Crafting the perfect taco in KC
Happy Friday, and welcome to Let’s Dish — your one-stop shop for all things eats in Kansas City.
This week, my colleague David Hudnall takes us to Kansas City, Kansas, to craft the perfect tacos in an area that has become the Mexican food mecca of the Midwest.
Tacos at Carniceria y Tortilleria San Antonio
At Carniceria y Tortilleria San Antonio, one of the more popular spots on KCK’s taco trail, the tacos are served completely unadorned.
And to David, that’s how they’re meant to be.
Just a soft tortilla with a big helping of meat heaped on it, nothing more. It’s on the customers to dress their ideal street taco over at the self-service taco bar, where chopped onions, cilantro, limes, pico de gallo and four different salsas await.
As the name suggests, Carniceria y Tortilleria San Antonio is a butcher shop and a place to get fresh tortillas. But it’s also a grocery market and a taqueria with counter service. Owner Victor Contreras opened it in 2005 at 830 Kansas Ave. in KCK’s Armourdale neighborhood, and it’s very much a family business.
David will usually order a barbacoa (shredded beef) taco, a carne asada (steak) and an al pastor (marinated pork) and, if he’s especially hungry, maybe a deshebrada (more beef).
We’re not breaking the bank here, either — the tacos are $3 a piece, an easy price to pay for the perfect taco.
Check out the full story here.
My standout dish of the week
Dim sum has always been one of my favorite ways to eat.
I love shareable plates, being surprised by a new dish right as you finish the last few bites of a previous one, then ordering and ordering again. Keep ’em coming, I say. And the best dim sum around isn’t in the heart of the city — it’s tucked in a nondescript strip mall in Overland Park.
ABC Cafe has all the classic dim sum: siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings), sticky rice in a lotus leaf, red bean buns, xiao long bao (soup dumplings). My guilty pleasure, though, is the barbecue pork buns — soft, pillowy dough stuffed with sweet and sticky barbecue pork. You can get three buns for just $3.88, so I recommend ordering two for the table (or all for yourself).
À la carte
✴️ “It was death by a thousand paper cuts” for a longtime Waldo cafe that recently announced it’s closing — again. Here’s what happened to the mainstay that first opened in 1981.
✴️ After working in the industry for nearly four decades, a KC restaurateur has finally opened his own brick-and-mortar space. The restaurant, which launched in late December, features hanger steak, lobster rolls, “Hot Mama” chicken sandwiches and more.
✴️ A popular craft beer bar near Brookside closed its doors for good last weekend, but not before bringing in tons of fans for an epic “kill the keg” closing event.
Hungry for more?
We want your opinion: Do you have a favorite dish at a KC restaurant you think we should try? Let us know here, or email Sharon Hoffmann, our editor coordinating this series: shoffmann@kcstar.com.
To see what we’re eating next, follow The Star on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.
If you were forwarded this email, here’s where you can subscribe.
Happy eating! We’ll see you next week.
