Jasper's Restaurant

I love food, and it's making me fat. I can't help it though. When you have restaurants like Jasper's in the area, how can you NOT eat at them?! It had been years since I had last dined at Jasper's, so it seemed like the perfect choice for my turn to host Dinner Club. A quick review of the menu at www.jasperskc.com proved to be a bit of a surprise. The average entree price was $19.99 (includes salad). I'd estimate a $5 increase in the last five years or so, and I was worried we were exceeding the club budget. However, the food is so good, it's totally worth it. The cute young guys who wait on you hand and foot? Well worth the increase!

The five of us met on a Thursday night. Upon approach, Jasper's Restaurant and its adjacent Marco Polo's Italian Market is unremarkable - part of a strip mall in a fairly run down area at 103rd and State Line's Watts Mill Shopping Center. However, once you step inside, you see the quaint ambiance of a traditional Italian fine dining restaurant. We were greeted quickly, and were shown to our table in the middle of the dining room.

Wine first, of course. Three of us tasted a flight of reds (Cab, Chianti, and Pinot Noir) before settling on the Pinot. Another at the table had a Chardonnay, and another stuck with soda. Once we took recommendations from the waiter, we chose our entrees. Sadly, I might have been the only one not to go with a recommendation, and ordered the Pollo Alla Marco Pollo (Chicken breast filled with ham, cheese, and spinach in a tomato basil cream sauce) because that's what I had always ordered in the past. While delicious, let's face it...it's breaded chicken filled with savory cream cheese. I ordered it for the tomato basil sauce, and asked for extra to take home with the leftovers I knew I would have.

The rest of the girls dined on FETTUCCINI CON PANNA E PARMIGIANO, TORTELLINI ALLA ROMANO (minus the peas!), PETTI DI POLLO ALLA PIEMONTESE (Breast of chicken with cave mushrooms, Vernaccia wine, and capers), and CAPELLI D’ANGELO ALLA NANNI (Angel hair with mushrooms, Prosciutto di Parma, peas,cream, spicy tomato and grated Parmagiano cheese sauce). I had the pleasure of tasting the PETTI DI POLLO ALLA PIEMONTESE and wow, melt in your mouth good. And the Spicy tomato and grated parmigiano cheese sauce from the Nanni? The same as my beloved sauce from the Marco Polo! As much I enjoyed my dish, next time I'm branching out for sure.

For dessert, we sampled three from the extensive dessert collection. Our waiter rolled the cart out and we chose
Cioccolatta di Tartuffo, Torta Coconuta, and because "someone" had a "birthday", a Strawberry Borghese cake. Yum, yum...that's all I can say!

Enough about the food. I cannot say enough about the service. What a bunch of cute young guys! Oh, I mean, what a bunch of talented and attentive waiters!! Upon hearing my praise a few days later, my Father-in-Law used the word "pandering" to describe them. I'll take it - they know how to make their customers happy! The highlight of the evening was a personal visit from the Chef, Jasper Mirabile, Jr. We needed a picture for the blog, so he graciously posed with us, then excitedly ordered us a round of his new Blood Orangecello. He brought out the oranges they use, and proudly displayed how dark and lovely they were. *I say this kind of tongue in cheek, because I know nothing about the "cello" making process, nor blood oranges, but I appreciated his passion.*

I am happy to have introduced some of my friends to a new restaurant that I hope they will one day return to. Jasper's has a long standing Kansas City presence, and with this last visit, it might have moved to the top of my list!


Things you need to know:
Reservations suggested but not required. Online reservations through their website are available
NO split checks, or multiple payment methods


Jasper's
1201 W. 103rd Street
Kansas City, MO 64114
816-941-6600

Martin City Brewing Company

So, one day I was flipping through the coupons from Val-Pack and came across one for Martin City Brewing Company (martincitybrewingcompany.com).  My husband and I are always on the lookout for new places to go for date night, and like to support locally-owned businesses.  We decided to give this one a try since it’s pretty close to our house in Leawood (it’s just east of Suburban Lawn and Garden at 500 E 135th Street, Kansas City, MO 64145).  Not knowing what to expect, I have to say we were delightfully surprised.  It has great atmosphere, and is one of those places that you feel comfortable in right away.  The staff was friendly, and while it’s certainly a brewpub (they have about 14 beers on tap and 50 different varieties of bottled beer), the food is so spectacular that it’s a far cry from your normal bar fare. The night we went was chilly, but we did take a look at the beer garden outside and can’t wait for a warm summer evening to hang out there and sample different beers from their large selection.

The first time we went we sat at the bar and the bartender was very knowledgeable about both the food menu and the beer selection.  The menu consists of appetizers, salads, burgers and sandwiches, but as we soon discovered they weren’t your typical greasy, quick-and-easy grub you’d get at some other bars and restaurants.  With some helpful advice from the bartender, we each ordered a beer (yum) and I had a Steak and Blue Cheese salad (baby spinach, marinated & grilled flank with red onion, red pepper & blue cheese crumbles and balsamic vinaigrette, with roasted mushrooms and walnuts), while my husband ordered the special of the day which was a pasta dish with shrimp and scallops.  While I’m not one for ordering a salad for my entrée, the dish description sounded good so I decided to give it a try.  I’m typically a steak snob (filet mignon only, please) so I was concerned that the flank steak that came in my salad would be tough, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.  It was some of the most flavorful, tender meat I’ve ever had and could definitely beat out some of the filet mignon I’ve had at other restaurants. My husband LOVED his pasta dish. Seriously, we considered skipping our plans to see a movie afterward so that he could order a second portion!

Our experience was so positive at Martin City Brewing Company, that when it was my turn to choose a restaurant for our monthly girls’ night dinner club, the choice was simple.  So, in early March I returned with friends so they could experience the great food, atmosphere and friendly service that make this place such a great find.  Our server was very helpful in helping us choose our beers and wine, and the overall service was fantastic.  We started with some Traditional Bruchetta (crostini topped with diced tomatoes, basil, and garlic, and garnished with herb balsamic vinaigrette & parmesan cheese), which was delicious.  I had told everyone about how good the salad was that I had on my first visit, and some tried salads of their own.  I decided to try one of their sandwiches, but had been so impressed with the flank steak in the salad on my first visit, that I went with the Steak and Blue Cheese sandwich (marinated flank steak, red pepper, baby spinach & red onion with a horseradish cream sauce and blue cheese on a toasted ciabatta roll). Once again, the flank steak was delicious, and everyone at the table thoroughly enjoyed their entrées. 

With the average price of an entrée at about $10, the prices at Martin City Brewing Company are very reasonable - especially given the quality and quantity of the food given.  They have daily drink specials (check out their website for details), and live music on Fridays and Saturdays on the patio.  I can’t wait to go back and enjoy some great food, beer, exceptional service and wonderful atmosphere – hopefully on a beautiful night on the patio!