Wichitas Resident ’Foodies’ Share Tips on Best Dining Spots
Published Aug 17, 2009
David Wirebaugh is the executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Wichita’s Southwinds Bar & Grill and White Rock Cafe. Southwinds provides a fine dining experience, consistently garnering Wine Spectator Quality of Excellence awards.
If you are looking for a meal in Wichita that won’t disappoint‚ then who better to ask than those who know great food best? Owners and chefs at some of Wichita’s most-loved restaurants are sharing their top picks for breakfast‚ lunch and dinner – when they make a rare trip outside of their own highly regarded kitchens‚ that is. Com bine their advice with the well-researched guidance of The Wichita Eagle’s food editor‚ and prepare for many days of delightful dining.
“My family likes to go to the Beacon Restaurant [on East Douglas Avenue] for breakfast‚” says David Wirebaugh‚ chef at the Hyatt Regency Wichita’s Southwinds Bar & Grill and White Rock Café. “The food is hot and fresh and rarely takes long‚ and their French toast is excellent. My kids get pancakes‚ and one order could feed the whole family.”
When Chester’s Chophouse & Wine Bar owner Bobby Lane goes out to breakfast‚ he prefers The Good Egg at Bradley Fair. It’s open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week and serves up egg dishes‚ skillet meals with potatoes and other mix-ins‚ and 15 kinds of pancakes.
“When I have time‚ I like to go to Bella Luna Café [on North Rock Road] for lunch‚” Lane adds. “I order the hummus‚ and they also have a very good turkey on pita sandwich.”
Lane’s Chester’s Chophouse on North Webb Road is a comfortable upscale restaurant that’s known for serving adventurous foods and unusual appetizers. Its warm interior features rich mahogany‚ oak flooring‚ leather booths and stone fireplaces.
“We’re a softened version of a steakhouse‚ and we incor porate chef-driven specialties‚” Lane says. “We’re well-known for our steaks‚ and locals also know us for our seafood.”
As food editor at The Wichita Eagle‚ Joe Stumpe always has his finger on the pulse of the local dining industry. He says some of the best lunch spots in Wichita are quirky places you might not even notice if you didn’t know they were there.
“Wichita has a lot of great little burger joints that have managed not to be put out of business by McDonald’s. One is Jack’s Coffee Shop at 61st and Hydraulic Street‚” he says. “The funny thing is there’s no coffee and no one named Jack there‚ but they do have great handmade burgers. In fact‚ the only thing they do is burgers‚ and they have a very loyal following.”
Stumpe also likes to grab lunch at some of the authentic Mexican food stands along North Broadway.
“There are five or six of them‚ and they sell tasty burritos and tacos‚” he says.
Wirebaugh enjoys Mexican fare too‚ though his favorite place is La Mesa on 21st Street.
“It’s a great little place‚ and they have eight or 10 types of tacos‚” Wirebaugh says. “They also serve fresh roasted jalapenos and a great salsa.”
Two local Vietnamese restaurants draw large crowds for lunch. Pho Hot on East Pawnee Street specializes in 15 varieties of pho – big bowls of soup with rich broth‚ Asian noodles and beef. Da Nang on North Broadway features spring rolls and Vietnamese-style sandwiches.
“They’re both very healthy‚ cheap and good‚” Stumpe says. “Wichita has some of the best ethnic food I’ve encountered in a city this size – really good Vietnamese‚ Mexican and Lebanese in particular.”
Byblos on West 13th Street and N&J Café on East Lincoln Street are Stumpe’s top picks for Lebanese cuisine.
Dinner options in Wichita run the gamut from casual to fine dining.
“Piztros [on North Webb Road] is a nice place that’s not too formal‚” Wirebaugh says. “They have a great Caesar salad pizza – a Caesar salad served on a warm pizza crust. Also for dinner‚ I like to go to Red Rock Canyon Grill on Rock Road for their roasted chicken.”
Ty Issa‚ owner of Larkspur Restaurant and Grill on East Douglas Avenue‚ says when he eats out‚ he frequents hotel restaurants such as Wirebaugh’s Southwinds‚ which is open for dinner only and specializes in steaks and salmon.
“The hotel restaurants make you feel like you’re out of town‚” Issa says. “It’s exclusive dining.”
Wichita welcomed yet another enticing dinner option in July 2007 when Lane opened a new Italian restaurant‚ Bella Donna‚ on Webb Road.
“It’s northern Italian-style Tuscan food‚” Lane says. “We use fresh imported cheeses from Italy.”
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Wes Aldridge
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