiness kind of killed the cozy atmosphere.

I’ll say this about Aixois. It’s the kind of place you envision sitting out on the patio on a sunny spring afternoon, reading the paper, eating a scone and drinking a latte. Or chatting with friends over a bottle of wine and some cheese. It’s very homey and inviting, which leads one to think the service will be the same. Yeah, it wasn’t.

Our server’s haughty and slightly condescending attitude began when I couldn’t properly pronounce the wine I ordered. Perhaps I offended the Wine Spectator gods with my limited vino knowledge or I committed some cardinal sin  where the punishment consists of scowls from the waitress the rest of the night. Whatever. Snooty vibes from a server, regardless of how upscale the restaurant may be, is one of the quickest ways to get on my bad side. And she didn’t even laugh at our jokes. And I promise you, we’re funny. At the very least, slightly charming in an eccentric kind of way.

I wish the food could have made up for Snooty Server. Or at least took our minds off of the discomfort she brought to our table. We started with the cheese plate and the calamari, which was on special. The cheese plate ($11) was good, but I’ve had better. And again, the server just kind of plopped it down in front of us without explaining the five or so different cheeses, so we could only guess what we were eating. It was served with crispy lavosh crackers, a preserve of some kind, pears, grapes and something that appeared to be golden raisins. A good starter to share, but again, it’s hard to screw up a cheese plate.

The calamari was very good and came with a delicious dipping sauce. The breading was delicate and crispy without being overly greasy and the actual calamari tasted fresh sans chewy texture.

So at this point, we’re satisfied, though not blown away. The three of us share an intense love of goat cheese, so just as we did at Justus Drugstore, we all ordered the goat cheese salad ($9) for our second course. Aixois’ version was very traditional, with mixed greens, walnuts, strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette. The goat cheese came on top of two pieces of crostini served on the side. I know I haven’t gotten to the entrées yet, but this salad was probably the highlight. Still, we all agreed that Justus’ interpretation was far superior.

goat cheese salad

So the entrées. I was feeling fish, so I went with one of the house specials, pan-seared ruby trout with lemon and sauteed almonds and capers ($17). It came with mashed potatoes and green beans. When the server brought it out, the plate had one medium-sized fillet, but I guess it came with two and the other one wasn’t ready. When it was, the server just used a fork and put it right on top of the fillet I was in the middle of eating. That was kind of weird. It’s not like we were finishing up leftovers in my living room.

pan-seared ruby trout

The trout was just OK. It was totally overwhelmed by the salty capers and lemon, and though it did have a nice crust, it tasted like something I could make at home. The mashed potatoes and beans were abominable. Seriously sad. Both flavorless and kind of lukewarm.

L ordered the jumbo scallops and tiger shrimp, also with mashed potatoes. The scallops were just shy of rubbery and the shrimp tasted like they had been hanging out in the freezer for awhile. There was just some weird aftertaste thing going on. And you already know the deal with the ‘taters.

scallops and shrimp

Onto the glorious ending! The veal scallopini that M ordered was by far the worst of the entrées. L and I couldn’t even pretend to get behind it after we tried a piece. Same as my trout, it was covered in capers and lemon juice, but getting past the salty flavor only reVEALed (Ha.) a chewy, tasteless piece of meat. If you’re going to stretch the moral boundary and eat veal, at least it should taste good, right? Once L throws out the dreaded Lean Cuisine comparison, you know it ain’t good.

veal scallopini

You know, on second thought, these pictures actually make the food look pretty tasty. But as they say, looks can be deceiving…

And finally, dessert—which should be the crown jewel at a French restaurant. M ordered the chocolate mousse, L the creme brulée and I, the chocolate profiteroles (Snooty Server just had to put the final nail in her coffin when she enunciated “profiterole” when repeating it back to me even though I pronounced it just fine, merci beaucoup). The mousse had a funky taste, not the rich chocolate flavor I’ve come to love in mousse. The creme brulée, advertised as the best in KC, was according to L, “wearing a burnt hat.” Worst CB ever. Bad creme, bad brulée. And finally, the profiteroles, well let’s just say, M wondered if they had ran to Costco, raided the freezer and drizzled Hershey’s syrup on top. Yes, they were still partially frozen, had zero flavor and were totally disappointing. I should have known when SS recommended them to me—her ultimate revenge for my shoddy French. All I ate was the vanilla ice cream inside.

profiteroles

So, we either hit Aixois on a really off night, or it’s just not as good as people say it is. Maybe it’s a vast conspiracy on the part of well-heeled Brookside baby boomers and upwardly mobile young professionals to elevate this “hotspot” to a status it hasn’t quite reached. Either way, I won’t be back. There are just too many other good restaurants out there that won’t mock me for misprounouncing the name of a winery.

