RA Sushi (Leawood, KS)

With various locations in nine states RA Sushi • Bar • Grill is a Japanese fusion sushi bar. Their menu includes signature sushi rolls, a full grill menu and bar. I reviewed the Leawood, Kansas location (11638 Ash Street) during a recent weekend trip. Happy Hour is Monday - Friday 3pm to 7pm and Sunday 8pm to close with a reverse option Monday - Saturday 10pm to close. Discounts include select sushi and appetizers like pineapple cheese wontons and the Viva Las Vegas roll as well as drink specials.

I liked the exterior of RA as well as the location (it was conveniently right next to the hotel I was staying in) immediately. You could see the sushi bar as soon as you walked in which was nice and there was tons of seating. We went during reverse HH on a Saturday so much of the bar seating was taken already. We ended up at an awkward railing type of seat that forced us to spread out, causing us to not really talk as it was harder to hear each other. The interior was nicely designed, but a bit too dark lighting wise. Our waitress took our order promptly and the wait time wasn't too bad.

I started with the white peach sake sangria ($7: cordials, cold sake, fruit juice) which was pretty good. Not terribly strong, which was helpful after Power & Light the night before, and fresh. Would have liked a few pieces of peach in the sangria.

My first roll was the shrimp tempura roll ($6.89: shrimp tempura, spicy crab mix and cucumber) which arrived in 5 pieces. Really liked the crab mix, hated the tempura batter. The bits of cucumber on the end pieces were a bit too big to eat in one piece so I ended up taking them out. Gagged a little when I discovered the shrimp tail on the end piece still had its shell.

Next was the crunchy calamari roll ($5.89: calamari tempura, crab mix and cream cheese rolled and topped with spinach tempura bits; served with sweet eel sauce). I didn't get much of the tempura batter in this one, which could be a good thing (because I hated it) or a bad thing (did that mean i didn't get much actual calamari). Was expecting this roll to be a bit more flavorful, which it wasn't. The spinach tempura pieces looked fun, but you don’t really taste them at all.

I give RA 3 smiles. Overall I didn't love this place, but they had quite a few HH appetizers that I’d be interested in trying. I’d also try a few of their non-HH rolls. The drink was good and the service/atmosphere helped tip the scales a bit as well.

Happy Girl in Puerto Rico!!!

Travel, eat, and write about it is my dream. I was blessed and fortunate to do just that. This past weekend I spent some much needed time in Isla Verde and Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is so beautiful, gorgeous, and pure paradise. I swear I saw God. If you ever have the time, please visit! FYI you don't need a passport, so GO! I highly suggest staying in Isla Verde, they offer the best hotels and its right next to the beach. Boyfriend and I stayed at Coral of the Sea and the beach was literally 2 blocks away. 

 

Throughout my days in Puerto Rico, I was searching HIGH and LOW for Happy Hours that included food and drinks. Unfortunately, most establishments only offer drink specials. Most places offered 2 drinks for $5, 2 for $11, or discounted drinks. So I really wasn't able to do full reviews to the places that I visited because I'm not a liquor connoisseur. I can't hang like I used to lol ;-) Who can hang is Puerto Ricans! I promise they don't' skimp on the liquor! I know some of my followers will appreciate that! 

I'm in love with the MO-FON-GO!!! No, but seriously I fell in love with Mofongo! This dish is made traditionally with mashed green plantains, olive oil, and garlic. Can eaten by itself, or meat. My favorite was the shrimp and chicken! Plantains is used highly in Puerto Rico and my mind was blown by the different ways they use them. 

Pictured above is the Pork Wrapped Sandwich with sweet Plantains paired with  Plantain Chips! I LOVED the chips! Soo good and the texture was on point. Not soggy, or mushy at all! The chips paired with a ketchup and mayo mixed which was paired perfectly. 

Sadly, I didn't get the name of the places we visited. Please charge it to my head and not my heart. The pics posted above are all places we visited in Isla Verde, right by Coral of the Sea. 

Speaking of Coral by the Sea, their restaurant Piu Bello offers the BEST gelato ever! Soo many choices to choose from it can become bit over whelming! Their breakfast and lunch is delicious and the prices are good. 

Puerto Rico is pure paradise. I loved experiencing the culture, food, and the beach! The weather was perfect and not too hot. The scenery was perfect which captured bomb.com selfies, and the people were warm and welcoming. I loved it. Absolutely loved it. 

