Article — Ann E. Butenas | Photography — Russell Walker
In an effort to “take one for the team” this month, I happily jumped at the chance to report on a cornucopia of tasty treats that are sure to add some incredible fun to your summertime activities. If you love the taste of summer, then you are in for some incredible treats! There are several places in Leawood and in surrounding areas that will simply make your mouth water.
My first stop was Ben & Jerry’s, the well-known ice cream establishment nestled on the northeast corner of 135th and Metcalf at 6984 W. 135th Street. I took my team of “experts,” five hungry boys, in for a taste. I believe I had the most fun, as I simply took one spoon and took a bite of each treat. With available pints to go, Ben & Jerry’s can satisfy your ice cream cravings no matter when they strike. They also sell custom-made ice cream cakes, which are all ice cream with the incredible crunch of cookies or brownies smack dab in the center.
Among the popular flavors at Ben & Jerry’s is “Chocolate Therapy.” Just imagine dark chocolate ice cream blended with chocolate cookies and swirls of chocolate pudding. The only thing my 15-year-old son could mutter after he had a sample was, “oh, yeah.” It was definitely rich, so you might want a small size, but nab a pint to go so you can tackle that midnight sweet tooth. They even sell pint locks, a cute little joke of a toy that will allow you to lock up your personal pint of ice cream with a personal code. (Note to self: purchase three of these!)
I personally favored the Coconut 7-Layer masterpiece. This blends coconut ice cream with coconut fudge flakes, walnuts, and swirls of graham crackers and butterscotch. Can you say, “more, please?”
Next on the agenda was a stop at Peachwave Frozen Yogurt, which is just to the west of the Hen House on the northeast corner of 135th and Metcalf. It is close enough to Ben & Jerry’s to create a dessert dilemma, yet far enough to allow you to walk, burn a few calories and then indulge in another tasty treat.
Peachwave is the ultimate in self-serve frozen yogurt shops. While they have a multitude of flavors, I am told they mix them up every now and again. On deck while I was there was the popular cheesecake flavor. At just 33 cents per ounce, you have your choice of non-dairy pineapple, non-fat flavors of coconut, blueberry, raspberry, peach, strawberry and original tart. The low-fat offerings include chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter and cookies and cream. Peachwave Frozen Yogurt is a naturally good source of calcium and protein, and is packed with live and active cultures that are good for your body.
A variety of fresh fruit or candy toppings is available. The topping bar alone was enough to make me salivate.
My husband enjoyed a pineapple-coconut yogurt mixture topped with pineapple pieces, cheesecake bites and cherries. He happily deemed it “pretty good.” My middle son devoured a raspberry/blueberry combo topped with strawberry pieces. Wiping his mouth, he declared, “it was amazing!”
For those who cannot part with their lap tops, Peachwave offers free WiFi, and according to another young expert on staff for the evening, the seating area had “the best chairs ever!” My adventure did not end there, however. A few days later, I was blessed with the good fortune to visit Paciugo in Park Place, at 5260 W. 116th Place. Honestly, I thought gelato was similar to Jell-O and never had much interest in tasting it. Now, I have a new obsession. This Italian gelato is a healthy indulgence, yet tastes so sinful! Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream. However, unlike ice cream, it is made with whole milk as opposed to heavy cream found in ice cream, which keeps the fat content to about 3.5 percent. They use all natural ingredients and boast more than 200 recipes. Their fruit-based sorbets are fat-free, and that creamier-tasting milk-based gelato is a whopping 50-70 percent lower in fat than premium ice cream! (Note to readers: I went back again three days later. I could not help myself!)
A few of the most popular flavors are the signature Amarena black cherry swirl, Pannacotta wedding cake, Mediterranean Sea Salt Caramel, Fondente, Pistachio, Amaretto Chocolate Chip and Tiramisu. They rotate new flavors every single day. At Paciugo, all of the gelato is made fresh in store daily with all natural ingredients in small batches. This keeps the gelato smooth and creamy. Paciugo also offers frappes (milkshakes), frizzantes, sundaes, affogatos, and a variety of specialty coffee drinks. Also, they have gelato pies that customers can customize with their two favorite flavors.
I did sneak down the sidewalk a bit and discovered another fresh, new place called Cupcake a la Mode at 11529 Ash Street. Decorated like a room waiting for a young girl’s fairy tale princess party, this place knows how to rock the cupcake flavors! Let me assure you, this place is not your ordinary cupcake place. From a variety of chocolate cupcakes with flavors like Peanut Butter Kiss and After Dinner Mint, your taste buds will be initiated into a whole new world. Vanilla flavors include Strawberry Lemonade and Stuffed French Toast.
Not too far away at 4821 W. 117th Street in Town Center Plaza is the newly established chocolate-lovers paradise, Amore Chocolate Pizza Company and Ice Cream Parlor. Enjoy their espresso and hot chocolate bar. All of their drinks can be iced for summer refreshment. Their specialty is the iced spicy Mayan hot chocolate, which is a spicy dark chocolate, flavored with habanera sauce, vanilla, and cinnamon. It is a wonderful flavor profile. They also offer refrigerator cakes, which includes the mouth-watering dark chocolate and ginger cake – seven layers of cookie wafers covered with white chocolate whipped cream. Everything is created on-site from scratch. They use Syla’s and Maddie’s locally made ice cream. Amore Chocolate Pizza is known, however, for its famous chocolate pizza. It is chocolate in the shape of a pizza! No sauce and no cheese. Just chocolate! Stop in and try a sample.
Finally, you can experience the flavors of Foo’s Fabulous Frozen Custard at 9421 Mission Rd. in the Ranchmart Shopping Center in old Leawood. Not your typical ice cream shop, its eclectic design and live music on the weekends make it a unique destination. Enjoy their smooth and creamy custard treats in both chocolate and vanilla flavors. Blend in chocolate chips, caramel and marshmallows for a “Sticky Hickey” delight, or go for the “Coffee Toffee” creation of chocolate chips and Heath bars mixed in the custard. Stay for lunch! From 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., you can enjoy a delicious variety of soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps, and then top them off with a delightful piece of Christopher Elbow chocolate. If you are an early bird, come by in the morning. Foo’s is also your local coffee shop.
While this list is not all-inclusive, it does offer you a good start, and will definitely provide you more summertime treat options than the ice cream man!
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