Waldo’s One More Cup puts cool local stuff on plates, too

In the heart of Waldo, the neighborhood’s homey coffeehouse One More Cup (7408 Wornall) is still going strong. And nearly everything available at the eco-friendly shop is made in or near KC. The big names are well-represented: Shatto milk, Roasterie espresso and Louisburg Cider Mill sodas. But the cozy hideout also stocks less obvious (but equally local) café fare – vegan mushroom jerky or margarita-flavored caramels, anyone? It’s worth extending your lunch break a little to taste the following five flavors.

1. Oishii Studio Sweets caramels
The word oishii is Japanese for delicious, and these texturally perfect, chewy-but-not-sticky caramels live up to that billing. The salted-lime version is sweet and tangy like a margarita, with just the right amount of sea salt to create a rich, surprising flavor. Just don’t eat the whole bag – a little goes a long way.

2. Fresher Than Fresh Snow Pops
Made with all-natural, house-made syrups, these icy treats aren’t like the neon, freezer-burned ice pops of your youth. They come in sophisticated, unexpected flavors, such as lemon prickly pear and pineapple serrano pepper. But they’re still best enjoyed with your shoes off and your feet in a patch of soft green grass.

3. Rawxies cookies
Rawxies’ soft, chewy, guilt-free cookies are part energy bar, part dessert – or, as the company’s website says, “snacks made without crap.” Instead of artificial sweeteners, they contain wild-crafted vanilla and palm sugar. They’re also vegan, gluten-free and raw, satisfying multiple dietary restrictions in one adorably heart-shaped bite.

4. Mean Vegan portobello jerky
Why should carnivores have all the fun? Mean Vegan’s “Funguy” jerky is made with dehydrated portobello mushrooms – the steak of the fungus world. It comes in two flavors: sweet and spicy or mellow and smoky. Made with soy sauce, molasses and apple-cider vinegar, the latter variety is salty, savory and chewy, just as jerky should be.

5. Nutty Girl sandwiches
An oldie but a goodie, Nutty Girl has been peddling organic sandwiches at various KC locations for more than a decade. The eponymous Nutty Girl might still be the best: cashew butter, Granny Smith apples, carrots and cheddar on cinnamon-raisin bread. It’s like eating lunch and dessert at the same time.