Culinary Adventures

Culinary Adventuresacross kansas city

Jinkie’s Coffee & Hangout

A Trip Back in Time

Jinkie’s Coffee & Hangout A visit to this brand new coffee shop in Overland Park, KS, will take you back in time to the ’70s with themed decor, groovy soundtracks and overall good vibes. Opened by a motherdaughter duo, Jinkie’s (named as an ode to Scooby Doo), offers drinks like Here Comes the Sun, a sparkling raspberry hibiscus tea, or Strawberry Fields, a strawberry cream espresso based drink. In addition to handcrafted beverages made with local Blip Roasters coffee and Hugo Teas, they serve a variety of baked goods that are made in house daily. jinkiescoffee.com

Kombucha on Tap

The Brewkery This North Kansas City, MO, taproom is a bit different than the other great microbreweries we have in Kansas City. Instead of beer, you’ll find kombucha on tap. Kombucha is a green tea-based drink that is fermented to give you a (nonalcoholic) end product that has probiotics, fizz and flavor! The Brewkery is owned by a Kansas City duo that started with bottling and selling their product then expanded to open a brick-and-mortar taproom. You can try flights (featuring their rotating flavors on tap), kombucha floats and even enjoy house-made paninis and soups. Their core flavors, like Grape Limeade or Hibiscus Rooibos, are always available, and you can watch their page for seasonal specialties like the pineapple, mango and jalapeno Hot Tropic flavor. brewkery.com

All Hands on Deck

Taste Buds Kitchen If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and broaden your culinary horizons, Taste Buds Kitchen in Leawood has a variety of classes for every palate. They offer adults-only classes where you can BYOB and learn how to make sushi, tapas, pasta and a myriad of other cuisines. For the younger crowd, they have themed cooking camps throughout the year that are broken out by ages, so kids can safely learn cooking basics with new recipes each day. If you’re looking for something to do with the whole family, to celebrate a special occasion, or to plan a girls night out, they also offer custom private parties and lessons! tastebudskitchen.com

The Local Pig

Beyond Farm to Table

The Local Pig If you’re a fan of locally-sourced, high quality meats and are ready to take your knowledge to the next level, the Local Pig offers a variety of classes at their shop in the River Market. With small class sizes of six to 12 people and regular class schedules, it’s a unique hands-on experience—and you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for how your food is made. You could start with the basics of making sausage (bonus, you get to take some home with you!) or go straight on to the Whole Hog class, where you’ll learn how to butcher various cuts of pork. While you’re there, make sure to check out Pigwich, their restaurant next door that offers mouthwatering sandwiches made from their fresh meat selections. localpig.com

From Seed to Plate

Powell Gardens Kansas City’s agrarian treasure, Powell Gardens, is always a beautiful place to visit, but the Heartland Harvest Garden, dubbed “America’s premier edible landscape,” allows you to explore food from the ground up, and each plant tells a story of where food comes from. This horticultural gem showcases multiple garden displays like the Apple Cider Court, Quilt Garden and the Children’s Garden, to name a few. After you work up an appetite exploring the history of our food sources, you’ll be able to do some taste-testing at the pop-up visitor tasting stations and during special events. Between Sept. 23 and Oct. 24, the Harvest Days Festival encourages people to gather in the gardens in outdoor “living room” spaces with fire pits to enjoy the fall foliage. https://powellgardens.org/

A Taste of Italy

Jasper’s Restaurant Besides a full-service restaurant specializing in artisan Italian dishes passed down through generations, Jasper’s offers immersive culinary experiences throughout the year. Their regular Supper Club events are themed and offer a chance to explore expertly paired regional cuisine. They are also bringing back cooking classes where you can learn Italian staples from Chef Jasper himself, all while enjoying lunch. If you’d rather someone else handle the cooking but are looking for a unique experience over dinner, you can watch as they prepare mozzarella tableside (seasonal) or learn more about heirloom farming during Kurlbaum’s Tomato Supper. jasperskc.com

Andrea Plunkett is a local writer and business owner with a passion for adventure.

