day 13: the caffeinated explorer goes to one more cup in waldo

When I was 17, I got a job at the first KC-area drive-thru Starbucks in Olathe, Kansas. On my first day, I discovered the caramel macchiato, which is as much caramel sauce and sugar as it is coffee. Overwhelmed by the deliciousness, I chugged two within 20 minutes, experienced a brief period of elation, and then had to go home early with intestinal distress.

All things considered, my first experience with coffee was like a sloppy, drunk makeout session that blossoms into a mutually-beneficial relationship, and now coffee keeps me from face-planting into my keyboard on a daily basis. 

Almost as much as coffee itself, I love trying new coffee shops, and I'm always on the lookout for ones I haven't been to; hence One More Cup, located along the Waldo strip around 75th and Wornall that looks like it's forever stuck in 1975, but in a good way.

The quaint storefront is the kind of place you drive by day after day and wonder why you never go in. It looks inviting in the same way a small-town diner does; that is, the staff will be friendly and the food will be good, but there will be a cluster of regulars eyeing you suspiciously, wondering why they've never seen you 'round here before.

Inside, the shop is not fancy or pretentious, and the usual coffee shop fare of croissants, muffins, danishes, etc. lines the counters. I am absolutely thrilled to discover they serve my favorite local organic sandwiches from the Nutty Girl and that their Roasterie iced coffee is from concentrate and not simply drip coffee poured over ice; in my mind, that is one of the factors that separates a serious coffee shop from a merely mediocre one.

For those who like their coffee sweet and fancy, they have a variety of creative drinks featuring Shatto milk, including root beer chai and white mocha strawberry.

Strangely enough, the thing that wins me over is the cups. Manufactured by NatureWorks, the cups are made from corn - a sign on the condiment bar warns that they will melt if left in hot cars - and are 100 percent compostable, as are the straws.

Delicious and eco-friendly? I think I may have discovered a new lunchtime retreat.