New Restaurant Gives Country Food A Globe-Trotting Glow Up.
K. Hervey
Editor
Some silly people may say you can't go home again. However, that definitely doesn't apply if you plan on opening a restaurant designed to knock the culinary socks off the entire county. Which is precisely what Frontenac Friends Kelley (Terlip) and her husband Mike Gingras have done with their brand new restaurant Bushel & a Peck .
The couple, globe-trotting foodies, decided to follow Kelley’s roots back home to live in Frontenac opening their new restaurant in neighboring Girard. The small restaurant which opens fully on June 26th, (limited hours this week) offered a soft open recently and it absolutely did not disappoint.
Bushel & a Peck is an outstanding mix of cozy and gourmet. The atmosphere feels like your favorite fun aunt and uncle’s dining room. An aunt and uncle who have traveled the world working in restaurants. Wildflowers and comic book artwork share space with a snapshot of the couple with a Michelin Star chef.
The food sounds Kansas country familiar in general description, but the execution and quality of ingredients make this place a show stopper.
Foods like traditional Kansas sour slaw and potatoes are raised to a completely advanced level with different vegetables and seasoning. It feels balanced, not just vinegar-filled, with sweetness from the fresh vegetables creeping in, really enhancing the overall flavor. The turkey and shrimp are tender and juicy, and the options of sauces really speak to the ability of the cooks to incorporate the sweet and tangy notes.
The Rocky Mountain White sauce may indeed be set to rival even The Deli for the county's favorite dipping option. We simply could not stop dipping the fresh bread in it. Although the peach BBQ sauce was a definite go-to with the house-made potato chips or spread on the turkey.
Desserts like their Summer Girl mini pie taste both like the strawberry ice cream truck bars you had as a kid mixed with a much complex adult indulgence. A good explanation of most of the food at Bushel. Both familiar and adventurous at once without being pretentious.
Located just a bit off the square in Girard, Bushel & a Peck is undoubtedly set up to become a local favorite. Intimate, charming, and approachable with food the caliber you're more likely to find in Chicago or New York this restaurant is unarguably about to be one of the jewels in the SEK food crown.
You can find more about Bushel & a Peck on their website https://bushelrestaurantks.square.site or on social media at Bushel & a Peck
