Best of Wichita 2008

Readers choose Wichita's best of the best.

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Mining the city to find the best Wichita has to offer is no easy task. Luckily, that’s where you came in. We asked readers to vote on the best eats, shops and services. You didn’t disappoint. The result: a mix of people, places and things that make Wichita a dynamic place to live.

FOOD & DRINK

Top 10 Restaurants
• Bella Luna
• Chester’s Chophouse
• Cibola
• Larkspur
• P.F. Chang’s*
• Redrock Canyon Grill
• Scotch & Sirloin
• Sumo by Nambara
• Uptown Bistro
• Yia Yia’s

Talented chefs and top-notch service add up to a memorable dining experience at all of these select eateries. These 10 fine establishments also topped their respective categories. Bella Luna and Uptown Bistro offer delicious Mediterranean food. Sumo knows sushi. You can’t beat the atmosphere at Yia Yia’s and Cibola. P.F. Chang’s won for its stylish take on Chinese. Scotch & Sirloin, Redrock and Chester’s took tops for a juicy steak. And Wichita’s business world prefers Larkspur for a power meal/meeting.

* Denotes chain franchises with more than 25 locations nationwide.

Appetizers
Bonefish Grill
Runners-Up: Granite City Food & Brewery; Yia Yia’s

It’s a virtual mountain of shrimp when it arrives at your table. Slightly crispy and tossed in a spicy sauce, the Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish is enough to be a complete meal by itself. If spicy isn’t your style, Bonefish’s staff recommends the Mussels Josephine or Ahi Tuna Sashimi. At Granite City Brewery, we suggest the crab cakes or Monterey crab won tons. It’s hard to go wrong with any of the Euro Bites at Yia Yia’s.

Atmosphere
Yia Yia’s
Runners-Up:
Cibola; Piztros

With soft lighting, a mosaic tile floor and limestone walls, the European flair at Yia Yia’s makes it both modern and romantic. The Chihuly-like sculptures and neon lights at Piztros make for an atmosphere that’s reminiscent of Frank Gehry and Las Vegas. And at Cibola, the tall windows and large patio look out on Bradley Fair’s scenic lake.

Bakery
Bagatelle; Panera*
Runners-Up: Cheri’s Cake & Cookies; Piccadilly Grill

Go try the Strawberry Chantilly Cream Cake at Bagatelle and while you’re there, check out the multitude of baked goodies. They have a little bit of everything, whether you’re looking for the perfect wedding cake or a scrumptious cookie. Chain winner Panera offers a wide array of baked goods—freshly baked bread, egg soufflés and baskets of bagels. (The free WiFi doesn’t hurt either.) At Piccadilly Grill and Cheri’s Cake & Cookies, there are also plenty of cakes, cookies and sweets.

Bang For Your Buck
Jimmy’s Diner; Cheddar’s*
Runners-Up:  Bella Luna; Town & Country

Try the monstrous King X for $6 at Jimmie’s Diner while enjoying the ’50s-style décor, complete with poodle skirts and jukeboxes at every table. For an unbeatable deal on a margarita, check out the $2 concoctions at Cheddar’s. Town & Country offers good family-style meals for a steal, while Bella Luna has reasonable lunch specials and half-priced bottles of wine on Mondays.

Bar
The Anchor
Runners-Up: Mort’s Cigar Bar; Oeno

The Anchor is the quintessential bar: 195 beers, a myriad of mixed drinks and an environment that jives with everyone from suits to punk
rockers. At Oeno, the suede and leather couches, dim lighting and smooth music make the wine bar feel more like a swanky New York hotspot than a typical Kansas bar. And the wide selection of martinis and packed patio on weekends make Mort’s a great place for a drink.

Barbecue
Hog Wild
Runners-Up: Famous Dave’s; Two Brothers BBQ

Although their radio spot annoys us to no end, Hog Wild seems to have the right formula for success: quick service, handy locations and excellent hickory-smoked barbecue. Famous Dave’s remains a solid choice for good barbecue, though Two Brothers is challenging with barbecue that’s slowly cooked with hickory smoke.

Beer Selection
The Anchor; River City Brewery (tie)
Runners-Up: Granite City Food & Brewery; Old Chicago*

Beer selection consists of both quality and quantity, so readers had a tough time choosing just one
winner. The six micro-brewed beers at River City Brewery go down smoothly, but The Anchor’s selection of 195 beers (35 on tap) is hard to beat. With the runners-up, it was a similar story: Old Chicago offers 110 brews from around the world, while Granite City offers six delicious microbrews.

Breakfast
The Good Egg
Runners-Up: Copper Oven; Jimmy’s Diner

The Good Egg serves up healthy selections, including an inventive concoction known as the Crepegg (a mixture of eggs and crepe). Jimmy’s Diner offers breakfast all day with a traditional menu of eggs and pancakes. And Copper Oven offers a full breakfast menu until 3 p.m.
 
