Nice place for dinner???

I am not from the area and I was curious to see if there is any place I can go in the topeka area where I can sit down and have a nice dinner with some friends that is a casual dress or higher. I%26#39;m not looking for a fast food joint where the food will be under par and there will be kids running and screaming everywhere.

Sincerely yours,

Fine Diner

Nice place for dinner???

Wanamaker road is full of ';trendy'; restaurants (Chili%26#39;s, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, etc and newly built Old Chicago and On The Border) but if you are looking to stay away from the franchise types there are a few restaurants on Gage Blvd (around SW 10th to 15th Streets) that are nice - Paisano%26#39;s (great Italian Food) New City Cafe (Upscale) Annie%26#39;s (Comfortable atmosphere) and more.

Nice place for dinner???

Texas Roadhouse is on Huntoon just off Wannamaker and the service and food quality is better than anything in Topeka.

Pisanos italian restaurant at 10th Street and SW Gage. Great food and adult atmosphere.

Let%26#39;s face it people...Topeka restaurants are the worst. But Paisano%26#39;s won%26#39;t make you ill. Chez Yasu is elegant and they do try to make the food interesting. New City Cafe is okay but you won%26#39;t want to go more than a couple of times. I%26#39;ve been to Annie%26#39;s Place and I wouldn%26#39;t go back. If you want a chain Johnny Carinos is probably the best one they have.

The Blind Tiger at 37th and Kansas is absolutely wonderful. The are a microbrewery, and the food is good every time. A nice change from the chain restaurants.

I also recommend Chez Yasu (French, Japanese chef), Paisano%26#39;s, and New City Cafe. Aboud%26#39;s is nice too, but I%26#39;m not sure whether they do dinner. Their brunch is great though. Also the Falling Water Grill at the Capital City Plaza has good food, but it%26#39;s not cheap, and depending on who is in town then it could be either nice and quiet, or there could be kids running and screaming everywhere.

As for the Blind Tiger, it used to be good, but it seems they%26#39;ve reduced the size of their menu to more of a sports bar type of place recently. Or maybe that%26#39;s just what they serve in between lunch and dinner.

I enjoy Jul%26#39;s for a nice evening out - also for lunch. Other nice places include The Brick Oven, New City Cafe and for a nice bar, I like O%26#39;Dooley%26#39;s. Don%26#39;t let the outside fool you. While it%26#39;s not smoke-free, the inside has a lot of atmosphere, reasonable food and service. Another surprise - the cafe in the library has great food for a low-key lunch. I%26#39;ve never been dissappointed.

Tuptim Thai is very good. It%26#39;s probably my favorite restaurant in Topeka. Food is fresh, delicious and elegantly served. A nice place for dinner and conversation with friends. The food is really excellent. The Globe, downtown, while short on atmosphere, has wonderful Indian food.

The Brick Oven is relatively new and has a decent--heavy on meat, with a couple of fish offerings--menu. I like the atmosphere better than the food but it%26#39;s a personal choice. Longhorn, while a chain, does a better steak than some of the old-time local steakhouses.

Kiku--a typical Japanese teppanyaki place, also has good sushi.

%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;%26lt; The Brick Oven is relatively new and has a decent--heavy on meat, with a couple of fish offerings--menu. I like the atmosphere better than the food but it%26#39;s a personal choice. %26gt;%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

Brick Oven is south on Wannamaker, just past 29th St., and is worth the drive. The atmosphere is a little upscale for my smoked meat days, but I guess being pampered a little is okay, though it comes with a bit of a price. The meat here is top-rate, and cooked wonderfully ... even on the simple Cuban sandwich, the smoky flavor of the pork is incredible. This one is worth a few tries.

I am often in Topeka and in the past few years things have been getting better, food-wise. Here are two that do not disappoint.

Great Chinese food in Topeka? You bet! Finally!!!

Sun%26#39;s (Chinese) as good as any Chinese food we%26#39;ve had anywhere and I%26#39;m from the SF area

2121 SW Belle Ave

Topeka

785-272-6090

Fritz Company Grille (fish)

1717 S.W. Wanamaker Rd.

Topeka Ks. 66604

785-273-7766

There%26#39;s also a very good Mexican restaurant on SW 29th Street near the Dillon%26#39;s Store and Boss Hawg%26#39;s. In the 2800 block near Oakley.

rodents