You Sweet Thing, You . . . André’s and Me

I don’t live too far from André’s Confiserie Suisse which is on Main and 50th Street just off the Plaza. Both bad and good news for me. This family-run establishment, here since 1955, has another location on 119th Street in Overland Park which they’ve called Andre’s Rivaz, which opened in 2002.

While confiserie means a shop selling sweets and confections, André’s has expanded that meaning, believe me. They are especially famous for their truffles and tortes, but there’s so much else, including bars, cookies, chocolate almonds and orange peels, and much, much more. My almost very favorite is the Matterhorn with its creamy inside and dark chocolate coating. One is about two desserts, even if you’re a chocoholic. But, too, the macaroons are a small taste of heaven.

 Andre’s expanded a while back and their lunch menu is eclectic and varied – it’s not just quiche for ladies anymore. . . though quiche is usually a choice every day and they do make the best quiche in K.C. (I buy one when friends stay over, and hide the box.) You can eat there until 9 p.m. six days a week. What’s interesting about their menu is not just the food but the variety – they publish a monthly calendar but there’s not necessarily a pattern, other than there is usually a fish item available on Fridays. And the Café has a happy hour from 7 – 8:30 p.m. with 25% off select menu items and 50% of all wine and beer bottles.

 If you’re looking for a holiday specialty, you have a plethora of choices – from one of their packaged grand cru hot chocolate mixes to almond pinecones to six inch rocher wreaths and gingerbread houses. As I was choosing some sweets to take home yesterday, I thought, “Hmmm . . . their stuff is so good, I may even be compelled to try their holiday fruit cake!”

Andre's

5018 Main 
Kansas City, MO 64112 
Ph. (816) 561-3440 
Just South of the Country Club Plaza

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Lunch at West Side Local

A sunny Saturday afternoon and being only slightly hung-over from what turned into a late night before (PotPie, always good!), I wanted a burger.  It's not that often that I say that. Off we went to Westside Local for their covered patio.  This is not elegance, picnic tables and benches largely dominate, but our wrought iron table on the side was shaded and protected . . . by a large dog of indiscriminate breed.  We didn't know he was protecting us, and everyone else, when a bulldog shouldered by, thereby causing a thunderstorm of barking punctuated by very loud, mostly useless cries of their respective owners to quiet, stop, no, etc.  Whaddya expect, really?

Other than that disruption, the food was good, very good.  One of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in town, hands down. Bill had already started in before I could get my camera out, as you seen in the pic.   My burger came the way I ordered it; fries are great.  Service was OK, but she smiled often.  There were no soft drinks -- soda mechanism had broken down but the waitress did a great thing.  After telling us they weren't available, she brought back my iced tea (see my first line again) and  a limeade and asked if Bill would like that instead. And then she didn't charge for it.  Very nice.  We forgot the dog almost-fight.

The Westside Local

1663 Summit 

Kansas City, MO 64108 
Ph. (816 )997-9089 
On historic Summit overlooking downtown Kansas City
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Let’s Fika

Fika is a verb and a noun, mostly in Sweden but now in Kansas City, too.  It’s pronounced fee-kuh.

 

The easiest explanation is that it’s a coffee break, but not the kind of hurried, stand up and gulp one like we have.  Instead, it means to take a real moment and enjoy your life. With cookies and sweets.  With friends or alone.  It’s basically what we are now calling “mindfulness,” with coffee or tea. 

It’s available at the Krokstrom Klub and Market at 3601 Broadway.  It is, at this restaurant, unequivocally delicious – who knew a plate of four different small cookies and treats could be so good?  In fact, so much so, that my portly companion and I, rather than doing the leisurely thing, started right in on it.  The plate varies from day to day and ours came with apple butter for the almost biscuit which was better than any apple butter I’ve had.  After initial nibbles, we began to savor, slowing our pace a bit.

We tried their church basement coffee, also known as Swedish egg coffee – but rather than 40 cups made in a big canister which needed better flavor, theirs was Broadway Roasting Company coffee made in a French press.  We also, I must admit, tried their kaffeekask, which is rye, Frangelico, coffee liqueur, toddy, with a header of stout on top. 

We proceeded on to wonderful brunch dishes and finished off with their much requested Æbleskiver (able-skeever) which is a somehow fluffy pancake ball, this time made with small apple chunks and served with apple butter, sour cream, and a mapley syrup lightly drizzled.  As a tribute to our taste buds and despite being so full already, we devoured the four of those, too.

Krokstrom Klubb is an excellent dinner choice and has a terrific happy hour from 4 – 6 p.m., during which the aforementioned fika is served. And, not so important but somehow personally satisfying because it’s such a nice custom, I’ve finally found a word besides Topeka that rhymes with my last name! 

So Becicka is again going to fika, that’s for sure.

Krokstrom Klubb and Market

3601 Broadway 
Kansas City, MO 64111 
Ph. (816) 599-7531 
36th and Broadway
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