This might be the ultimate foodie post because Justus Drugstore, a restaurant, is the ultimate foodie destination. I had read snippets about the Smithville restaurant in Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, USA Today and most recently, the paper of record, so I knew that whatever is going on in that remote little town past Kansas City must be something special. Oh, and it was…

I went with two food-minded friends, L and M, after convincing them we should make the drive and that by all accounts, it would be well worth it. I’ve never been to Smithville, but it struck me as your pretty average small town, but with one big exception—one of the best new restaurants in the country just happens to call it home.

Justus Drugstore sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the typical small town businesses, with its modern eclectic décor, inside and outside. From the vibrant orange sign to the sleek interior, from the moment you open the door you feel like you’re in New York or Chicago, not in a nondescript town in so-called fly-over country.

We had 8 p.m. reservations, but we got there a little early, so we made our way to a modular fabric bench and ordered ourselves from drinks. They had some very unusual and delicious-sounding cocktails on the menu. I went with some grapefruit concoction with infused something or other…maybe vodka? It was very good, but not what I was expecting. L ordered the Sangria, which was divine.

After a 10 or 15 minute wait, we were seated right next to the open kitchen where we could see all of the deliciousness unfolding before our eyes. Our server was awesome: unpretentious, incredibly competent and friendly. She was kind of like a server you would expect to find in a down-home diner, minus the attitude. And she obviously knew her stuff when she could name every single complicated element of our dishes.

The menu wasn’t extensive by any means, but everything sounded very tasty. The coolest part? On the back was a list of all the local businesses the restaurant works with to get the freshest ingredients possible. I don’t know how much more farm-to-table you can get. Some of the businesses include Paradise Locker Meats, Shatto Milk Co. and Campo Lindo Farms.

We started off with an amuse bouche that was some delicious homemade potato chip with wonderfully smoky pork and probably about 7 other ingredients I cannot remember at the moment. It was an explosion of flavor on a tiny little spoon.

amuse bouche

Next we debated what to start with. I had never tried foie gras before, so when I saw it on the menu, I thought what better place to try this delicacy. It was pan-seared and served with corn cake, softened onion, wild crabapple compote and delicious giner pear port syrup that I sopped up with the foie. It was so wonderfully decadent and rich.

fresh foie gras

We also decided to try the crawdad cakes after a recommendation from our server. Simply heaven. They were thick and hearty and were topped with smoked tomato-roasted red pepper sauce.  I would have been happy with a couple more of those for my entree.

crawdad cakes

Next were the salads, and we all ordered the goat cheese salad on account of the goat cheese, which let’s face it, is magically delicious. I don’t know what it is with salads, but they taste infinitely better when someone else makes them and this one was top of the line. The goat cheese was wrapped in maple-smoked Berkshire bacon. Bacon makes everything better. The shallot white wine vinaigrette complemented the mixed greens and apple slices.

goat cheese salad

Ah, and now to the main event. I had heard wonderful things about the “Pork 2 Ways.” I don’t even typically like pork, but for some reason it sounded really tasty to me. So what is Pork 2 Ways? It is a grilled Berkshire pork ribeye and smoked crispy shoulder, with apple chantilly, corn flan, bacon red wine braised cabbage and apple sticks. And, Oh. My. Gosh. Pork isn’t supposed to taste like that.

The meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender and both flavors were totally unique but fit together perfectly. The ribeye was smoky and rich and just wonderful. The crispy pork shoulder had great flavor too. Seriously, with pork this good, who needs steak?

pork 2 ways

L ordered my second choice, the Flat Iron Steak, which was Akaushi beef with Maytag blue cheese creme anglaise, a potato and ricotta gnocchi due, spinach and a Berkshire bacon vinaigrette. The steak was perfectly cooked medium to medium rare, was super-tender and packed a ton of flavor. The gnocchi was another highlight. I think it was fried, kind of giving it the consistency of hashbrown rounds. But highly refined hashbrown rounds. So good.

flat iron steak

M went with the veggie risotto, which she seemed really happy with. I tried a little bit and it was very good. Of the three meals, it was probably the most standard, but no complaints none-the-less.

