German flavors infuse a novel menu at Affäre

Affäre opened in May in the Crossroads Arts District, and it seems to be building a growing fan base of diners who like owner/chef Martin Heuser’s strategy of turning fresh and seasonal ingredients into dishes made — delicately composed — from scratch.

A mouth-watering melting pot at La Parrilla in Olathe

La Parrilla pulls from a grab bag of Latin American cooking techniques and traditions to create a melting-pot menu. So the KC strip is garnished with chimichurri, a parsley-olive oil sauce from Argentina. But what makes the restaurant most irresistible is how it uses seasonal ingredients at an affordable price.

Best midday meal deal in KC is $5 lunch plate at Poco’s

Happiness is a hot plate of food for $5 at lunchtime. Especially when it’s prepared with fresh ingredients and served in a cozy family-run establishment. Poco’s Latin Cuisine is one of the best midday meals in the metro because it feels like eating at Grandma’s house: You don’t know what you’re going to get, but you know you’re in good hands.

New Main Street restaurant will feature homegrown menu

When Anton Kotar says his food will be locally sourced, in some cases that will mean walking down the stairs or out to the backyard. His Anton’s Tap Room is set to open in about 30 days at 1610 Main St. One side, a restaurant. The other side, a butcher shop,

Bluestem owners to open new restaurant in Leawood

Colby and Megan Garrelts, the owners of Westport's Bluestem, will open a new restaurant called Rye this fall in Leawood. The Garrelts said they wanted to celebrate their Midwest heritage so the new restaurant will play homage to dishes that they have enjoyed with several generations in their families.

Young Westport restaurateurs are hungry for success

Despite a still sluggish economy, Aaron Confessori and Richard Wiles are wasting no time creating restaurant concepts. The Boot, a hip yet rustic Italian restaurant, opened early this year, next door to their initial venture, the French bistro-themed Westport Cafe & Bar, which opened in 2010. And they recently added a food truck on the same street.

Rum’s the word at new Power & Light lounge

A new cocktail lounge featuring live music is set to open in the former Peachtree restaurant space in the Power & Light District. The Kill Devil Club is a collaboration between local restaurateur and mixologist Ryan Maybee and ECi, an affiliate of Power & Light District landlord and developer the Cordish Co.

Retro Overland Park diner serves savory grilled cheese

I used to be a grilled-cheese purist: Roman Meal bread, two Kraft Singles and loads of Land O’ Lakes butter is hard to improve upon. But the Garden Grilled Cheese at Snack Shack, a retro diner near the roundabout just outside downtown Overland Park, has led my taste buds astray.

Mexican restaurant Port Fonda now has a home in Westport

Port Fonda now has a home. The popular Mexican restaurant inside a 36-foot vintage Airstream trailer will open its new full-service restaurant next Tuesday in Westport. The new restaurant, at 4141 Pennsylvania Ave., will serve Port Fonda favorites and new items.

Bonefish Grill is good to the bone

With a name like Bonefish Grill, you might expect a place to be draped in angler’s nets and stuffed to the gills with antique tackle and lures. But Bonefish Grill wraps itself in refined wood finishes and suburban restraint.

Sugar Mamma’s chicken salad is suited for summertime

Often, light-sounding chicken salad is a leaden disappointment: too much mayo and not enough crunch. That’s why the Chicken Salad Croissant at Sugar Mamma’s Bakery is a fresh, feel-good revelation, especially for what is building to be a long, hot summer.

Bo Lings moves to Skelly Building on Plaza

Bo Lings has longed for a place on the Country Club Plaza. Now it has one. But in an interesting twist, it bypassed its longtime Board of Trade building landlord — Highwoods Properties, which also owns the Plaza — and leased space in one of the few Plaza buildings not owned by Highwoods: the Skelly Building.

New seafood restaurant picks Leawood for its first location

The Des Moines-based owner of 801 Chophouse is launching a new seafood concept in Leawood. Jimmy Lynch plans to open 801 Fish in Park Place, at 117th Street and Nall Avenue, by the end of the year. It will serve “pristine seafood and crustaceans from the waters of the world,” according to promotional materials.

Tatsu’s holds on to its alluring tradition

In the realm of local French restaurants, Tatsu’s is reliable, comfortable and unwavering in its commitment to a kind of traditional satisfaction, a comfortable spot halfway between steak frites and creative high style. Call it the immovable feast.

Haus hopes to be home of the best wurst

Haus, now open on Martini Corner at 3044 Gillham Road, is a bar, restaurant and beer garden with a limited menu of wurst, bier and fritten (sausages, beer and fries). Chris Seferyn partnered with Desmond Carr, Shawn Fahey and four other investors in Haus. Carr and Fahey also will be managers.

Sweet Siam offers Thai dishes with an American touch

The menu at Sweet Siam Thai Bistro in Lenexa offers some traditional riffs, including a rainbow of curries, silky noodle and throaty basil-infused dishes — but it also strays just a bit with eclectic interpretations, such as pan-fried catfish in a ginger-soy sauce lettuce and ka proud grilled lamb chops served in a basil sauce with shrimp-fried rice.

Taste the hand-cut flavor at Herrera’s Tenderloin Grill

Any restaurant celebrating 80 years in business is obviously doing something right. One thing, in most cases. Like many longtime establishments, Herrera’s Tenderloin Grill has resisted the temptation to change with the times, serving the same sandwich since 1932.

The Boot, new to Westport, could use some polish

“I wanted to fall head over heels with the Boot, but I’m old school when it comes to love,” reviewer Jill Wendholt Silva writes of the new Italian restaurant in Westport by budding chef/owners Aaron Confessori and Richard Wiles. “I want something I can count on.”