Dish & Drink KC: Alpaca brunch at Colonial Gardens and jam and bread at the River Market

Boxed Brunch At Colonial Gardens Comes With Alpaca Themed Coloring Sheets. // Photo By Lauren Textor

Alpaca Brunch at Colonial Gardens

Everything is coming back to life now that it’s spring, and outdoor events are, once again, taking center stage. That means the Colonial Gardens Alpaca Brunch is back open for bookings.

What? You didn’t know that there was an alpaca farm so close to KC? You’re not alone. Although it books up weeks in advance, Alpaca Brunch —and the local agrotourism scene in general—flies under most people’s radar. It’s well worth the drive from the city, with plentiful parking, orchards, and pettable baby animals. 

My brunch was on the patio due to recent rainfall, so we didn’t have a direct view of the animals until our tour later. Still, I found my first time at Colonial Gardens to be serene and refreshing. It just feels easier to breathe outside of the city sometimes. 

Framed Photos Of Alpacas Sneak Peeks During Brunch At Colonial Gardens. // Photo By Lauren Textor

While there are alcoholic options offered at the limited bar for an additional charge, I chose to stick with water. For brunch, I was served a small slice of zucchini bread, two strips of bacon, two apple slices, a handful of grapes, and a flaky spinach pastry. Everything was delicious, especially the bacon, which was probably the least greasy version I’ve had. Our servers thoroughly explained where our food was sourced from, giving us a chance to see the very apple orchards that bore our slices of fruit.

Since tickets were $40 apiece, I was expecting a dessert of some kind or drinks included in the price. I’m admittedly a heavier eater, but even with the enjoyable ambiance, the cost felt steep. 

After brunch, our group was led to the alpaca and goat enclosures. We all took turns petting the animals, which brought out a sense of childlike glee in just about everyone. My personal favorite is Buttercup—The goat who is an adorable attention hog that I’d like to bring home with me. 

The entire experience lasted about two hours, though it might have been an hour and a half. The fresh air and proximity to nature were revitalizing. The food was locally sourced, with each additional bite as flavorful as the first. My friend and I had a great time at the brunch, which served as a meditative reset ahead of our upcoming week, but I’m not sure I’d shell out the money for my family of five to attend. 

Colonial Gardens is located at 27610 E Wyatt Rd, Blue Springs, MO 64014.

Raspberry Lemonade Jam From Beautiful Day Farms And Poppyseed Bread From Bauman Farms Bakery. // Photo By Lauren Textor

Bauman Farms Bakery and Beautiful Day Farms at the River Market

I love farm-to-table restaurants, but they’re usually not in my budget. Farmers’ markets are more affordable, and they still enable me to support local businesses. 

Now that the weather is warming up, the outdoor portion of the River Market is bustling with vendors, including Bauman Farms Bakery and Beautiful Day Farms. 

It’s rare that I have the self-control to walk past freshly baked bread in flavors like cranberry orange and lemon poppyseed without buying a loaf. Especially when a young entrepreneur is selling it. 

It’s an early Saturday afternoon when my sister and I pass the Bauman Farms stall. A kid is manning the table on her own. I’m guessing she’s in the 10-12 age range, and she’s clearly a natural-born businesswoman. When our stride slows, she catches our eye and asks if she can help us right away, then begins walking us through our options for carbs. 

There’s sourdough, white, and zucchini bread, but I linger on the sweeter flavors. Finally, I select a small, $6 loaf of poppyseed. The kid counts out the dollar bills for our benefit, fanning them out, then handing over our change. 

Swinging the loaf between us, we weave through the rest of the stalls until we find the right topping to accompany the bread: An 8 oz jar of raspberry lemonade jam from Beautiful Day Farms. 

There’s more than a hint of bright, tangy lemon in the jam. It’s sweet, but not sugary-tasting. It’s more of a natural sweetness from the berries, with a mild, barely noticeable crunch from the poppyseeds. The jam is fragrant and sticky, and the bread is almost too crumbly to bear any topping at all, so we have to scoop most of it up with our hands. 

It’s a decadent, early springtime mess of a snack, but don’t let that deter you. Just be sure to bring some wet wipes.

Both Bauman Farms Bakery and Beautiful Day Farms can be found at the weekend River Market at 20 E. 5th Street, Kansas City MO 64106.