For five decades, locals and frequent visitors have known the Hanover Pancake House is a great place to order breakfast options that include large buttermilk pancakes or sausage gravy paired with fluffy biscuits. Feeling more adventurous? Order a plate of Berry Blend French Toast, served with bacon, Corned Beef Hash Benedict – served on a grilled English muffin and then topped with two poached eggs...

If great cocktails are a ‘must’ list then you’ll love options at 715 Mass, such as a classic barrel-aged Manhattan or a Green Line – with vodka, honey, mint, cucumber, Serrano and lime. There’s always a seasonal cocktail selection too. Dine amid tall ceilings and stylish pendant lights, with natural stone and wood walls plus plenty of wood décor, or sit at the counter...

More than three decades after it opened Botanica Wichita fills nearly 10 acres full of rolling hills, forested glens and numerous water features with beautiful themed gardens. Established near the Arkansas River, Botanica’s gardens range from traditional Chinese architecture, art and cultural elements, in the Chinese Garden of Friendship, to the Butterfly Garden – whose nectar-rich plantings attract, retain and encourage visits from native and other...

Featuring a menu that was ‘re-imagined,’ in 2014, della Voce retains a very sophisticated and modern ambiance coupled with white linens that is reminiscent of much larger cities – especially by candlelight. Dip polenta bites into spicy marinara or savor calamari fries for a classy appetizer. Then follow up with entrees that include braised beef and portabella ravioli, as well as spicy shrimp risotto diavolo,...

It’s great fun to watch employees at Free State Brewing Company craft new brews amid  14 spotless stainless steel tanks while savoring black bean quesadillas, Sonoma Shrimp Fettuccine or Chicken or Crawfish Gumbo. Pair your meal with renowned flagship beers that include Ad Astra Pale Ale or Wheat State Golden as well as Oatmeal Stout and Copperhead Pale Ale. With seasonal beers and several small...

Wine lovers appreciate the list and wall of more than 800 wines recognized by Wine Spectator, at 4 Olives Restaurant and Wine Bar. There are also more than 500 varieties of spirit and 60 beers available. But that’s only the beginning.  Contemporary flavor profiles and beautifully plated dishes reflect chef/owner, Scott Benjamin’s two decades of experience in the restaurant and beverage industries. Located inside the historic,...

At Genovese Italian Restaurant you’ll find Northern Italian cuisine made with local ingredients whenever possible. Gnocchi arrives in slow-roasted pork ragu, tender lamb shank tops creamy mascarpone, and risotto au gratin complements fresh scallops, while lobster and crab ravioli with saffron cream sauce is the ultimate decadent dish. There’s an extensive hot and cold antipasti menu and you can build your own pizza or order a...

Large dioramas that depict Kansas wildlife are only a small part of the environmental education available inside the attractive and inviting Great Plains Nature Center. While here visitors can learn about prairie dogs and buffalo and they also can compare their hand size to that of various animal tracks. Additional exhibits provide information about Kansas wetlands and woodlands and much more. During the peak growing season, hike...

You can almost imagine ladies in flapper dresses and men wearing dapper suits, amid the 1920s ambiance of Harry’s Fine Dining. For more than 25 years, this Manhattan favorite has served upscale food inside a lovingly restored downtown building that once housed the legendary Wareham Hotel. Today, its brass and glass chandeliers and dark paint and floral wallpaper complement antique molding. But this cuisine reflects...

It has been almost 70 years since Porubsky’s Deli opened. Today it lies at the end of a winding road, which leads over a bridge and then directly into Topeka’s Little Russia district. Seasonal spicy chili is a staple, as is ham salad flavored with a generous helping of relish. Lovers of all things spicy will appreciate ultra-hot house-made pickles and the deli counter is...

Located at the shore and intersection of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers, the stunning Keeper of the Plains statue stands 44-feet-tall. Commemorating the United States Bicentennial, this impressive figure also honors the Great Spirit revered by tribal peoples. Sage and cacti, medicinal herbs and prairie grasses enhance and beautify the area while paying homage to Native American culture. Renowned Native American artist, Blackbear Bosin,...

Candied bacon, white American cheese, raspberry chili sauce and spice peanut butter dress a cult favorite Raspberry Beret Burger at Kite’s Bar and Grill.  It’s only one inventive dish available at this eatery; or if you prefer your beef with potatoes, and seafood, check out the Bourbon Street Steak and Shrimp plate. Kite’s offers an enormous array of appetizers, burgers and sandwiches as well as...

Featuring Mexican and Central and South American cuisine, La Parilla opened here in 1999; a second location operates in Olathe, Kan. A gas grill, flat top and al pastor grill turn out traditional tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas and much more, amid bright colors and mosaic, as well as Latin American décor and framed photographs. This is a great place to try yuca frita appetizers, or...

Located along Lawrence’s iconic Massachusetts Street, Limestone Pizza Kitchen & Bar is a favorite hangout for University of Kansas students and locals, alike. Locally owned, and with a wood-fired oven named Maggie, this popular eater also makes their own mozzarella and pickles, as well as smoked pastrami. And their ‘Neoprairie Pizzas’ – modeled after classic Neopolitan pies – just wouldn’t be the same, if not...

There are five guest rooms with two-person Jacuzzis, at Morning Star Bed and Breakfast, a downtown B & B. This lovely 1902 downtown bungalow with a broad front porch lies amid the Houston and Pierre Street Historical District.  Meticulously maintained original woodwork and a tile fireplace complement oak and leather furnishings as well as all-cotton linens atop old-fashioned beds. House dogs, Ginger and Abbey...

There’s no charge to visit one of the state’s most impressive locally-owned museums, Smoky Hill Museum Smoky Hill Museum. A nationally accredited regional history museum, the facility is beautifully designed and highly educational. There are instructions on how to build a log cabin or tepee, and an old-fashioned mercantile whose shelves are stocked from floor to ceiling. Because the Smoky...

Fried okra becomes gourmet fare at Terrebonne Café Cajun & Creole Restaurant, a delicious Vermont Street destination that’s full of Louisiana favorites and bright colors. You’ll find terrific gumbo here, as well as classic muffuletta sandwiches, red beans and rice, or their legendary Cajun Po’ Boys. Or take a walk on the wild side with a Cajun Corndog – Andouille sausage wrapped in hushpuppy batter. If you’re...

It would be hard to miss the bright green window frame paint and patio umbrellas accentuating the otherwise imposing limestone building that houses Merchants Pub & Plate. The two-story restaurant retains original architectural details inside this one-time bank building, which has quickly become a local dining favorite that also serves quality draft beer from a 30-tap system. Not a beer drinker? Check out a huge selection of...

Your history lesson begins upon encountering several, re-constructed  dinosaur skeletons near the exhibits entrance at Museum of World Treasures. At an astounding 38 feet and nine inches long, ‘Ivan the T. rex’ has been a wildly popular museum fixture since 2007. In addition, there’s a nearby 4.5-ton piece of the Berlin Wall, on loan from the American Overseas Schools Historical Society, whose archives are in...

Return to historic Wichita, between 1865 and 1880, when you explore Old Cowtown Museum. With a vintage boardwalk, and a historic village that encompasses dozens of buildings, the complex has an ‘Old West’ ambiance. While many structures are original, others were relocated here, from historic sites throughout Wichita and the state of Kansas and still others are reproductions. The old-fashioned Southern Hotel, and a family...