MULA Mexican Kitchen & Tequileria

Located in the new Blackstone District, MULA Mexican Kitchen & Tequileria (3932 Farnam Street) is Omaha’s newest authentic Mexican restaurant and tequila bar. Happy Hour is ALL DAY Monday and 2p-6p Tuesday - Friday. Specials include discounted starters ranging from salsa of the day to rolled tacos, as well as discounted margaritas and drinks. Tap beer is $1 off and 1 oz tequila & mezcal shots are ½ priced. They also offer $2 tacos on Tuesday (with the exception of their machaca and camaron options) and tequilas of the day.

I loved the interior of MULA. Plenty of seating and sun. I wish they had a patio but their location on the corner of 40th and Farnam makes that hard. Had the feel of a hipster taqueria which is something I would expect from the Blackstone area. Service was prompt and our food came out quickly and piping hot. I had a bit of a snafu with my taco order but my waitress fixed the situation and didn’t charge me for the mix up resulting in an extra taco to review.

Of course I had to try the Mula margarita ($4: camarena reposado, house limonada). This marg was super fresh and strong as steel. I had two and may or may not have fallen asleep when I got home (sitting next to the full length window in the sun may have contributed though). This was so good I may never try their strawberry one (maybe).

I also ordered the sope ($3: masa cake, carnitas, black beans, house crema, cabbage, cotija) which was delicious. Everything complimented each other perfectly. As it is a masa cake it was a bit dry but adding a bit of the house made verde salsa they bring to your table fixed that immediately. The carnitas were tender but I do wish the black beans would have been a bit more flavorful. Also the radishes they garnished it with weren’t my cup of sangria but I don’t like radishes ever.

The guac of the day on this Tuesday was their house option ($4: white onion, garlic, cumin & cilantro) which is made to order. This guac was super fresh and the right consistency. The fact that it’s made to order earns them points as my mother who visited with me is allergic to cilantro. She simply requested it be left off. The guac was still flavorful; the exclusion of the cilantro didn’t affect quality or taste. The chips are handmade and fried which was great and they were still warm when they arrived at our table. Thicker than most house made chips which I liked and not super oily.

Now for Taco Tuesday which is what brought me here in the first place. I originally ordered the chicken tinga (chipotle adobo chicken, avocado, house crema, cotija) and the baja fish (crispy cerveza battered cod, house crema, dressed slaw) tacos but accidentally got the carnitas taco (coca-cola braised Michoacan pork, onion & cilantro mix) instead. When I noticed my waitress got me my chicken tinga taco and didn’t charge for the carnitas one. I loved all the tacos I tried but the tinga was hands down my favorite. The fresh slice of avocado put it over the edge. The runner up was the baja as the fish was super hot and fresh, as well as not super greasy. Most people will probably complain that you only get one taco for $2 and they aren’t the biggest thing on the block but that’s par for the course at most “hipper” authentic mexican restaurants. These also don’t come covered in “cheese” or traditional “sour cream” because they are authentic mexican tacos. The ingredients alone make these worth the money for me.

I give MULA 5 smiles. I will be back for another Taco Tuesday and probably on a random Monday for both the food and drink. Everything from the salsas they bring to your table to the little “plates” they bring your tacos out on differentiate MULA from your mom and pop taco shop but they manage to hold on to the taste. 

Dozo Lincoln

Dozo Sushi Grill & Lounge, located in Lincoln’s Haymarket (151 N 8th Street), offers a variety of options for both sushi lovers and haters. Happy Hour runs Monday - Saturday 3p-6p, noon - 10p Sunday and a reverse option Thursday-Saturday from 10p-1a. Dozo offers various apps, rolls and drinks for a discount ranging from $4-$9 in most cases and around $15 for Dozo fishbowls and $12 for flavored sake bombs.

Dozo’s interior is nice. Unfortunately every sushi place I visit is “nice”. They all have the sushi spot esthetic, ensuring you never mistake it for anything other than what it is. I do like their bar more than some places I’ve been to but at the end of the day, it’s just another place to get sushi and asian dishes.

The first off putting thing for me was the prominence of both gin and vodka options on their HH drink menu. I drink dark almost exclusively so to not be able to try one “signature” cocktail that included a liquor I liked was disheartening. Eventually we got ahold of the bartender and to my delight the well whiskey/bourbon they had was Jim Beam. My Beam & Ginger only being $5 was a small victory, albeit the only one of the night.

For a starter I ordered the Firecracker Shrimp ($6: battered fried with sweet and spicy mayo sauce) as I am obsessed with this option at most sushi spots. What I got was interesting. Tail on shrimp, which I got over eventually, without much batter to speak of. They were good sized so I really wanted to enjoy them however between the sauce being a bit blah and lack of batter fried-ness I ended up sending it back. The waitress was a good sport about it, taking the charge off my final bill and inquiring in the kitchen about it (turns out the batter they used was “off” that day) so I let the issue rest.

