Openers

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Farmers Market Season

What is your favorite farmer’s market? What smaller farmer’s market deserves more customers and visitors? What are your favorite farmer’s market memories and finds? I’d love to hear your stories.

This year, I’ve only managed to visit one market briefly, the one in downtown Overland Park. I’m hoping to visit more markets this summer, score some good food, and take lots of photos. I have a craving for fresh corn and watermelon radishes. My favorite market is the one in the City Market, but the ones in Brookside and Overland Park are excellent.

My favorite farmers market memories range from viewing the eclipse a few years ago at the City Market and buying fresh cheese curds from the cheese curd lady at the market in Madison, Wisconsin.

I was lucky during the early 1990s to live a few blocks from the weekly farmer’s market in downtown Madison, Wisconsin. While in grad school at the UW-Madison, I’d buy fresh vegetables at the market for my housing co-op (which turns 50 this year). A few years later, I’d buy those fresh cheese curds (so fresh they squeak!) and fresh pesto. The downtown farmer’s market in Madison circled the square around the State Capitol. A scenic venue in an accessible format with the streets shut down.

In the later 1990s,I lived in the Washington, DC area. Supposedly, Washington leads the country in farmer’s markets per capita, but I suspect this is a recent development, because I don’t recall many existing back in the 1990s. I went to the one in Eastern Market several times, but that location was out of the way even when it was on the Metro line.

In my opinion, Kansas City enjoys an excellent farmer’s market culture. There are markets available around the metro and the proximity of so many local farms provides lots of selection when it comes to fresh local produce.

I’m working on a Farmer’s Market directory on the website. Please send me info about new markets and your thoughts about our local farmer market scene.

New at the website! Kansas City Farmer’s Markets

First Looks: Clock Tower Bakery & Cafe

First Looks is a shorter review for the newsletter. A longer version will eventually be published on my website (often with updates).

I have seen almost every episode of the Great British Baking Show and have watched plenty of other cooking shows based in the U.K. I know how special it is for a contestant to get “the hand shake” from Paul Hollywood. I’ve also been keeping a list of bakeries around Kansas City that I’d like to try and later review. Banksia, the Australian-focused bakery has been on my list for years, but I just missed experiencing their baked goods a few months ago when I got there just as they were closing.

About a month ago, I learned that a British bakery existed in downtown Overland Park. Clock Tower Bakery & Cafe went on my list and a few weeks ago, I got to sample their food with my Youth Review Crew. We visited Clock Tower on a Saturday, the same weekend at The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend. The Overland Park Farmers Market was also happening around the corner, so that crowd was keeping the bakery busy.

My Youth Review Crew had some takes on the baked goodies and the vibe of Clock Tower Bakery. We sampled a chocolate eclair and a chocolate cupcake with buttercream frosting.

“Queen Elizabeth was there in cutout form. There was a large arrangement of desserts. There was coffee and tea. Their cupcakes are very yummy. Actual buttercream icing and not sugar sludge icing. They have tea time.”

“There was a large amount of unique desserts you don’t see in the USA. Lots of decorations. Liked the atmosphere. Cool that they have a tea service.”

“The eclair was good. I wasn’t expecting to have it chilled. It wasn’t like a long john. The eclair is not as fluffy as the long john. But it is crunchy. Like an ice cream treat. Like a long john, but very good.”

I sampled the chocolate eclair. It was delicious, reminded me of eating one of those vanilla ice cream bars with the chocolate shells. I was also curious to try the eclair, because when I told some British friends about the bakery and what it offers, turns out that the Brits like to argue over what word they use for eclairs. Evidently, there are a bunch of regional variations.

Clock Tower Bakery has an Afternoon Tea on Tuesdays through Saturdays. Reservations are required. Great for groups. A more scaled back English Cream Tea special is available that includes “two freshly baked English Scones, clotted cream, and homemade jam served with a pot of tea of your choice.” Reservation also required for this special.

Daily bakery items include cupcakes, croissants, coffee and walnut flavored cake, scones, macarons, muffins, bread, Cranberry Walnut Braids, and more. Custom cakes can also be ordered.

7911 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS 66204
http://www.clocktowerbakery.com/

New at the Chuck Eats KC Website

• Food Trucks Guide
• Ultimate Guide to Restaurants in Overland Park, Kansas
• West 39th Street: A Dining Guide
• Guide to Lee’s Summit Restaurants

Chuck Eats KC Podcast Coming Soon

This blog and newsletter will be joined by a podcast soon! That’s right, expect restaurant reviews, food talk and interviews in the podcast. There are lots of amazing people around Kansas City doing fun things with food, so let’s talk to them!

Openings, Closings, Good Byes and Coming Soon

• Elotes Las Regias KCK opened recently at 1400 South 42nd Street in Kansas City, Kansas.
• Bella B’s Kitchen has opened in Raytown. Comfort food, breakfast all day, and more at 6225 Blue Ridge Boulevard. (816) 715 - 8796
• Queen Priscilla’s on West 39th Street has closed.
• Annedore’s Fine Chocolates is planning to open a new location soon on Johnson Drive in Shawnee.
• Roots Seasonal Cuisine has opened at 940 NW Pryor Road Suite M in Lees Summit, Missouri. (816-205-4746, info@rootsseasonalcuisine.com)

Photo of the Week

Upcoming Events

June 26 (2 PM – 6 PM) ~ 2022 Tamale Fest. 1701 Jarboe St, Kansas City, MO 64108-1179. Event by Mattie Rhodes Center and Tamaleon KC.

July 15 ~ Plant Based Junk Food in KC. Cinder Block Brewery. 110 E 18th Ave North Kansas City, MO 64116.

July 30 ~ Backyard BBQ Party at Zona Rosa. Event by KC Crew, Zona Rosa and The Strawberry Swing Indie Craft Fair.

Support Us Via Ko-Fi

You can support this project on Ko-Fi. We are developing a podcast, scheduled to debut in 2022, so any help is appreciated. This is an independent review project. We take nothing in exchange from local restaurants, so everything comes out of our own pockets.

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