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Harry’s Home Away From Home

Clinton’s building has the honor of being Harry Truman’s first job, away from the homestead. Actually, back then it was Crown Drug Store, which was a pharmacy and soda fountain. The wood and brick building was built in the 1800’s, and has also been home to a shoe store and jewelry shop. Customers from all around the nation have stopped in to enjoy a refreshing treat, while viewing the historic photographs that decorate the walls.

The menu at Clinton’s includes a wide variety of items. For those looking for a bite to eat, there are a handful of sandwiches available. These can be washed down with your favorite soda or better yet, a phosphate. This bubbly concoction is made with soda water and flavoring, and originated in France toward the end of the 18th century. Clinton’s offers almost a dozen flavors to choose from including my favorite, Black Cherry.

Clinton’s Cold Treats

Let’s be honest with each other. Don’t we really come here for the ice cream treats. Guests can go simple with a dish or cone of their favorite flavor. They offer cake, sugar or waffle cones with single or double scoops. If you prefer you can have a Phosphate Float, which has the unique beverage with a scoop of ice cream. It’s the best of both worlds. Of course, you could also choose Harry Truman’s favorite sweet treat. According to Clinton’s, he was partial to chocolate ice cream with butterscotch topping.

Well now I’ve done It. I brought up the specialty ice cream treats. I guess the only thing to do is carry on down that sugary road. Customers have the choice of a good old Banana Split, which comes with all of the trimmings. We have the tendency to test the specialty sundaes, which include a Grasshopper, Smores, Peanut Butter Hot Fudge or even a Nutty Turtle, which Crystal tried out on our recent visit. I was feeling a little fancier, and chose the Tux, which comes with a scoop each of vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Toss in some marshmallow cream and hot fudge, and you have a delightfully special treat. At the end of our visit, we departed with good memories, full bellies, and a desire for some water. Do you ever have an overwhelming urge for a drink of water after your sugary treats?

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A Pre-visit to Poppy’s

Poppy’s Ice Cream sits just off of the main drag, which is 3rd Street. The steady stream of people with ice cream cones treats highlighted the existence of a shop. It was not difficult to follow the trail to the door. In front of the shop they have a few chairs and tables for customers wishing to enjoy a sunny day. During our visit there was a little nip in the air, so we decided to partake of our purchases indoors. We had planned to visit them later in the evening, but I wanted to get some daylight photos. It also gave me a chance to scope out the variety of sweets they carry. While I clicked away with the camera, Crystal ordered up a hot beverage to keep her fingers warm while we toured the downtown. We walked away knowing that within a few short hours we would be tasting their frosty offerings.

We returned to Poppy’s Ice Cream later in the evening to claim our self-promised rewards. While looking around, I took note of the building interior. Like some of the other buildings in the area, this appears to be an older industrial shop that has been renovated into retail use. The excessively high ceiling is covered in ornate pressed tin tiles. Exposed brick, pipes, and duct-work add to the age-old industrial feel. It certainly gives the place an old-time vibe. Before settling down to a bowl of ice cream, we first like to explore any other options. We noticed a glass display case on the side, and found it contained an assortment of candy treats. These are brought in from Chip’s Chocolate Factory, which is one of our favorite stores in Crown Center. Since we have sampled their wares on multiple occasions, we decided to focus this visit on the colder sweets.

So Many Choices

In the Poppy’s freezer cabinet, we discovered eight flavors of ice cream, and four of sorbet. The flavors rotate, and all are homemade. The menu allows customers to order a variety of frosty delights. These include concretes, shakes, sundaes, and scoops. Banana splits come in normal size, and a special Jungle Split version with eight scoops of ice cream. Talk about the potential for brain freeze. Scoops can come served in bowls or hand rolled waffle cones. The cones can be dipped in chocolate, and topped with sprinkles. For what I thought would just be an ice cream shop, this place takes customer choice to the max. We taste tested a few of the flavors that they had in stock, before finally deciding on our desserts.

We were able to speak with the owner, and discovered that Poppy’s Ice Cream is served in quite a few restaurants in the Kansas City metro. Some of these include; Michael Forbes, Blue Koi, Grand Street Cafe, and Pierpont’s. Since our trip included a myriad of dining and drinking places, we decided to go easy, and just ordered a couple of small sundaes. One was a Slow Sundae, which is topped with hot fudge, caramel, and pecans. The other was a Salty Brownie, which duplicates the other except for the addition of salty caramel. The other difference is that it all rests on top of a delicious brownie. The quality of these treats was superb, and we quickly realized why so many fine dining establishments have sought them out as a supplier. We now have a go to sweets shop whenever we visit downtown Lee’s Summit.

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Their price list at The Upper Crust is fairly straightforward, but on the third Friday Local Life events they offer slices at a three for $7.00 special. Lots of people are familiar with this special, so you will want to get your picks in early. They do start running out of some varieties, as the evening wanes. We have learned that you can purchase your selections, and they will hold them for you until later, but be sure to pick them up before they close.

The experience at The Upper Crust is electric. As you wait in line you find yourself struggling to decide which flavor to try on this visit. Wait a minute! With so many choices how could you settle on just one flavor? We all know that the best things in life, like pie, come in a variety pack. Order up a few flavors, and then share them.

For our choices on this particular visit we picked (from top to bottom) Blackberry, German Chocolate, and Pecan. The fillings were awesome, but the part that separates them from many other pie makers is the crust. So light and crumbly. This place is definitely worth the trip if you are a pie fan, and if you are not they just may make you one. Give The Upper Crust a try on the next third Friday for their three slice offer, but don’t forget to get there early, as they sell out fast. Pie, anyone?

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