By Kristina Light

When you want to add something extra to your KC visit, consider one of these great bonus excursions!

Play a round of mini golf at Art Course, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s mini golf experience on the gallery lawn, with holes inspired by some of the museum’s favorite masterpieces.

This summer, celebrate baseball with the Kansas City Monarchs. This brand hasn’t had a home field since 1965, but on Opening Day of 2021, will take the field for the first time in those pinstripes at the Field of Legends.

Challenge your friends or family as you compete IN a game show in at Overland Park’s Game Show Battle Rooms. Flip for fun at Urban Air – more than a trampoline park. Experience virtual reality games, sail over the park on the Sky Rider and enjoy rock wall climbing.

Design your own custom donut at Donutology in Westport. Mix and match flavors and toppings in this custom donut laboratory.

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RESOLUTIONS Read KC Parent magazine each month for more ideas to enjoy with your family. Feed camels at the Kansas City Zoo’s camel feeding deck. Stop by and check out this interactive exhibit, which lets guests drop treats from the deck down to the dromedaries for just a quarter.

Imagine you’re in outer space as you walk a scale model of the solar system on a quest to see the entire Voyage Exhibition along Baltimore Avenue in downtown KCMO. Follow a 1-mile path through the Crossroads District, ending in front of historic Union Station, to discover our solar system from the sun to Pluto.

Learn about historic U.S. aircraft at the Airline History Museum. See the first Lockheed Constellation ever restored, a Martin 404, a DC-3 and a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. Savor the city’s signature burnt ends at one of our best barbecue restaurants … Joe’s KC, Jack Stack, Q39, LC’s, Arthur Bryant’s, Gates or another favorite local joint.

Watch as Lost Trail sodas are bottled and apple cider is made from scratch at Louisburg Cider Mill.

Ice-skating isn’t just a winter sport. Lace up your ice skates and enjoy Independence Community Ice, KC Ice Center or Line Creek Arena, some of the city’s year-round indoor ice-skating rinks.

The Midwest Genealogy Center is a free research facility through the Mid-Continent Public Library system. With thousands of resources and expert research librarians there to assist, you’ll discover new secrets about your ancestors. KC Segway Tours and KC Fun Tours offer one-of-a-kind tours of our hometown, a great way to become more acquainted with the city.

Hook a fish at Lake Olathe, one of the area’s newest lakes, where you may enjoy boating, kayaking, swimming or a day angling for “the big one.”

The 58-foot-tall Russell and Helen Means Observation Tower is opening soon at Kill Creek Park. The steel behemoth will offer visitors amazing views from the Kansas Speedway to KU. This Instagram-worthy destination is a must for photographers. Quench your thirst at the Roasterie, where coffee is an art form. Take a 45-minute tour and learn all about their cupping, roasting and blending processes. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the factory and experience a manual coffee brewing demonstration.

Explore the ruins of early pioneer cabins at Cave Springs, a 36-acre urban nature center and historic site.

Spend a day with Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang at Worlds of Fun, KC’s theme park featuring fun rides for all ages.

Carousels were once made in Kansas, and now you can visit the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum. Learn about C.W. Parker, the founder of a carousel factory in Leavenworth, and ride an authentic 1913 carousel.

Visit Louisburg and tour Cedar Cove Feline Sanctuary, which cares for real big cats. On Saturday evenings, attend one of the big cat feeders and keeper chats to learn more about the facility.

Made-from-scratch European sweet bread is the specialty at Strawberry Hill Povitica, the longestablished Kansas City-based Slavic bakeshop with an open kitchen.

Farmers markets are a spring and summer tradition in Kansas City, with more than 100 markets offering local homegrown and homemade goods. Find them all on KCParent.com. Play at the Johnson County Museum, where the interactive KidScape exhibit, a child-size village, fosters creative play.

Legends Outlets recently debuted the Lawn, a greenspace centerpiece of the shopping center offering live concerts, yoga classes and events throughout the year. In between events, it’s a great place to hang out and enjoy the outdoors with friends.

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