I tried their shrimp tempura roll ($4: mayo, avocado, smelt, shrimp tempura, tempura crunch) will was another disappointment. I have a feeling half the ingredients weren’t included, or I was just so over Dozo by this point I didn’t notice. These rolls were huge, not something I’d normally complain about but in this instance it was just too much. You almost wanted to cut it in half to enjoy comfortably. Other than the size, these rolls didn’t stand out. I realize I’m a sushi snob but these were nothing to write home about.

I give Dozo 1.5 smiles. I liked that they rectified my shrimp situation and that the bartender came to our table personally to find a drink I would enjoy, but the food didn’t make me want to return.

Rock Bottom Brewery Omaha

Rock Bottom Brewery’s Omaha location, located in the Old Market (1101 Harney Street), is a leader in “beer on demand” technology. With select party booths that boast taps right at the table one of their award winning beers is never far from hand. Happy Hour is Monday - Friday from 3pm-6pm, with two late night Happy Hours (Monday-Thursday 9pm-close and Friday & Saturday 10pm-close) as well as all day Sunday. Specials include $3, $5 and $7 discounted appetizers like single kobe sliders, ball park pretzels and chicken quesadillas as well as $2 off Rock Bottom pizzas, signature beers, wine by the glass and cocktails. Daily bonus HH specials include Monday ½ price wine bottles, Tuesday $6 southwest lemonades, Wednesday $6 Absolut martinis, etc. on top of their daily specials like $5 margarita and mojitos on Mondays. Rock Bottoms interior is pretty standard. A nicer Old Chicago, plenty of seating, low light and central bar. Everything you expect from a “chain” brewery.

I ended up doing this review in two parts. The first visit happened to coincide with some big event downtown earlier, resulting in RB being out of jalapeno spinach dip, sliders and pretzels. If you know me, you know once I want something I get really worked up when it is no longer available. Hence my return visit. My first trip included a mango margarita ($7 for HH, $5 when I returned on a Monday) which was delicious. I tend to be pretty ehh on most margaritas because super fruity/syrupy. These were not that. Pretty strong (two had me feeling it) and not too much flavored syrup (since again this is a chain I gave them a pass on not using real fruit).

Their Southwest Egg Rolls were next ($7: pulled chicken breast, black beans, roasted red peppers, zucchinis, carrots, tomatoes, corn & pepper jack cheese with a spicy ranch dipping sauce). Really liked these as they weren’t super greasy. All the veggies made me sort of pause but I felt healthier afterwards so that’s good. The dipping sauce was really yummy and complemented everything they had going on in the egg roll. The wrapper also wasn’t super thick which was good. Portions were really good, RB is a sharing app place for sure. These also passed the microwave at 3am without them being soggy and gross test.

Since they were all out of the things I came for on my first visit I tried the Skillet Chili Cheese Fries ($6.95: crispy seasoned french fries, cheddar & pepper jack cheese, housemade steak chili, jalapenos, red onions and sour cream) which wasn’t on the HH menu, but reasonably enough priced to be a substitute. Although the actual fries didn’t seem to be seasoned I loved the steak chili and there was enough of it that you didn’t have to eat plain fries. Again this was huge so I had another 3 am snack for later.

Again I returned a few days later because I HAD to try this dip. I ordered the Jalapeno Pretzel Stix ($5: hand twisted pretzels served with jalapeno spinach cheese dip) which was worth the return visit. The actual pretzels have jalapenos and cheese baked into them so you can eat them solo no problem. The actual dip was alright, it got cold rather quickly which rendered it sort of gross. Also didn’t expect this to be more queso dip than spinach dip. But the pretzels, they were great.

I give Rock Bottom 5 smiles. Everything I had was good and even the tiny misses like the dip and all the veggies in the egg rolls weren’t horrid. Rock Bottom also offers so many HH and daily specials it’s nearly impossible to not find something you can try here.

Cantina Laredo Happy Hour Review

Hello Happy People! Todays review comes from the modern Mexican restaurant Cantina Laredo. Cantina is located in the heart of Midtown Omaha ( 120 South 31st Avenue). Happy Hour times are from 4:00pm to 7:00pm Monday-Friday, Reverse Happy Hour 9:00pm to 10:00pm Monday-Thursday and on Friday 9:00pm to 11:00pm. Cantina offers $5 house Margaritas, $4 House Wines, $4 Well Drinks, $2.50 Domestics, $3.25 and half off bar food. Food only served at the bar for discount.

