KC Sips: Your Weekend Dining Guide

Art by Cassondra Jones

Looking for delicious plans? Whether you want to impress a date, show your fam the best of KC, or just get out of the house, we’ve got you covered… all while supporting local. 

Here is your weekly roundup of the best food and drink offerings around KC. Cheers!

Something New

Kauffman Center for Performing Arts: Make the most of your night at the Kauffman by taking advantage of The Dining Experience: Small Plates, Wine & Cocktail Bar. Pre-show offerings include KC-inspired cocktails, Crab Dip, Brown Butter and Poached Pear Tart, and more. Reservations are encouraged, and you don’t actually need a ticket to a Kauffman show to dine there. Kick off a progressive dinner downtown or to soak in the sights of the city after work.

The Roasterie: In addition to their seasonal coffee blend, Be Mine, The Roasterie has new drinks available at cafes around KC. The “New Year, New Drinks” menu features unique options like Butterscotch Eclair Latte, Citrus Cider, and more. The Be Mine Blend is a medium roast coffee with notes of chocolate, available ground or whole bean. 

Boulevard Quirk: A new variety pack of Quirk Hard Seltzer is available now at many grocery and liquor stores near you! The latest release from Boulevard Brewing Co. includes four decadent flavors inspired by pineapple whip. Peach Apricot Whip, Pineapple Orange Whip, Raspberry Lime Whip, and Strawberry Banana Whip hard seltzers come in cans (and on draft at select establishments) and have the same nutrition profile as previous Quirk flavors—90 calories, gluten-free, and made with real fruit juice.

My favorite is the Peach Apricot Whip—reminiscent of peach ring candy. As an avid Quirk connoisseur, the Whips have dethroned Pineapple Chili and Grapefruit Lime to become my new favorites and earn fridge real estate. These are great on their own as a relatively low-ABV canned seltzer, but they’re also fantastic as a Quirktail when mixed with vanilla vodka and served over ice. 

Wednesday Specials

Since KC Sips goes live on Thursdays, Wednesdays don’t often get their due. Here are a few restaurants that have reliable Wednesday specials: Pierpont’s in Union Station has $1 oysters! The Easy Inn in Strawberry Hill offers three tacos, a beer, and a shot for only $5. Tribe Street Kitchen in River Market has an all-day happy hour with deals like $3 Hamms and $9 nachos.  Blind Box BBQ in Shawnee and inside Nebraska Furniture Mart features four spare ribs for $14 until 3 p.m.

Jan. 19

Strange Days Brewing: At 7 p.m., Strange Days in River Market hosts trivia from Let’s Get Trivial. It is free to participate, and the top three placing teams win prizes. Chilakillers’ food truck will be on-site with chilaquiles, tortas, and more. 

Jan. 20

Splitlog Coffee: Coffee with a dash of competition. Splitlog Coffee in KCK is hosting a Latte Art Throwdown competition for baristas, but anyone is welcome. Attendance is free, and beer and cocktails will be available from Slow Bar and Hillsiders. Competitor registration opens at 6:45 p.m. and costs $5. 

Jan. 21

Betty Rae’s: If you scream for ice cream, you’re in luck. The Betty Rae’s Ice Cream locations in River Market and Waldo reopen at 11 a.m. Expect new flavors and old favorites.

Cafe Cà Phê: Made Mobb in Crossroads is hosting Cafe Cà Phê and others for a Lunar New Year celebration! The free event is from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and features all AAPI vendors, a DJ, face painting, dragon dancing, food, and more.

Plan Ahead

Hera: On January 26, from 7-9 p.m., representatives from Hera and Billie’s Grocery are hosting a Tea House experience at Crossroads Hotel. The Tea House is a workshop-style event focused on intuition and the art of herbalism in an evening of grounding, community, and opportunity for slow ritual.

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