Wichita's signature casual food item...

(Darn, I don't get around to blogging like I should...)

So ask people what's the signature food item in Wichita, and most people will say the NuWay crumbly burger. WRONG. I mean, yeah, former Wichitans who visit always say "I got to go get me a NuWay while I'm in town", and I live in the neighborhood of the "original" NuWay building, and for crumbled beef on a bun they're okay, although I still prefer a sloppy joe. The problem with a NuWay is it's a brand name for a regional chain item. You might as well say "I got to go get me a Dog n Shake hot dog while I'm in town!"
If you go to Philadelphia, you don't go for a Pat's CheeseSteak (unless you're completely partial to Pat's), but if you think Philly, you think cheesesteak. If you think Chicago, you think deep-dish pizza or a Chicago Dog. If you think NYC, you think of pizza by the slice or a humongous deli sandwich.
That's why I would like to put out there, for your consideration, what is really the signature food for Wichita: the Monterrey, sometimes just referred to as "the special" or "special tostada". Wichita has a LOT of Mexican restaurants, from taco trucks to 24-hour-drive-throughs to sit-downs with atmospheric lighting and their special house salsas, but almost every place has a version of the Monterrey.
What's a Monterrey? In almost every instance, they're as similar to each other as cheesesteaks in Philly: a crisp-fried flour tortilla, 7"-10" diameter, covered with refried beans or chili verde, lettuce, yellow cheese (think Velveeta consistency), meat - pork, ground beef or chicken, salsa, and in the case of the Deluxe, sour cream, guacamole or avocado slices, jalapenos, olives, etc.
Basically, it's a plate-sized tostada of yummy layered goodness, retail cost $3-$4 in the fast-food places, $5-$8 in sit-down restaurants depending on size and time of day.
For me, only the pork Monterrey will do, and I prefer them Special, with sour cream and jalapenos. The one I had today, at El Mexico Cafe (2544 S Seneca), was a luncheon-sized 7" tortilla piled high with beans, lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream, 2 slices of avocado, jalapenos, and green olives, then topped with shredded grilled pork. I think it was $5.99 at lunch, and more than enough for me...although I did finish it. I'm not holding this particular one up as the ultimate example in Wichita, but the pork shredded on top instead of mixed into the beans puts it in the running. But almost any respectable non-chain Mexican restaurant in Wichita makes one very similar. Don't bother with On the Border or Chili's -- they don't understand it and will never produce a respectable version.
Note: as I mentioned, these traditionally contain that gummy yellow Velveeta-like processed cheese substance -- they are not gourmet cuisine. It's Mexican comfort food, and an inexpensive
and filling meal.