Coffee & Treats in Shawnee

The coffee girls' menu lures in Argonauts of the ante meridiem with its siren song of caffeine, smoothies, juices, and breakfast items. The coffee ($1.80 for a 16 oz.) is freshly brewed using beans from local bean baron Broadway Roasting Company and is accompanied by an entourage of caffeine-crowded specialty drinks such as the freeze ($3.95 for a 16 oz.), which icily blends coffee with caramel or chocolate, and the coffee girl ($3.95 for a 16 oz.), which drops a double shot of espresso with vanilla-bean flavoring capped with steamed cream.

Harley, the founder of Strawberry Hill Povitica Company, began baking povitica bread in 1984 using his mother's traditional Slavic recipe. He passed away in 1999, but his children and dedicated bakers continue to prepare the dense, sweet bread following his mother's technique. They roll dough into paper-thin layers, pile on ingredients such as nuts and honey, and roll the layers into loaves that weigh 2.5 pounds each after they're baked. Patrons can choose from Kosher-certified flavors such as english walnut, cokolada, or chocolate-chip cream cheese. The bread can be enjoyed in a variety of ways: toasted and buttered, crowned with a scoop of ice cream, or sandwiched around a whole roasted turkey.

Armed with passed-down family recipes, two tenacious sisters serve up fresh dinner rolls baked on-site alongside sandwiches, salads, and soups that eschew preservatives in favor of all-natural ingredients. Big Momma's famous cinnamon rolls come in a triumvirate of flavors and boast diameters of up to 9 inches, making them qualified Frisbee stunt doubles. An aromatic duo of breakfast sandwiches and coffee pries open eyes each morning, and lunchtime hails a parade of hearty sandwiches with turkey, roast beef, and veggie fillings, which patrons can order solo or flanked by a bowl of the daily rotating soup.

Mike Elder, a Kansas City native and the three-time undefeated champion of TLC's Ultimate Cake Off, founded KC CakeFest to capitalize on the boom in reality cake shows and to generate proceeds for The Whole Person, a nonprofit program dedicated to helping people with disabilities lead independent lives. Attracting talent ranging from Elder's fellow contestants on Ultimate Cake Off to the batter wranglers on Next Great Baker, KC CakeFest's crowning events are its celebrity cake battles, which pit teams of confection architects against one another for the merriment of onlookers and for the judgment of cake expert Leigh Grode. Other attractions include displays by national cake artists and free demos on topics such as how to resist eating a whole cake, cake dives, and cupcake chucks. Furthering revelry, rockabilly band The Rumblejetts will play a live set during each intermission.

Every day, the dairy mavens at Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt churn fresh batches of frozen yogurt to fill their self-serve fountains. Amid the spritely lime-green and burnt-orange parlor, customers fill their bowls or bottomless magician hats with one of a rotating cast of 50 flavors, laying a dulcet foundation for all manner of toppings from the buffet. There, they adorn their creamy rivulets with fresh fruits, nuts, and syrups. Unlike other ice-creameries that try to confuse health-conscious customers by listing nutrition information in arcane units of measurement, such as "a smidge of calories" or "an earful of saturated fat," Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt prominently displays its yogurt’s impressive low-fat, low-sugar stats.

MeMa's Bakery whips up traditional tastes, with sweet treats and lunch items made on-site daily. Named after owner Loraine Waldeck's sister's mother, MeMa's prides itself on being family owned, operated, and oriented. Sink your sweet teeth into a playfully decorated, hand-cookie-cuttered sugar cookie, or one of MeMa's signature pastries, such as the traditional English-walnut povitica ($2.99 per slice), authentic German apple or cherry strudel ($2.49 per slice), or the Chateau Avalon ($3.99)—a giant cinnamon roll that's FDA approved for small and medium people too. MeMa's pastries may be purchased individually or in assorted trays ($16.99–$54.99, depending on tray size and pastry choice).