Directory of Restaurants in Cape Girardeau and surrounding area!
To find great local restaurants in Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area visit our dining directory of all the "locally owned" restaurants in the Cape area.
Our Restaurant directory offers the complete menus of the businesses supporting
iLuvLocalplaces.com and a calendar of events for all the restaurants with entertainment.
Restaurant Page Venues Page Winery Page Menus Page
Featured Restaurant
Up Close with Chef Kelly Fields
Banquet and Catering Chef for Ray's Plaza Conference Center
By Janet Wade
Our Local food spotlight is focused on Chef Kelly Fields. During his 20 year career in the food industry Kelly has worked in all facets of the food industry. He found his desire to be a chef while working at a family owned and operated Italian restaurant in Florida. The grandmother of the family noticed something in Kelly that made her take him aside to teach him how to make the sauces and pastas from scratch. That was the jumping in point for Kelly. With professional training and working under some top trained chefs there was no looking back.
Tired of the urban sprawl of south Florida, Kelly started looking to move to the midwest. Intrigued by Missouri he relocated here and couldn't be happier. He worked for the Dexter Country Club before taking the position as Banquet and Catering Chef for Ray's Of Kelso. He oversees events at The Plaza Conference Center by Ray's, located in Cape Girardeau; The Water's Edge, located south of Gordonville; and The Whiteford House, located in Kelso. Events can range from 30 to 500 patrons. Ray's Of Kelso is one of the largest caterers in our area.
Kelly and Ray Ressel, (owner of Ray's of Kelso) collaborate on all menus but the final result is customer driven. After meeting with the client they take into consideration the needs of the event, then combine that with years of culinary experience and a love of people pleasing. The end results are always over the top. The restaurant delivers a casual dining experience but always with a Wow factor involved. For example, Chateaubriand, lamb chops, homemade sauces, gourmet pizzas, table side flambe desserts are menu standards. Chef Kelly and Ray seriously believe everyone should have baked Alaska at least once in their life!
Anyone who has eaten at Ray's of Kelso knows that they are all about local and all about family. At anytime you will see at least one of the family members working there--if not all of them. Chef Kelly seems to have fit right in.
The Ressel Family and Kelly both support responsible animal husbandry, being careful where their meat comes from. They make every effort possible to do business with people who care for their land and their animals. They just recently switched produce suppliers for more organic options.
Chef Kelly shared this Lamb Chop recipe with us for Easter. He recommended pairing this with oven roasted yukon gold fingerling potatoes and spring peas and carrots. You can get also lamb chops on the menu at Ray's of Kelso.
When shopping for ingredients, remember to shop local first. You can find most of the ingredients at Natural Health Organics located on 35 S. Broadview in Cape Girardeau. The lamb chops can be found at Schnucks. For a wine paring we asked the local expert, Keller Ford, from Primo Vino. Keller suggested two good wines that where fruity and spicy to compliment the dish: 2008 Paso Paso Tempranillo @ $10.79 from Spain or a 2007 Ramey Syrah @ $34.69 from Sonoma on the Coast of California.
Happy Easter.
Mango Chutney
2 mangos, peeled and thinly sliced
1 c. cranberries, mashed (or run through a food processor)
2/3 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. minced garlic
1/8 c. finely diced (or shredded) fresh ginger
1 t. each of cayenne pepper, salt & black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat; simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve either hot or cold.
Lamb Marinade (6-8 lamb chops)
1 1/2 c. Wesson oil
1/2 c. rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. minced garlic
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 level t. fresh-ground black pepper
1/8 c. Dijon mustard
Mix all of the above ingredients. Marinate lamb chops overnight, covered in refrigerator.
To cook:
Heat 1/8 c. olive oil over medium heat in a skillet large enough to cook all the lamb chops at one time. Add lamb chops to heated skillet. Let cook undisturbed until nicely browned (4-6 min.), then turn to repeat on the other side (turning only once). Once browned on both sides, remove to a paper towel to absorb excess oil and tent the lamb chops with foil to rest for 5 min. Depending on the size of your lamb chops, the above cooking time should result in a cooked temperature of medium. Adjust the cooking time to your wellness preference.