What meal is complete without dessert? I somehow found room for a Flourless Chocolate Torte, which was so rich and dense, maybe even a little too much so. My favorite parts were the chocolate wafer and raspberry ginger ice cream on the side. M finished with the Mead Poached Pear. Of the two desserts we ordered , it was the best. The pear was perched in a delicate florentine cookie cup, with caramel gelato, almond custard and raspberry coulis. Totally unique and a perfect ending.

mead poached pear

flourless chocolate torte

Oh, and we also we given a complimentary shot of muscat to top it all off.

I have to say, if my wordy post doesn’t quite tell the story, Justus Drugstore gave me one of the very best meals I have ever had in my life.  Not only that, it was served in a fantastic atmosphere with impeccable service in the company of friends. It doesn’t get much better than that.

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In my opinion the best barbecue in Jeff, Lutz’s was temporarily shut down a few months ago after a fire apparently started in the restaurant. It must have been relatively minor damage, however, because Lutz’s is already back and better than ever. I went there to get take-out on Friday for the Mr. and I after a long week of work, and it did not disappoint. My turkey was perfectly smoked and sliced thick and my husband’s prime rib was tender and moist minus excess fat. As usual, the homemade chips were outstanding (we like the house seasoning). Two substantial meals for about $17, and it tasted just as delish after a car ride home as it does in the restaurant—the true test of good take-out.

Been working like crazy with the legislative session in full swing, so that explains my spotty posting. Have lots of foodie adventures to brief you on, so look forward to postings on Blue Koi (KC), Taj Mahal (Columbia), Addison’s (Columbia), JP Winebar (Leawood) and Justus Drugstore (Smithville) in the near future.

I’ve made two trips to Kansas City recently and a breakfast out was a reoccurring theme, both with my best friend.

First up was Eggtc., which is just south of the Plaza. We walked in at about 9:30 on a Saturday and were seated right away. It was pretty busy, but it seemed as though the crowds were heavier as we were leaving. I’ll chalk it up to lazy Saturday mornings.

Side note:  I understand breakfast is a family affair, but on this particular Saturday there were crying babies all over the place. One baby, probably irritated with his parents for forcing him to sit in one place for so long, decided he wasn’t going to take it any more and jumped ship out of his high-chair. I’m still waiting to get my hearing back.

But I digress. I’m not here to talk about restaurant etiquette or oblivious parents, so I’ll get back to the food.

The menu looked pretty good and I was torn between the breakfast burrito and the Southwest Benny. If I’m going out for breakfast, I want something hearty. This usually means ordering something with gravy, so I went with the Benny, a biscuit with chorizo gravy, sausage patty and scrambled eggs all mixed together and a side of breakfast potatoes.

Our well-meaning but loquacious server told me how men usually order the Benny, but lately she has seen more women wanting to take on the calorie-extravaganza. She also told me how she has mentioned to her boss that they need a “woman-sized” portion.  I didn’t have the heart to tell her I would probably finish my plate, despite my belonging to the more delicate sex.

My friend—who is also a woman, and doesn’t just order granola and yogurt—had the Classico, a standard eggs, meat, pancake combo.

All in all, pretty good. The chorizo gravy on my Benny didn’t have much flavor, at least not the flavor I expected for chorizo. It needed some salt or something. The biscuit was fluffy and warm, and the eggs were standard. My friend’s food was good too, but nothing we ate that day screamed “life-changing breakfast.” I take that back. The hot chocolate was excellent.

Fast-forward two weeks and me and my friend are at Sharp’s 63rd St. Grill in Brookside, Saturday at 9:30. She lives near Brookside, so Sharp’s is a place she likes to go pretty often. I had been once before and was very happy.

Sharp’s is everything you want if your idea of a good breakfast is down-home with an irreverent spin. It’s kind of a hole in the wall, but it’s kind of not. The servers are unpretensious hipsters (oxymoron, I know) and the customers are cool Brookside parents, laid-back twentysomething professionals and liberal boomers. It’s kind of like a who’s who of Obama supporters.

Again, I digress. My friend ordered the Basic Breakfast ($7.99), the doppelganger of Eggtc.’s Classico. I have to say, it was the better version. The food was more plentiful, fresher, tastier and just superior all-around.

