K-K-K-Kansas City and C-C-C-Calamari

I've written here before how I loathe, among other things (like cheapness and really cheap people, among others) food trends. Fondue was and is just silly. It will also be nice when, hopefully one day soon, people can enjoy sushi--if they do--without having needed to be part of the group that had to "do it." That said, another fad food I've always despised in Kansas City is calamari. The only good or tempting thing about this "food"--and I use that term loosely here to describe anything that doesn't disagree with you that also goes in your mouth and digestive system--is the name. Calamari is fun to say but it stops there. If you ever want a chewy, flavorless food that also happens to be deep-fried, this is your dish. At least it is in this town. If, in other cities, this "food" is seasoned and tasty, I'd love to travel there and have it, just for the experience and to prove it can be done. If you sense I was just tricked or willed into it recently, yet again, you would be correct. It was this past Saturday evening on the Plaza at the new Coal and Vines. The place is fun enough and has great energy and it's attractive on the inside, what with it's walls of wines and small, twinkling votive candles but keep this in mind---don't get the calamari. The salmon tartare I'd recommend (if only they'd give a far more proper and equal balance of chips to tartare ratio--what were they thinking?). Do you suppose Europe tolerates goofy, unnecessary food trends the way we do here in the States?

Bo Ling's Restaurant on the Plaza

I had dinner on the Plaza last week, at Bo Ling's, if you can't tell, and I have to say, it was nice to be back. 

Bo Ling's is like that.  It really is like an old friend--you've known each other for years and they rarely, if ever, let you down.

And I write about it for that reason--because it's like seeing an old friend again--but for a couple more, too.

Like running into that "old friend" again, you find they've made themselves better, fortunately.  They've improved in some ways, it seems.

Besides still offering good, dependable Chinese (actually Chinese-American) food, it seems like their internal marketing is much better.

One example of that is the fact that there is also now a more pure, true, separate Chinese menu that they also offer.  They may have had this for some time but I haven't been there in quite a while so it was new to me and it's a great addition for those who either know and like more authentic Chinese food or for the more adventurous.

The second thing I noticed about their internal marketing of their restaurant is that now they offer a very cool, self-promoting, coloful plastic bag with handles to take your inevitable carry-out with you as you go.  It's just a nice, smart, simple touch and it seems to make a big difference, in its own small way.

But here's where you notice the "old friend" still has a couple things--literally, two--they could change and so, improve with.

That "old friend" has some of the harshest, brightest lighting in any restaurant of any town I know.  Do these people not know what a dimmer switch is and what it can do?  Holy cow.  If the light were any in the dining room, we'd have gotten sun burns.  If someone could and would just tell them to soften that lighting, it would do wonders for the atmosphere and ambiance in the restaurant.  Really.

Lastly--thankfully, I could only see two thing the "old friend" needed--there's that green on the walls.  Whew.  That is bad.  It really does look like the color of very fresh pea soup.  It's far too harsh.

They either need to paint the walls a softer, more appealing shade of green--and quickly--or get rheostats for the lighting in the main dining room.  Softer lighting hides an assortment of faults.