news-record.com

A recent customer at the newly opened Kiosco Mexican Grill (3011 Spring Garden St.; 617-0350) was brought to tears. It wasn't a reaction to the restaurant's spicy homemade salsa verde. No, it was because she recognized owner Aurelio Ruiz. She had been searching for him since his days at Mi Pueblo, formerly located across the street at the intersection with Holden Road.

Not a surprising sentiment for a seasoned professional who operates restaurants in Walkertown and Clemmons. And his pride shows in the meticulous renovation of this old Hugo's location that includes a huge mural featuring the ornate plaza of Degollado in Ruiz's native Mexican state of Jalisco. In the center of the plaza is a pavilion, or kiosco, for which the restaurant is named.

The menu is extensive and offers Tex Mex, Mexican and lots of specialties such as fried Cornish Hen ($8.99 half, $11.99 whole) in garlic or hot sauce, grilled chicken breast ($7.99 half, $9.99 full) topped with red and yellow peppers and grilled steak ($10.99) topped with red onions and peppers. There's also lots of seafood selections such as fried Tilapia ($11.99), shrimp ($9.49 half, $13.99 full) grilled with zucchini and broccoli, and A.C.P. (arroz con pollo) Seafood ($13.99) a platter of shrimp, calamari, scallops and vegetables.

A list of more than 14 burritos includes fried chicken and beef plate ($7.99), a burrito of pork and chile verde ($8.99) and a burrito stuffed with grilled beef and shrimp and chicken ($8.99).

Kiosco offers an extensive lunch special menu served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, with smaller, cheaper portions of many dinner items such as skillet chicken and vegetables ($6.99), beef steak ($7.99) with grilled onions, pork tops with grilled onions ($7.99), grilled shrimp ($8.99) in a Chipotle sauce and Camarones Fundidos ($8.99), a plate of grilled shrimp and vegetables topped with cheese.

Kiosco also offers specials that range from $3.99 for a taco and enchilada combo to $9.49 for seafood fajitas.

There are several vegetarian combos including a stuffed burrito ($7.99) and deep-fried vegetable chimichangas ($7.99).

Gone are the days when the only soup on the menu of a Mexican restaurant was beef and rice. Kiosco offers a seafood soup ($9.99 half, $13.99 full) of shellfish, a South of the Border-style vegetable soup ($6.99) and a potato and cheese soup ($4.69) that Ruiz says his mother made often when he was young.

Ruiz says the restaurant's pico de gallo and guacamole is made twice daily for freshness, and the guacamole can be ordered without onions and tomatoes.

The children's menu offers a selection of $3.69 items that include burgers, chicken fingers and enchiladas.

Kiosco offers imported and domestic beer and a selection of Margaritas, perfect for dining on the restaurant's spacious patio.

Kiosco's hours are 11 a.m to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

New owners reopen shop

Carolina Coffee at 400 State St. in Greensboro has closed.

Luke Whitten, who was an employee of Carolina Coffee for more than two years and had been managing the shop for the past few months, has picked up a new lease for the space and plans to reopen the shop soon as Greensborough Coffee.

N.C. Best Dish award

The Yancey House Restaurant (699 U.S. 158, Yanceyville; 694-4225; www.yanceyvillage.com) earned the Casual Dining title for the Best Dish in N.C. restaurant contest.

This was Yancey House's first year to compete. Was chef and owner Lucindy Willis surprised?

"Yes, because of the well-known restaurants and talented chefs we competed against in the finals," Willis says.

But she quickly adds, "Since opening our doors 31/2 years ago, we have been doing what the Best Dish in N.C. Restaurant Competition encourages restaurants to do: celebrate the farming spirit by preparing dishes that showcase the seasonal flavors of Carolina's bounty."

And that is what she did with a menu that included gazpacho made from Caswell County produce, crab cakes made from North Carolina crabs she buys fresh each week from Tom Robinson's Seafood Market (919-942-1221) in Carrboro, Chicken Isabella featuring an heirloom hen raised on small North Carolina farms and a Peach Trio with peaches from McKinney Orchard.

"The contest rules allowed finalists to select the four weeks in which they would serve their Best Dish menu. I selected the month of July" because, she says, all of the ingredients in her menu were at their peak.

To see other winning menus and information on the N.C. Best Dish contest, visit www.ncagr.gov/markets/gginc/bestdish .

Special weekend hours

The Bistro at Adams Farm (5710-M High Point Road; 294-4610; www.thebistroatadamsfarm.com) will be open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner 5:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday and for lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then again at 5 p.m. for dinner on Sunday to accommodate those attending the Wyndham Championship.

Contact Carl Wilson at 373-7145 or carl.wilson@news-record.com