September 9, 2026
Wednesday
Kansas City, Missouri
Unfortunately, didn’t sleep well. This morning my tummy wasn’t happy with me at all. Despite this I still took the streetcar for the morning ride down to Messenger’s Coffee for the morning cappuccino and brioche. No pastry for Mary, she still has leftovers from yesterday.
Today is laundry day. We leave tomorrow for Prague and we have been “on the road” for a week, so it is time to do laundry. Harry IV and Rochelle left me Rochelle’s car. I walked over to IV’s house after dropping making Mary’s coffee. I drove back in Rochelle’s car and Mary met me downstairs with the laundry bag. We use a large plastic “grand sac” as a laundry bag.
Took the laundry to IV’s, sorted it out and started what will be a day long project of doing laundry. A very dull day. While the washing was taking place I continued to watch various Star Wars.
The laundry was finally done just before 15:00. I walked back to the AirB&B and took a nap, then got up, showered and got dressed for dinner. Tonight Harry & Rochelle are joining us for dinner at Chaz on the Plaza. Chaz is located in the Raphael Hotel. We have stayed here in the past. It is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Very nice, but in the past seemed a little expensive. We have also eaten at Chaz and enjoyed it.
It was raining a little bit so Harry drove us down to Chaz and dropped us off outside while he went and parked the car. Chaz is a beautiful little restaurant. There was a trio playing in the corner. It is difficult for me to hear in a room where there is extraneous background noise or lots of people talking. So, I don’t appreciate the trio playing as much as some others, but here it wasn’t too bad.
Harry order the beef short rib bourguignon (a braised certified Angus beef short rib, served with delmonico potatoes and Cabernet poached carrots). By the time he was done you would have thought the just brought him a clean plate. Mary got the Atlantic Salmon (a pan roasted piece of salmon, with creamed leeks, cauliflower puree and sautéed spinach).
Rochelle chose thyme seared coconut braised prawns with bamboo fried rice, tempura fried asparagus in a pan sauce. I went with the two four-ounce grilled USDA prime tenderloin medallions served with delmonico potatoes and buttered asparagus in a veal glacé.
Rochelle’s Shrimp
Mary’s Salmon
My Beef
There isn’t much difference, at least technically, between delmonico potatoes and potatoes as gratin. Delmonico Potatoes were supposedly created in the 19th century at the famous Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City. The truth is that delmonico potatoes are a slightly different version of the potatoes au gratin which is a classic French culinary tradition dating back much further than the 19th century. Generally, the are made with thinly spiced potatoes. In some cases, the delmonico potatoes can be shredded diced or cubed potatoes, but those are the “cheap” versions.
The sauce for both in heavy cream or béchamel. Cheese is added, delmonico’s can contain sharp cheddar cheese or Parmesan, usually a white cheese. Both may or may not use nutmeg and/or white pepper for seasoning. Now the difference, the classic French culinary tradition called for a generous topping of cheese or breadcrumbs, while the delmonico’s does not. This means the delmonico’s potatoes are usually more uniform, creamy and have a casserole-like consistency, whereas the potatoes au gratin has a distinct, crispy, golden crust on top.
It should be noted here that the potatoes au gratin at the Capital Grille the other night did not fit either of these categories. The ratio of potato to cheese was heavily sided with the cheese. The “topping” was crispy and golden, but it was fried onion pieces sprinkled on top, not baked or broiled with the potatoes.
It is possible to give the Chaz a good solid four stars. The food was very good, the atmosphere was very nice, and the service was very good. After dinner we returned to the AirB&B, finished packing, played a game of cards and hit the sack. Tomorrow is a travel day, so probably not much to report. We will arrive in Prague (Praha) early Friday morning.
Buonanotte and Ciao,
Enrico and Maria
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