Dish & Drink KC: Crab Benedict at Ginger Sue’s and apple everything at Cider Hill Family Orchard

Crab Benedict at Ginger Sue’s. // Photo by Lauren Textor

Ginger Sue’s is just the cutest brunch nook

It’s a warm autumn day, and the lack of fans and air conditioning in Ginger Sue’s is making me feel slightly sticky, but nothing can shake my excitement for the food. I adore a quaint brunch spot, and Ginger Sue’s has an unbeatable menu, from omelets to the Cajun Crepe to a gravy scramble. 

My friend Sara and I are tucked into a corner table by a couple of windows. I’m glad to see the sun out, even if it does add to the stickiness. 

Our waitress is super friendly, and she advises me to order the Crab Benedict ($16.25). Sara orders the pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon sugar butter ($5 for one / $9 for two). We each opt to treat ourselves with a Pumpkin Pie Latte ($5.75).

Pumpkin Pie Latte at Ginger Sue’s. // Photo by Lauren Textor

The latte is not well thought-out because it’s so warming that now I’m really starting to sweat, but it is delicious. Whipped cream and cinnamon is a combination that never gets old. 

When it arrives, Sara’s stack of pancakes is deceptively filling, and my bite is the perfect ratio of crispy-to-fluffy that the American diner pancake demands. The sugar butter is excellent. I wish I had a bowl of it. 

I’m currently in search of the best eggs Benedict in Kansas City. Ginger Sue’s wins points for the addition of andouille sausage, the green onion garnish, and, although it’s technically a side, the seasoned potatoes. The hollandaise is perfectly creamy, and while I’m not overly impressed by the namesake crab of the dish (it’s not dry or anything, just unremarkable and a little bland on its own), it’s altogether a solid order. The English muffin is honey wheat as opposed to regular white, which adds a lovely sweetness that compliments the hollandaise. I’d absolutely come back for it. 

Pumpkin Pancakes with cinnamon sugar butter at Ginger Sue’s. // Photo by Lauren Textor

Ginger Sue’s is also offering the Harvest Quiche (ham and apple with a house salad or a bowl of sweet corn soup for $11) and a Chipotle Vegetable Frittatta (served with breakfast potatoes and a biscuit for $12.50) on its fall seasonal menu. 

The best part? Ginger Sue’s three locations are owned by husband and wife David Bradley and Ginger (!) Fuller. Though Kansas City has no shortage of family-owned businesses, it never fails to make me smile when I find out that one of my new favorites falls into this category. 

Ginger Sue’s has three locations at 14178 W. 119th St. Olathe, KS 66062, 12 W. Kansas St., Liberty, MO 64068, and 20 N.E. Sycamore St., Lee’s Summit, MO 64086. 

Apple crisp and donuts at Cider Hill Family Orchard. // Photo by Lauren Textor

As American as apple crisp at Cider Hill Family Orchard

The leaves are crisp and crunchy underfoot as you walk through the rows and rows of saplings at Cider Hill. The hayride rumbles past with a load full of squealing, red-cheeked kids and their sweatered parents. The grill is fired up by the shelter, and the smell of smoke drifts through the air. Visitors stroll around sipping cider, munching on kettle corn, and assessing items in the cottage store. 

Every year, visitors flood to Cider Hill Family Orchard to pick their own apples, blackberries, cherries, and pumpkins across the farm’s 38 acres. When it’s warm, groups of family and friends picnic across the property, supplementing their baskets with apple-based treats. When the weather takes a turn, the event barn is available for indoor seating.

Cider donut at Cider Hill Family Orchard. // Photo by Lauren Textor

Nothing you order is going to retain its heat for long with the brisk October winds, but anything you order will be fresh. The lunch menu, printed in chalk on repurposed antique furniture, is made up of burgers, brats, and chicken strips, plus appetizers like mozzarella sticks, fried mushrooms, onion rings, the “brick of fries,” and jalapeño poppers. It’s pretty standard, though the food is cooked right in front of you beneath an outdoor shelter. 

The real magic happens in the main building, and you can order from the to-go windows on the side. Apple Pie Nachos ($5), Apple Egg Rolls ($4 individual or $12 take-and-bake), cider slushies ($1.50 small, $3.75 medium, or $4.75 large), and even whole frozen apple pies ($18) are available for purchase. 

The apple crisp ($5 without ice cream or $5.50 with) is cinnamon-glazed fruit topped with oats. The sweetness comes from the apples themselves rather than too much added sugar, and none of it is over-baked.

Many make the pilgrimage to Cider Hill just for the donuts ($6.50 for a half dozen or $10 for a full). They’re soft and sugar-dusted, though you might be disappointed if you expect them to taste as cidery as the drinks. They’re good donuts, but not exactly packed with the same tang or cloudy goodness as the cider itself. 

Cider Hill Family Orchard is located at 3341 N 139th St, Kansas City, KS 66109.