ICE CREAM
Sylas and Maddy’s:
You will have been there if you’ve ever been downtown. Sylas and Maddy’s is one of the defining stores of Downtown Lawrence. If you have ever walked past Sylas and Maddy’s and not gone inside to try out any of their 150 different ice cream flavors or any of their fudges you are not a true Lawrencian.
Located at 1014 Massachusetts Street, Sylas and Maddy’s is easily found by the long line of people filing out of the store. Usually there is a huge line that is almost leading out the door and you can always smell them baking the new cones. They offer a wide variety of styles of ice cream. Craving a chocolate covered cone? Don’t worry, they’ve got it. Would you rather have a chocolate covered bowl? They’ve got that too. Neither of those interest you? Try out a banana split, or a piece of fudge. They’ve got it all.
Have you ever been downtown with your mom during Mother’s Day or your dad during Father’s Day? Stop by Sylas and Maddy’s, on special occasions your deserving parents get free ice creams. Who knows, maybe that special gift will make them more generous and they’ll buy you an ice cream cone to enjoy.
Coldstone Creamery:
Coldstone Creamery uses the slogan ‘The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience’ and I have to say that is pretty accurate. Instead of just scooping the ice cream into the usual cone and handing it over, the ‘ice cream artists’ (as they like to call themselves) mix all kinds of toppings into your ice cream using their hands and a granite slab.
Coldstone was started about 20 years ago by Donald and Susan Sutherland. They opened the first Coldstone Creamery in Tempe, Arizona. Now you can easily find one all over the country and in Canada.
Coldstone Creamery offers not only the usual ice cream cone but also a wide selection of ice cream cakes, smoothies, cupcakes, ice cream cookie sandwhiches, shakes, iced coffee and blended coffee. You can find the Lawrence Coldstone at 647 Massachusetts.
BOOKSTORE
Dusty Bookshelf:
Borders is gone but with bookshops like Dusty Bookshelf in downtown Lawrence or in Aggieville down in Wildcat country that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The books aren’t as new as the ones sold in Hastings or in Barnes and Noble but that’s ok. I don’t find books as good if they aren’t already gently used and that’s exactly how the books in Dusty Bookshelf are.
Shopping for books in the Dusty Bookshelf is always an adventure. You might pull out an old Nancy Drew book and find a cheesy inscription on the front cover; “To Sally: Achieve your dream!” that makes you smile or maybe you’ll find an old ticket stub from a concert at the Granada. Things like that will make you feel more connected with the people around you, which would hardly ever happen in massive stores like Barnes and Noble.
Another major plus is the cat who is always curled up in a green chair in the Animals and Pets section. Her name is Alice and she came to the Lawrence Dusty Bookshelf as a stray in 1999. Give her a pat while you’re looking, maybe she’ll come sit with you while you flip through a particularly interesting book.
Hastings:
There are no cats to be found here. Which, for you dog lovers out there, might be a major plus. Hastings does have a lot to offer even if it doesn’t involve curling up in a chair with a book and a cat.
One of the major differences between Hastings and The Dusty Bookshelf is what the two bookstores have to offer. While The Dusty Bookshelf has interesting gently used books and a cat, Hastings offers a vast collection of books, DVDs, CDs and video games. They also have a coffee shop built straight into the store just in case you ever get thirsty while you’re choosing between books.
The Hastings in Lawrence is located at 1900 W. 23rd Street. It’s right behind Freddy’s so you can’t miss it.
BARBEQUE
Bigg’s Barbeque:
This restaurant is locally owned by the family of our very own Seth Holiday. They’ve got the best burnt ends in town and there’s always a game of some sort broadcast on the giant televisions decorating the dining room.
Bigg’s is also available for catering If you’re ever throwing a party and want to have the authentic taste of Lawrence barbeque you should definitely give them a call. Also, if you don’t want the whole meal, Bigg’s does sell the sauces that they use on their delicious ribs so it would be easy to make your own Bigg’s ribbs.
Bigg’s Barbeque is located at 2429 Iowa Street near Paisano’s Ristorante. Don’t be afraid to stop by, you won’t be disappointed if you do.
Famous Dave’s:
You might have passed Famous Dave’s on your way to school. It’s in the building that once used to house Hereford House. Let’s be honest here, its no Bigg’s Barbeque but it does have its own unique flavor.
I was born in the south so I spent the first four years of my life eating authentic southern food. When we moved it became really tough to find good authentic tasting southern food in a midwestern state like Kansas. Famous Dave’s is as close as you can get when it comes to Southern food. They serve every meal with a cornbread muffin and everything is smothered in Barbecue sauce. The only thing they lack is sweet tea.
You can find Famous Dave’s in 37 different states including Hawaii. Kansas alone has five locations so if you ever have a Famous Dave’s craving chances are there is one nearby.
