Livin' La Vida Local, no. 1: Little Freshie

Known for its many fountains, a ridiculous number of barbecue restaurants, stellar live jazz and blues, and a well-established art scene, Kansas City, Missouri, provides plenty to experience. I thoroughly enjoy livin' la vida local in the Flyover Zone. Join me as I explore new finds and old faves in this big small town I call home.

Left: Outside Little Freshie. Right: Don't you just love those striped straws!?

My friend Kate suggested we go to Little Freshie last Saturday night, and I am so glad she did. Before we left, I knew it was the perfect place to feature in the debut of my new blog series, Livin' La Vida Local. Nestled beside Füd on West 17th St., this li'l sweetheart of a soda fountain offers handcrafted sodas and snow cones, as well as locally sourced coffees, cookies, macorons (not to be confused with macaroons), and a few well-made gift items. Little Freshie has been located at its storefront on the Westside since May of 2012. If you haven't been there yet, I recommend a visit ASAP.

Lindsay Laricks, creator of Little Freshie, was kind enough to let me photograph her as she crafted a soda.

A couple years ago, Lindsay Laricks, owner of Little Freshie and mastermind behind her establishment's sophisticated soda syrups, began serving snow cones from a Shasta trailer on a whim. Her business Fresher Than Fresh Snow Cones gained a loyal following, and she decided to devote herself full time to her new craft. Kate and I admire Laricks' gumption; she said she was just crazy enough to quit her day job and go for it. Laricks admitted leaving her longtime career in graphic design was the most frightening part of growing her business. 

The pay-off that resulted from confronting her fear was clear in the smile on Laricks' face Saturday night as she talked about her brand new brick-and-mortar shop and shared her ideas for upcoming products. She mixed innovative flavors into seltzer water and ice with confidence and chatted up the clientele with ease. Her new vocation clearly suits her, and Little Freshie fits snugly into its neighborhood.

Not only that, but Little Freshie also had a steady stream of customers on Saturday night, including us. Kate tried a grape and orange blossom soda, and blackberry lavender was my soda of choice. My drink was delicate, fragrant and just a tad bitter, and I enjoyed every last slurp. Speaking of slurps, the striped paper straws offered an unfamiliar sensory experience. But look at how cute they are!

Perfect pairing: handcrafted slippers and sodas, from Fervere and Little Freshie, respectively.*

Adding to our delight, the nearby bakery Fervere had a Saturday night special going on. It was selling individual-sized bread "slippers" slathered with a variety of toppings. Because Fervere doesn't have seating, several area restaurants welcomed those eating slippers into their establishments for seats and drinks. Fancy sodas and refined yeasty goodness suited us perfectly. Kate's slipper was spread with onions, mushrooms, gorgonzola and provolone, and she said it might be the most delicious thing she had ever eaten. I agreed with a sigh, as I bit into my cheese and egg topped slipper. Mmm, paradise chased by a swig of heaven.

A closeup of my egg and cheese slipper. ::sigh::

Thanks again, Lindsay, for your generosity! And expect to hear more about Fervere at some point... What local establishments, events, movers and/or shakers are you keen on these days?

Alison :)

*Thanks, Kate, for capturing our food from this angle.