Cook together → Eat what you made

Cost for two: ~$140 (about $69 each for the 2-hour adult class; confirm on the live calendar) plus whatever BYOB you bring

Attire: Casual clothes you can cook in. Closed-toe shoes are smart.

THE PLAN

Class — Taste Buds Kitchen, 6265 Lewis Street, Ste 101, Parkville, MO 64152.
Hands-on adult class / date night. You cook a multi-course menu from scratch with chef instructors, then eat it. No experience needed. 18+.

BYOB beer, wine, or bubbly. No liquor. They’ve got glasses and openers.

Book at tastebudskitchen.com/parkville (Adult Classes & Date Nights). Check the calendar for menus and times. They run events seven days a week. About two hours. Show up on time (check-in about 10 minutes early). More than 15 minutes late and they may turn you away.

Sales are final. You can reschedule up to 5 days before. Nut-free kitchen. Gluten-free and dairy/egg-free menus when they say so on the listing. They won’t tweak individual recipes.

Call them at (816) 226-8830 with questions.

LOGISTICS

Parking: At the shopping center / studio.

Reservations: Book the class online ahead of time. Don’t walk in.

Personal pizza → Free streetcar → Missouri River

Cost for two: ~$15–25 for pizza + drink specials and free transit

Attire: Casual

THE PLAN

Pickup — Pizza Shuttle, 1801 Baltimore Ave, Kansas City, MO 64108
Walk-in personal pizza spot in the Crossroads. Get the personal pizza + drink special if it’s running — 10-inch pie that’s actually enough food, boxed for the ride. Specialty pies run more. Grab napkins. You’re not eating here.

Ride — KC Streetcar (free)
Board near the Main/Baltimore corridor and ride north through downtown / River Market to the Berkley Riverfront stop (end of the line by CPKC Pavilion). Comes about every 10–15 min. Google maps will give you easy instructions to get there. Pizza boxes are fine. Short hop.

Picnic — Berkley Riverfront Park
Find a picnic table with a river view, or throw down a blanket if tables are taken. Early evening / sunset is the move, the sun setting on the river never gets old. Skip this idea during match days at CPKC Stadium — it gets loud and crowded.

LOGISTICS

Parking: Park once in the Crossroads near Pizza Shuttle if you’re driving; streetcar does the rest. Or skip the car entirely if you’re already downtown.

Walking / transit: Pizza Shuttle → streetcar stop is a short walk. Streetcar to riverfront. Paths around the park are walkable after you eat.

Reservations: None. Walk-in at Pizza Shuttle. Streetcar and park are free.

Hours to watch: Streetcar runs ~5am–midnight Sun–Thu, ~5am–1am Fri–Sat. Pizza Shuttle is open till midnight.

Attire: Casual. Morning layers if you’re early.

THE PLAN

Pastries — Blackhole Bakery, 5531 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110
Scratch French pastries, mochi donuts, coffee. First-come, and they sell out — go early. Grab boxes to go. The mochi donuts are LIFE CHANGING.

Wed–Fri 7 am–2 pm · Sat–Sun 8 am–2 pm · closed Mon–Tue.

Stroll — Kauffman Legacy Park, ~5 min drive, 4750 Troost Ave (near Cleaver & Troost)
Free paved lake loop, about a mile, easy 15–20 min. Dogs on leash. Daylight on the grounds. Optional add-on: Kauffman Memorial Garden nearby.

LOGISTICS

Reservations: None. Bakery is walk-in and sells out. Parking is free.

Hours to watch: Bakery closes at 2 — don’t sleep in. Park is a daytime date. Bakery’s closed Monday and Tuesday.

Custard → Front patio

Cost for two: ~$10–25 for scoops or a pint to share

Attire: Casual

THE PLAN

Custard — French Custard, 5905 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64113
Scratch French-style custard, rotating flavors (Honeycomb, Gooey Butter Cake, Biscoff Blastoff, Malted Fudge Cookie Dough). Grab scoops or a pint. The gooey butter cake is to die for. Seating’s limited inside; there is also a patio out front weather permitting.

Often open ~12–9 Sun–Thu, ~12–10 Fri–Sat (confirm before you go).

Optional: dinner somewhere else in Brookside first if you want a longer night. This stop is the dessert, not the whole evening unless you want it to be.

LOGISTICS

Parking: Small lot plus street nearby.

Reservations: None. Walk-in.

Candlelit French dinner

Cost for two: ~$120–200+ before tip (apps ~$10–32, entrees ~$22–68, depends on courses and wine)

Attire: Smart-casual to dressy. Dress up a little.

THE PLAN

Dinner — Le Fou Frog, 400 E 5th St, Kansas City, MO
Classic French bistro since 1996. Candlelit, intimate banquettes, chalkboard specials. Order the Filet le Fou (Filet with lobster). That’s the whole point of dressing up.

Call (816) 474-6060 and book ahead for the weekend, or reserve through their link on google maps. Last seating is about 30 minutes before close. Want the patio? Be sure to let them know when making your reservation.

Tue–Thu & Sun 5–9 pm · Fri–Sat 5–10 pm · closed Mon.

LOGISTICS

Parking: Street and lots in the River Market. Streetcar’s nearby if you want to skip driving.

Reservations: Call ahead for weekends. Don’t wing it Friday or Saturday.

Hours to watch: Sunday wraps at 9. Friday and Saturday go till 10.

Reservations → Wood-fired steaks and seafood

Cost for two: ~$150–250+ before tip (steaks ~$38–68 with two sides, crab cakes ~$24)

Attire: Upscale-casual. Dress up a little.

THE PLAN

Dinner — J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood, 8901 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS 66212
Dim, cozy steakhouse with a fireplace vibe. Wood-fired steaks and seafood. Live acoustic some nights. This is the south-metro dress-up dinner when you don’t want to drive downtown.

You should try the jumbo lump crab cakes, they won’t disappoint.

Book on OpenTable. Call (913) 642-8070 if you need the phone.

Sun–Thu 4–9 pm · Fri–Sat 4–10 pm. Happy hour Sun–Fri 4–6:30 at the bar.

LOGISTICS

Parking: Lot at the restaurant.

Reservations: OpenTable, especially weekends. Don’t wing Friday or Saturday.

Hours to watch: Sunday wraps at 9. Friday and Saturday go till 10.