Date Nights: Exploring the letter U in KC

Do “U” and your loved one need some time together? If so, check out these date ideas.

Unwind and Unplug

Every couple needs some time to unwind and unplug on occasion. We are no exception. So one recent evening, we headed to Back & Bodyworks in the Northland for couples massages. If you can afford it, couples massages are a fun and relaxing way to unwind. Most of us deal with some stress in our day-to-day lives, so a massage is a nice indulgence and a good way to work out the knots and kinks. On another evening, we put our phones away and ventured out for a casual dinner. Unplugging from the phone, computer, TV and other electronic devices is critical to a healthy relationship. My husband and I are both guilty of being on our phones while talking to each other, which results in only half-listening. Putting our phones away for several hours allowed us to just focus on each other and truly be engaged in conversation. We agreed that we needed to do it more often.

Urban Café

Located at 55th & Troost in one of Kansas City’s most up-and-coming neighborhoods is Urban Cafe. We decided to try them out for dinner recently. They were offering their regular menu and their all-day breakfast menu. We started out with the crab cakes and chickpea tacos, both of which were especially tasty. The Sambal yogurt sauce for the crab cakes was a nice touch—just the right amount of spice. For an entree, I had the shrimp wrap, which was very fresh tasting. I especially liked the toasted spinach tortilla wrap. My husband had the urban cheddar burger with bacon. He thoroughly enjoyed it. Delicious potato wedges were served with both of our dishes, and the homemade ketchup to go with them was amazing. This place has a chill vibe and is definitely worth a visit. We would like to go back and try their pancakes and sweet potato parfait.

United 93

I had never seen any movies about 9/11, but I had read from reviews that this was the best of the bunch. And with us coming up on the 20-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks, we thought it seemed like a good time to watch one. The whole first 30 minutes of the movie, I was holding my breath because I knew what was about to happen. What ensued was exactly what you think, but it was so much more emotional than I had prepared for. United 93 tells the story of one of four planes that was hijacked that day, while also providing some coverage of the two that hit the World Trade Center. Thanks to the courageous acts of the passengers on board Flight 93, that terrorist attack was foiled. It’s a sad and heart-wrenching story, as one might expect. But it also shows that there are good people in this world. Those passengers saved many more lives by willingly sacrificing their own.

Hannah Berry is a freelance writer who lives with her husband in Kansas City. They enjoy regular date nights and love trying new restaurants and activities.