Its only right to start of with a Margarita when you're at a Mexican restaurant. I had the pleasure of having the Melon Midori. FYI any Rita that is flavored besides Lime is $1.50 extra. I like how you have the choice of either having your Rita on the rocks or blended. Of course I had to have my blended! I did enjoy this drink, it was a mix of sweet and tart. On the plus side my Bartender hooked me up cause this one was nice and strong. Despite the picture the Ritas are in a large glass, worth the $5.

 

 



I should be ashamed of myself, as a Foodie I never had crab cakes before. Cantina Laredo popped that cherry and I'm glad they did. The cakes are served with poblano sauce on the bottom and roasted red peppers as a garnish. Moist, delicious, and decadent is the best way I can describe it. Each bite you can feel the texture of the crab and the freshness from the red peppers. For me the cakes were in the perfect portion and I left satisfied.

 

 

 

Unfortunately I didn't save my notes on my laptop and I forgot the official name of this flatbread. So lets call it Bomb.com Steak Cherry Salsa Flatbread! LOL!!! In my lifetime I eaten many flatbreads in my day. This one is definitely on my top 5. The steak was cooked well done and not tough at all. I love how the cherry and mushroom complimented each other giving you savory and sweet. This dish is perfect to share with your girls or just yourself alone.

 

Overall I have to give Cantina Laredo 5 Smiles! I loved the Margaritas and the Flatbread. Cantina Laredo has a low key dark atmosphere but the windows by the patio gives you tons of natural light, which I adore. I do see myself coming here again on a Thursday for Ladies NIGHT!

 





Ponzu Sushi & Grill (Aksarben-Omaha)

Located adjacent to the Aksarben Cinema in Aksarben Village, Ponzu Sushi & Grill (2110 S 67th Street, Omaha) has been described as a “nouveau American fish house, combining cutting edge food with contemporary architecture. With a wide variety of sushi, a full grill menu and a full service bar Ponzu has something for everyone in your group. Happy Hour is everyday from 3pm to 6pm with a reverse Happy Hour Friday and Saturday from 9pm to close. Chose from various discounted grill items (like black pepper calamari or kobe beef sliders), $5 and $8 sushi rolls, $5.50 specialty cocktails and various other drinks such as $5 Big Saporro’s and $4.50 house wines.

I immediately liked the exterior and interior of Ponzu. Lots of clean lines makes this place appear modern and “cool” while still allowing enough space for large groups. Service was great for the duration of our stay and the waitress was super helpful and inviting. Our drinks were prepared quickly and the grill and sushi items arrived hot and fresh respectively. Happy Hour is also open to the whole restaurant which is a plus if you have a larger group that wouldn’t be able to be accommodated at the bar. A great place to stop before or after a movie at Aksarben Cinema (which was the idea in the first place I’m sure).

I sampled the $5.50 Stormy Ginger which includes both rum and ginger ale. This drink was super refreshing and the rum matched all three of the items I ordered surprisingly well. I’ve never thought of rum as a particular pair for sushi but the Stormy Ginger proved me wrong.

My first dish to arrive was the Kamakazee Shrimp ($6: breaded and tossed in sambal aioli). The presentation was nice and the shrimp were hot and crispy. The aioli was very good although I wish it had a bit more kick to it. They lasted well, not getting soggy throughout the night and still tasting great after they had gotten a bit cold. Two or three lasted until the next day and passed the microwave test, not getting soggy or hard after a few seconds heating up.

I also tried some of my friend’s Pork Potstickers ($6: fried served with sweet & spicy ponzu). I enjoyed that the wrappers they used weren’t too thick, ensuring the potstickers weren’t too tough. The filling was nice, would have liked a bit more flavor. The sauce that accompanied was ok, but I went without it on most of them.

For sushi I tried the Crazy Crab roll ($5: spicy crab, avocado, rolled in panko, topped with unagi sauce). These rolls were super fresh and you get 8 pieces so well worth the $5 price tag. Was surprised it wasn't a bit more spicy, but was also glad that they didn’t put in huge chunks of avocado, overpowering everything. Definitely some of the best sushi I’ve had in a while (which ended in me drunkenly eating it cold later).

Ponzu gets 5 smiles. I immediately wanted to return the next day and will definitely explore some of their rolls not on special during HH (I tried my friend’s Jammin Salmon and may be an Itchy Salmon convert). Great vibes and atmosphere here and quality food and drink. Plus with its prime location in Aksarben Village, it wasn’t jammed packed (although it was 10pm on Valentine’s Day when I checked it out lol).