I ordered the Farm Boy Benedict ($8.99), which you can imagine wasn’t a dainty breakfast. This is Missouri’s version of Eggs Benedict—biscuits and sausage gravy topped with scrambled eggs with cheddar and onions, served with a side of deliciously crispy potatoes seasoned with something that tasted like Lawry’s seasoning salt. I love Lawry’s.

Poor Southwest Benny. You never stood a chance.

The holidays can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people, but for me and my ilk, the holidays mean good food, and usually, a special meal out.

My family stayed out west for Christmas, so it was up to me and my husband to continue the tradition without them while we went back to KC to see the in-laws.

I had a kansascitymenus.com gift certificate to Le Fou Frog (400 E 5th St.), a French restaurant in the River Market that I have wanted to try for years, so that’s where we went. And may I say, trés magnifique!

photographs by Hollis Officer

First, this little bistro transported me right to France (though I’ve never been there, I can imagine cozy restaurants all over Paris where tinkling laughter, toasting wine glasses, endless conversation and beautiful food abound). I don’t know what I was expecting…maybe some pretentious place where everyone dressed in black and food was served under a silver dome?

Anyhow, we were greeted with a warm “bonsoir” by the hostess as we stepped into this charming little restaurant not much bigger than the main room of our apartment. She left us with a menu written in chalk, she explained, “because we only cook with the freshest ingredients available so our menu changes constantly.” Good start, indeed.

I typically need a good chunk of time when I’m looking at the menu of a place I’ve never been before, especially when half of it is in French and everything sounds so delectable. Seriously, I could have order 10 things off that menu and been happy with every single one. Ah well, just another reason to go back.

After an smoked salmon tart amuse-bouche, my husband had a bowl of lobster bisque while I went with the traditional french onion soup. Both were fantastic. I take my French onion soup pretty seriously, so when the Swiss cheese was broiled golden brown—but still retained its gooey deliciousness—and the broth was rich with flavor, I was happy.

For our meals, I had one of Le Fou Frog’s specialties, the Steak au Poivre. It was a generous KC strip, pan-seared with a green peppercorn cream sauce. I ordered the steak medium rare and it didn’t disappoint with its wonderful flavor, texture and superior juiciness.

My meal was served with a mixed field green salad and pomme frites. I don’t know what it is about the French and their salads, but it was so simple—no more than mixed greens and a vinaigrette—yet so delicious. And the fries were great too, especially soaked in the sauce.

My husband had rack of lamb with couscous and ratatouille and he was in heaven. I don’t have much experience with lamb, but it seemed well cooked and very flavorful and tender.

For dessert, we split a delicious creme brulee, one of our favorite desserts. The server told us it was the best in town and I believe her.

On the wine front, I wasn’t really feeling wine after a bad Saturday night the prior weekend, so I just ordered a glass of an unremarkable red that I cannot really remember right now.

The service was great. We never felt hurried or ignored and we lingered for almost three hours. For the two of us, with tip, the bill added up to $130. At least they softened the blow with two homemade dark chocolate truffles. The French, they know the way to a girl’s heart.

So I have been a little lazy with the posting lately, but in my defense, I am just getting over a nasty case of the flu, and it’s the holidays. Not the time for over-achievement.

My new year’s resolution (because you just have to have one) is to not neglect my blog. And like all resolutions, I’m sure it will stick.

The traveling fork has been stuck in the drawer these days. I’ve been cooking a lot at home lately and the meals we do eat out are pretty generic (I love Chili’s as much as the next person, but I don’t think you want to hear about the Cajun Chicken sandwich I eat every time I go there). Even trips to Columbia have been few and far between since Thanksgiving.

So here’s the plan. With the crappy economy throwing off my going-out-to-eat-at-great-restaurants hobby, or at least making my meals out less frequent, I’m going to revisit some of the great places I have been to in the last year or so.

Stay tuned.

So I must be really clueless because today was the first day I noticed that Lutz’s BBQ, and its home, BP, are closed because of a fire.

This happened about a week ago and when I pulled up for gas today (not bbq, sadly), I noticed the place was dark and the signs were scraped off the building. Upon my further investigation (OK, not really much of an investigation. There was a very obvious sign out front), I saw that it was open for gas sales only.

A trailer was set up as a cashier station and the woman inside said that Lutz’s is still open for catering, but she didn’t know what the restaurant’s future will be.

Here’s hoping they can find a new home, or at least, regroup in the BP when it opens again.