RSS FeedThree local owners revisit their tastes for opening restaurants
The recession took a toll on the restaurant business, which saw its numbers dwindle by more than 5,000 spots from spring 2009 to spring 2010, according to market research company NPD Group. </p><p>Independent restaurant owners took the hardest hit. Yet three local restaurateurs are seemingly unfazed. After taking a break, they are getting back into the business that’s in their blood.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">El Portón Café</span></strong></p><p>You might be tempted to order chips and salsa at El Portón Café. Don’t.</p><p>New owner José Garcia nearly sneers at the very idea. He thinks Mexican cuisine is covered in Kansas City. So his new operation offers dishes that are much harder to find here, like favorites from South America and the Caribbean.</p><p>A few months ago, Garcia took over the former El Portón space at 4671 Indian Creek Parkway in Overland Park. He tacked on “cafe” to the title and brought in executive chef Eric Argie — previously with Café Trio and Figlio — to help revamp the menu. </p><p>The native Venezuelan has been in the Kansas City restaurant industry for nearly 30 years.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Otto’s Original Burger & Malt @ Czar Bar</span></strong></p><p>Some Kansas Citians are still talking about Otto’s Malt Shop, the 39th Street hamburger diner that Otto Miller created in the mid-1990s. He added his touch to a few other area restaurants before moving to Chicago where he worked as a chef and an actor. </p><p>After similar stints in Los Angeles and Las Vegas Miller returned to Kansas City a couple of years ago. He’s been consulting with several restaurants including the new Hamburger Mary’s Bar & Grille in the Crossroads Arts District. Now he is partnering up with his wife, Ruthie Colgrove, and the Czar Bar to open Otto’s Original Burger and Malt @ Czar Bar at 1531 Grand Blvd.</p><p>“The Crossroads wasn’t really here when I left, and now it’s vibrant, it’s happening, people are living down here,” Miller said. </p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Billy Dee’s Southwest Grill</span></strong></p><p>Bill Cowden, former owner of Don Chilito’s Mexican Restaurant and The Smokin’ Grill in Mission, is combining the best menu items from both in a new fast-casual concept.</p><p>Cowden has taken over the railcar restaurant space in downtown Parkville for Billy Dee’s Southwest Grill. The location, at 100 S. Main St., is only open for lunch currently, Tuesday through Sunday. He hopes to open some evenings and add delivery service in August.</p><p>“In my 40-year-career, this is my 14th restaurant that I’ve opened,” said Cowden.</p><p><strong>Restaurants inspected by the Environmental Health Division of the Jackson County Public Works Department with three or more critical violations included:</strong></p><p>•China Wok, 209 S.W. Greenwich Drive, Lee’s Summit, during a routine inspection July 6: Cooked rice at unsafe temperatures (discarded), and employee washing a plastic tub that was previously holding raw meat without a sanitizing step.</p><p>Restaurant officials did not return phone calls.</p><p>•Los Compas, 9055 E. Missouri 350, Raytown, during a routine inspection July 12: Person in charge not able to report the times required to lower potentially hazardous foods to proper temperatures, and cooked chicken possibly held at improper temperatures.</p><p>Restaurant officials could not be reached for comment.</p><p>•Side Pockets, 224 N.W. Oldham Road, Lee’s Summit, during a routine inspection on July 6: Food past the seven-day discard date, and dishwashing machine not producing detectable sanitizer. A manager said the critical violations were corrected.</p><p>•Side Pockets, 1237 S.W. Missouri 7, Blue Springs, during a routine inspection July 12: Drain flies and/or fruit flies around the bar soda gun, holders, floor drains and beer dispensers, and potentially hazardous ready-to-eat foods labeled to expire more than seven days after preparation or not relabeled after removal from freezer. A manager said an exterminator fully cleaned out the drains and “bombed” the front and back bar.</p><p>•Winstead’s, 905 S. Missouri 7, Blue Springs, during a routine inspection of July 7: Fruit flies in the storage area around onions, and chili kept at improper temperatures. “The violations have been taken care of,” said Mario Marino, shift supervisor.</p><p>To see the complete report from the Environmental Health Division of the Jackson County Public Works Department, visit <a href="http://www.jacksongov.org/FSI">www.jacksongov.org/FSI</a>.</p><p><strong>The Kansas Department of Agriculture cited several Kansas restaurants for critical health code violations. They included:</strong></p><p>•China Buffet, 2030 E. Santa Fe St., Olathe, had 14 critical violations during a routine inspection July 13. They included: Employee sneezing toward her hands when entering the kitchen, handling dirty dishes and then wiping down interior surfaces of the rice warmer without washing her hands; moldy rice on the interior surfaces of the rice warmer; and live roaches on the cutting board, in the sink faucet (crawling out when it was turned on) and below the sink.</p><p>Restaurant officials had no comment.</p><p>•Taste of China, 7805 Quivira Road, Lenexa, had seven critical violations during a July 9 routine inspection. They included: Raw beef container above container of cooked spaghetti, and plastic cutting board with deep cracks making it difficult to clean.</p><p>Restaurant officials did not return phone calls.</p><p>•Winstead’s, 8817 W. 63rd St., Merriam, had nine critical violations during a July 8 routine inspection. They included: Ham and hot dogs with no date-mark (discarded), and Terro Ant Killer that is not approved for use in a food service establishment. </p><p> “We at Winstead’s take the safety of our food very seriously. We have taken all of the information that the health department gave us, acted accordingly, and we’ve solved the critical violations,” said Kathi Fern, general manager. “We are making the improvements to the restaurant that, long-term, will make the food much safer for the guests.”</p><p>For complete inspection reports from the Kansas Department of Agriculture, visit: <a href="http://www.ksda.gov/food_safety/">www.ksda.gov/food_safety/</a> content/336
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