Northland Mexican food truck adds a restaurant

Jose Peralta and Shawn Choudry aren’t related, but after being close friends for six years they said they felt like brothers.

So three years ago when they opened a Northland food truck, they named it Jalapeno Brothers Mexican food. They parked the truck in a shopping center at 81st and N.W. Prairie View Road, in front of World Liquors.

It was a place for people to pick up made-to-order Mexican food while on the go and has since become so popular the friends have now switched to a brick-and-mortar location in the same center.

The new restaurant — 8140 N.W. Prairie View Road — offers a variety of tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas, bowls and salads. Toppings include vegetables, chicken, steak, and fried fish. Prices range from $1 veggie tacos to $7.50 fried fish bowls or salad.

For now the food truck is parked at the entrance to the strip center to advertise the new restaurant. But in late February, the partners will start parking it at Missouri 152 and North Oak Trafficway from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Isle of Capri’s punch cocktail honored

Restaurant Hospitality magazine says “a perfect cocktail in a perfect setting is still one of life’s great joys.”

So it celebrates the libations by holding an annual contest to come up with the best in the nation. Hundreds of cocktail recipes were submitted and they were judged on two points — creativity and balance — to determine the 15 best and 40 honorable mentions in its “2015 Best Cocktails in America.”

“They are the cocktails that make us wish we were sitting next to Raymond Chandler having the first drink of the evening in a quiet bar,” the publication said.

While Kansas City wasn’t in the top 15, it did make the honorable mentions.

Lone Wolf Bar & Grill at the Isle of Capri Casino Kansas City received an honorable mention for its Rainbow Sherbet Punch. Amber Bennett, food and beverage supervisor for Isle of Capri, created the drink.

Gram & Dun on the Country Club Plaza received two honorable mentions: Fowl & Fodder in the gin category, and Sparkling Rye in the whiskey/bourbon category.

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Northland Mexican food truck adds a restaurant."