Best Juice

Driving east from State Line on 39th Street, it's hard to miss the giant carrot on the façade of The Nutty Girl, which bills itself as a café, micro-juicery, and smoothie bar. That's the first clue to the kitschy, 1970s coziness you'll find inside -- small wooden tables, lots of plants, and polka-dot glasses. But the real charm of the place is in its juice. The high-powered juicers are always whirring, turning fresh fruits and veggies into nutrient- and enzyme-rich cocktails. Owner Barb Racine recommends the Ruby Slipper for newbies (red apple, orange, spinach, beet, ginger, and lemon) and The Serge, a very "intense" juice, for hardcore juicers (carrot, spinach, beet, apple, ginger, and garlic). The limeade (apple and lime) pairs nicely with the mostly vegetarian sandwiches, such as the Westport Pesto (pesto, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and spinach on sourdough) or the Sushi Burrito (a veggie sushi roll filled with avocado, carrots, cucumber, asparagus, and rice, served with wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce). The Nutty Girl also sells a variety of smoothies, with spirulina, protein powder, bee pollen, wheat germ, echinacea, flax seed oil, or other extras for a nutritious boost. Racine, who bought the restaurant after she had lunch there and "fell in love with it," says the place fills a niche in Kansas City. "We attempt to bring healthy alternatives to fast food," she says.