Brunch
Legends; Piccadilly (tie)
Runners-Up: Olive Tree; Yia Yia’s

Sunday is the day to visit Legends at Wichita Airport Hilton for the champagne brunch. There’s a buffet of pastries, omelets and ham. Oh, and did we mention the Bloody Mary bar? Piccadilly also makes the case for best brunch with a spectacular 40-foot buffet. Runners-up Yia Yia’s and Olive Tree also have delicious specials for breakfast or lunch.

Business Lunch
Larkspur
Runners-Up: Scotch and Sirloin; Uptown Bistro

Whether you’re hammering out an important deal or chatting with co-workers, Larkspur is the place where business and food mix. Scotch and Sirloin, a Wichita staple for more than 30 years, is another surefire spot to impress with the eatery’s dim-lit dining room and fine food. And Uptown Bistro’s menu and downtown location make it a popular place for business meetings.

Chinese
P.F. Chang’s
Runners-Up: Great Wall; Kwan Court

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro brings an upscale approach to Chinese food at its Waterfront location. From the lettuce roll to the beef and broccoli, the eatery is a delicious experience. There are dishes consisting of duck, lamb, seafood and more. At Kwan Court, there’s a lunch buffet and an extensive sushi menu. Great Wall has all of the usual suspects but offers large portions at affordable prices.

Coffee
Caffé Moderne; Starbucks*
Runners-Up: Dunn Brothers; Il Primo

Maybe it’s the Ferrari-red espresso machine from Italy or the high-quality water used in every cup of coffee—whatever the secret, Caffé Moderne has quickly become the local place for a cup of joe. Coffee giant Starbucks was a shoe-in with more than 10 locations around Wichita. Dunn Brothers, located in Old Town’s Courtyard Marriott, offers the popular Icecreama, while Il Primo serves flavored coffee like German chocolate mint.

Dessert
Cocoa Dolce
Runners-Up: Bagatelle; Piccadilly

Cocoa Dolce has a delectable offering of made-from-scratch chocolate from master chocolatier Beth Tully. We suggest the caramels or chocolate-covered figs (pictured above), but it’s hard to go wrong with any sweet
selection. Piccadilly and Bagatelle again took plenty of votes for delicious cakes, cookies and pastries.

First Date
Old Town Warren Theatre
Runner-Up: Oeno Wine Bar

Old Town Warren Theatre brings dinner and a movie into one room with glowing buttons at your seat that allow you to order everything from popcorn to crème brulee. Oeno, located just 50 yards from the Warren, is a good place for drinks after the movie and is sure to impress with its sleek interior and intimate seating.

Fried Chicken
Stroud’s
Runner-Up: Town & Country

With its country charm and pan-fried chicken, Stroud’s is a perennial Wichita favorite. The creamy mashed potatoes and hot cinnamon rolls are a nice compliment. Town & Country, another long-time local establishment, offers hand-breaded chicken.

Frozen Dessert
Caffé Moderne; Marble Slab Creamery*
Runners-Up: Cocoa Dolce; Cold Stone Creamery*
Caffé Moderne’s bright red gelato machine, with spinning cartons of gelato, is an impressive sight. But it’s what is inside—freshly made gelato with flavors that range from pistachio to carrot cake—that really got readers’ attention. Marble Slab Creamery, the chain winner, offers a wide selection of homemade ice cream. Cocoa Dolce also has yummy gelato, with flavors like fresh mango and crème de menthe, while Cold Stone Creamery has an array of ice cream.

Hamburger
Ty’s Diner; Red Robin*
Runners-Up: Freddy’s Frozen Custard; Ted’s Montana Grill*

Ty’s Diner has remained a fixture in Wichita since the ’50s. The cooks hand pat their burgers and use only 98 percent extra lean ground chuck. Chain winner Red Robin offers a variety of gourmet burgers. Runners-up Freddy’s Frozen Custard serves excellent steak burgers, and Ted’s Montana Grill offers a twist with bison burgers.

Happy Hour
Mort’s Cigar Bar
Runners-Up: Emerson Biggins; Kwan Court

This category is an interesting case in Kansas because state law forbids actual happy hour specials. (But hey, we’re not complaining about the resulting day-long specials.) When we asked Mort’s what sets them apart, a manager suggested it was the daily drink specials (e. g. $2.50 house martinis on Tuesdays), live music and extensive cigar menu. Emerson Biggins, which recently opened a second location on Maize and 21st Street, has two-for-ones on Wednesdays. At Kwan Court, we can’t get enough of the sushi specials from 5 to 7 p.m. each day.

Healthy Dining
Doc Green’s
Runners-Up: Green Acres Market; O'Naturals

These vote-getters offer options that are fresh and make it easy to eat healthy. Doc Green’s serves up creative salads made in front of you and a whole menu of other options. Green Acres Market, the large market and deli in Bradley Fair, has organic foods and an all-natural deli. O'Naturals, located inside the Genesis Health Club on Rock Road, puts working out and healthy eating under one roof.