Dish & Drink KC: Grounded Sole for the sip, Chewology for the spread
Dish & Drink KC logo by Teddy Rosen
I’ll admit it: Kansas City, Kansas is not usually where my coffee shop adventures take me.
That’s not shade. KCK has plenty to eat, explore, and write home about, but when I’m looking for somewhere to grab a drink, open my laptop, and romanticize answering emails for a few hours, I’m usually headed somewhere else in the metro.
Last week, however, I stumbled across Grounded Sole Coffeehouse on a Google search and decided to stop by.
Grounded Sole Coffeehouse // Photo by Tiffany Watts
Located in KCK’s Argentine neighborhood, Grounded Sole makes a strong first impression. The shop is beautiful and welcoming, but its real charm comes from something harder to decorate into a space: purpose.
The coffeehouse is an extension of Barefoot Mission, a nonprofit whose work in Wyandotte County is rooted in what the organization calls a “ministry of presence.” Rather than parachuting into a neighborhood with a predetermined idea of what it needs, the organization focuses on listening, building relationships, and investing alongside the people already there.
Grounded Sole grew from that philosophy.
Before opening the shop, Barefoot Mission asked young people in Argentine what kind of business they wanted to see in their neighborhood. A coffee shop made the list. It was a simple request, but one that says quite a bit about who gets access to the small luxuries that make a neighborhood feel whole.
Because a coffee shop is never just a coffee shop.
Sure, we “need” somewhere to spend $7 on a drink with four modifications. But cafés have become our offices, meeting rooms, study halls, first-date locations, and unofficial community centers. They are places to exist outside of home and work without needing much of a reason to be there.
Grounded Sole gives Argentine more of that.
Grounded Sole Coffeehouse // Photo by Tiffany Watts
It also uses the business as a vehicle for something larger, creating opportunities for young people, reinvesting in the surrounding community, and building a space intentionally designed to belong to the neighborhood it serves.
To top it off, my drink was exceptionally delicious.
I ordered a dirty caramel matcha latte with oat milk ($5) because I am currently incapable of walking into a coffee shop and ordering anything else (I promise I’ll switch it up soon. Probably).
The espresso adds a deeper, slightly bitter edge to the matcha’s earthiness, while the oat milk keeps things creamy without turning the whole affair into dessert. Even better, the matcha doesn’t come pre-sweetened or full of dairy, which leaves some room to play. I added sugar-free caramel syrup, and that was the move. Just enough sweetness to make things interesting without completely bulldozing the matcha.
After this visit, consider me a fan of this place. I’m here for their mission and their matcha.
Grounded Sole Coffeehouse is located at 3417 Strong Ave. Kansas City, KS 66106.
Chewology // Photo by Tiffany Watts
My daughter and I have a very sophisticated dining strategy: order several things that sound good, agree that we’re going to share, then quietly keep track of who is eating more of what.
It works.
That strategy recently took us to Chewology, chef Katie Liu-Sung’s Westport restaurant rooted in Taiwanese food and the flavors she grew up eating. The menu lends itself particularly well to our method, with dumplings and small plates practically daring you to order one more thing for the table.
Of course, we obliged.
First up was the Taiwanese fried chicken ($15), made with chicken thigh, sweet potato starch, Thai basil, five spice, and soy. Crisp on the outside, juicy inside, and generously seasoned, it arrived with the kind of crunch that makes conversation briefly unnecessary.
Chewology // Photo by Tiffany Watts
Then came the beef and kimchi dumplings ($16), filled with beef, pork, fermented napa cabbage, sesame oil and chile, and finished with kimchi butter. There is quite a bit happening in these little pockets, and somehow nobody is fighting for attention. They’re savory, funky, and rich, with enough acidity and heat to keep the butter from getting too comfortable.
For our entrée, we split the scallion ginger chicken noodles ($22) with poached chicken breast, egg noodles, bok choy, and a 63-degree egg. It’s a quieter dish than the two that came before it, but not a boring one. The noodles are comforting and savory, with scallion and ginger doing exactly what scallion and ginger have been put on this earth to do.
Chewology // Photo by Tiffany Watts
To drink, we both ordered the Easy Wei mocktail ($7), a combination of hibiscus, green tea, aloe, and honey. It was light and refreshing with just enough sweetness, and an easy pairing with everything happening across the table.
Chewology // Photo by Tiffany Watts
Usually, this is the point where I tell you what I would skip next time. Unfortunately, for the sake of critical tension, Chewology gave me nothing. We loved all of it. No notes. Plates cleared. Mother and daughter satisfied.
The only unresolved matter is who actually ate more of those dumplings.
Chewology is located at 900 Westport Rd. Kansas City, MO 64111.