Plate the lamb chops 2 per plate, topping with mango chutney. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
Ray's of Kelso Page
Up Close with Chef Kelly Fields
Banquet and Catering Chef for Ray's Plaza Conference Center
By Janet Wade
Our Local food spotlight is focused on Chef Kelly Fields. During his 20 year career in the food industry Kelly has worked in all facets of the food industry. He found his desire to be a chef while working at a family owned and operated Italian restaurant in Florida. The grandmother of the family noticed something in Kelly that made her take him aside to teach him how to make the sauces and pastas from scratch. That was the jumping in point for Kelly. With professional training and working under some top trained chefs there was no looking back.
Tired of the urban sprawl of south Florida, Kelly started looking to move to the midwest. Intrigued by Missouri he relocated here and couldn't be happier. He worked for the Dexter Country Club before taking the position as Banquet and Catering Chef for Ray's Of Kelso. He oversees events at The Plaza Conference Center by Ray's, located in Cape Girardeau; The Water's Edge, located south of Gordonville; and The Whiteford House, located in Kelso. Events can range from 30 to 500 patrons. Ray's Of Kelso is one of the largest caterers in our area.
Kelly and Ray Ressel, (owner of Ray's of Kelso) collaborate on all menus but the final result is customer driven. After meeting with the client they take into consideration the needs of the event, then combine that with years of culinary experience and a love of people pleasing. The end results are always over the top. The restaurant delivers a casual dining experience but always with a Wow factor involved. For example, Chateaubriand, lamb chops, homemade sauces, gourmet pizzas, table side flambe desserts are menu standards. Chef Kelly and Ray seriously believe everyone should have baked Alaska at least once in their life!
Anyone who has eaten at Ray's of Kelso knows that they are all about local and all about family. At anytime you will see at least one of the family members working there--if not all of them. Chef Kelly seems to have fit right in.
The Ressel Family and Kelly both support responsible animal husbandry, being careful where their meat comes from. They make every effort possible to do business with people who care for their land and their animals. They just recently switched produce suppliers for more organic options.
Chef Kelly shared this Lamb Chop recipe with us for Easter. He recommended pairing this with oven roasted yukon gold fingerling potatoes and spring peas and carrots. You can get also lamb chops on the menu at Ray's of Kelso.
When shopping for ingredients, remember to shop local first. You can find most of the ingredients at Natural Health Organics located on 35 S. Broadview in Cape Girardeau. The lamb chops can be found at Schnucks. For a wine paring we asked the local expert, Keller Ford, from Primo Vino. Keller suggested two good wines that where fruity and spicy to compliment the dish: 2008 Paso Paso Tempranillo @ $10.79 from Spain or a 2007 Ramey Syrah @ $34.69 from Sonoma on the Coast of California.
Happy Easter.
Mango Chutney
2 mangos, peeled and thinly sliced
1 c. cranberries, mashed (or run through a food processor)
2/3 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. minced garlic
1/8 c. finely diced (or shredded) fresh ginger
1 t. each of cayenne pepper, salt & black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat; simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve either hot or cold.
Lamb Marinade (6-8 lamb chops)
1 1/2 c. Wesson oil
1/2 c. rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. minced garlic
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 level t. fresh-ground black pepper
1/8 c. Dijon mustard
Mix all of the above ingredients. Marinate lamb chops overnight, covered in refrigerator.
To cook:
Heat 1/8 c. olive oil over medium heat in a skillet large enough to cook all the lamb chops at one time. Add lamb chops to heated skillet. Let cook undisturbed until nicely browned (4-6 min.), then turn to repeat on the other side (turning only once). Once browned on both sides, remove to a paper towel to absorb excess oil and tent the lamb chops with foil to rest for 5 min. Depending on the size of your lamb chops, the above cooking time should result in a cooked temperature of medium. Adjust the cooking time to your wellness preference.
Plate the lamb chops 2 per plate, topping with mango chutney. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
Ray's of Kelso Page
Venue Directory
Dining Directory
Shopping Directory
Calendars
The Arts
Photo Directory
Current News
Farms & Markets
Article Archive
Why Local?
Click Image to Visit Page!