In recent years, there’s been a distinct westward tilt in the development of new restaurants in Lawrence.

The corridor running south from the corner of Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive has been transformed into one of the city’s major dining districts.

Two shopping centers  Wakarusa Crossroads and Westgate Shops  are home to a bevy of restaurants offering a wide range of choices for hungry diners.

There’s JB Stouts Sports Bar & Grill, Hereford House and Marisco’s Grill & Bar.

Within the past year, three more places have debuted in the neighborhood: Salty Iguana Mexican Restaurant and the West Side Deli & Market, both in Wakarusa Crossroads; and Razzy’s Grills & Greens in Westgate Shops.

Something for everyone

When diners come to the Salty Iguana for a meal, they should be prepared to see lots of green lizards as part of the restaurant’s decor.

The restaurant, which opened Dec. 12, is the third Salty Iguana. The original opened 10 years ago in Prairie Village, and the second one is in Independence, Mo.

They’re owned by Dan Chandler, Matt Zych and Steve Conrad, all of whom live in the Kansas City area.

Why did they choose Lawrence for their new location?

“Dan has always had a soft spot, a connection, to Lawrence. He attended KU for a while,” said LeAnn Brock, the restaurant’s general manager.

The latest Salty Iguana measures 5,600 square feet and has seating inside for about 200 people. A patio outside the front door seats 50 more diners.

The restaurant, which is open for lunch and dinner, employs from 40 to 50 full- and part-time staffers.

“We have some of the best pork tamales in town, people love our blue corn tacos, and we also offer a choice of black beans instead of refried beans,” Brock said.

Some of the restaurant’s top-selling dishes are fajitas and tacos. A popular weekly special is “Taco Monday” Â $1.25 for a beef taco or $1.50 for a chicken taco.

‘Happy and well-fed’

Owner Michael Levy launched his West Side Deli & Market Nov. 27 with the belief that the city could use a place offering homemade products such as smoked salmon, pastrami, pastries and specialty cakes.

Levy has a good pedigree in the kitchen. He trained at the New England Culinary Institute and later apprenticed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston.

He has worked as a chef and charcuterie manager at the Dean & DeLuca gourmet store in Leawood. He has served as a personal chef in Lawrence, offering catering on the side.

Levy and his wife, Michelle, both attended Kansas University and wanted to return to Lawrence. Then the opportunity to start a place of his own came along.

The business is open at 7 a.m. for breakfast every day. It operates until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Levy’s store offers imported meats, cheeses, olives, olive oils and vinegars, sauces, dry pastas and fancy condiments. Customers can dine in and choose among various sandwiches, soups, salads, omelets, entrees and sides.

Plus there are the pastries, cakes and breads. And a cappuccino bar.

“It’s going really well. We’re doing better than we expected, as far as our projections went. We figured it would take several months to get up to dining capacity,” Levy said.

“We’re already pretty full for lunch and getting a good dinner crowd.”

Blue Plate Specials

Razzy’s Grills & Greens, a 67-seat restaurant owned by Ron and Christine Durflinger of Lawrence, opened Dec. 5.

The concept is appealingly simple.

“We freshly prepare grilled meats and produce to your specifications while you wait. First you decide what you want, and then how you would like it prepared,” said Ami Daley, manager.

The restaurant serves sandwiches, salads, side dishes, rice bowls, a Blue Plate Special and the Razzito, a wrap with different fillings in a 12-inch flour tortilla.

Rice bowls are topped with a choice of steak, grilled vegetables, chicken breast or sauteed peppers and onions. The bowls cost $5 to $5.75. Daley touted them as filling, and low in calories and fat.

Blue Plate Specials are served every day  yes, on a blue plate  and feature steak, pork loin, chicken breast or meatloaf, a choice of two sides and a sauce or gravy. Cost: $6.50 to $7.

The restaurant, which is open for lunch and dinner, offers both dine-in and to-go service.

“The Razzito is our most popular item so far. That and the Blue Plate Special,” Daley said.

Daley, whose husband, Richard Daley, is Razzy’s general manager, said they are thinking of adding grilled panini sandwiches and some seasonal items to the menu.

Ami Daley has a background in the food industry. She was an assistant pastry chef at Dean & DeLuca in Leawood, as well as pastry chef at the Stadium Club in Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.