5 food mashups to sample this summer in the Kansas City area

Crave an adventure? Send your tastebuds on a trip by ordering something that sounds strange but tastes surprisingly delicious. Here are five flavor mashups that you won’t soon forget, from a barbecue sundae to sushi pizza.

Barbecue + Sundae

Lindsay Shannon was traveling in Mississippi when he discovered a drive-in barbecue joint that served ’cue in a paper cup. Later, he introduced the concept at his own restaurant, BB’s Lawnside BBQ, but swapped the paper cup for a mason jar and called it a barbecue sundae.

The sundae layers hickory-smoked pit beans with creamy coleslaw and pulled pork. It does not come with hot fudge and a cherry on top, but it’s drizzled with barbecue sauce and garnished with a pickle spear.

“You can pick it up, walk around the room and eat it,” Shannon says, “but most people dump it on a plate.”

The Instagram-worthy creation costs $8.25 at BB’s Lawnside BBQ, 1205 E. 85th St.

Peanut Butter + Bacon

Peanut butter is a natural match for chocolate or jelly. But bacon?

At New York Dawg Pound, which has locations in Oak Park Mall and at 7702 Shawnee Mission Parkway in Overland Park, you can order a frank slathered with creamy peanut butter and topped with crisp bacon slices. Only Elvis-level peanut butter lovers can appreciate the over-the-top decadence of the Goofy Dawg ($4.25).

New York Dawg Pound also serves deep-fried Twinkies ($2, or $3 for 2) and a tribute to the Kansas City Royals called The Royal Blue. The $5.50 hot dog comes loaded with pulled pork, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, a pickle spear and onion straws.

Fried chicken + Doughnut

Earlier this year, Business Insider named Lawrence the No. 1 “most hungover city in America.”

You can find a whopper of a hangover helper at Harold’s Fried Chicken & Donuts, a fried chicken joint in a gas station at 3300 W. Sixth St. The Grilled Glazer sandwich ($6) squeezes a fried-to-order chicken breast between two halves of a toasted maple doughnut. Cheddar cheese shreds and a secret sauce — buttermilk? ranch? blue cheese? — add an extra layer of richness.

Need a Grilled Glazer to go? Just hit the drive-thru and request extra napkins.

Doughnut + S’More

Tom and Chee has a menu built around grilled cheese, tomato soup and grilled cheese doughnuts — decadent desserts made by melting cheese and other fillings between two halves of an inside-out doughnut until the glaze caramelizes.

Tom and Chee, 14991 W. 119th St. in Olathe, has nine grilled cheese doughnuts to choose from, including Bananarama (caramelized banana and gouda) and strawberry banana (fresh strawberries, lemon mascarpone cheese and mozzarella). Chocolate lovers should go for the S’more ($5.49), filled with graham crackers, chocolate chunks and fluffy marshmallow mascarpone cheese.

Sushi + Pizza

For those rare occasions when you’re craving both Italian and Japanese food, take a road trip to Wa, a sushi restaurant at 740 Massachusetts St. in downtown Lawrence.

In 2009, Wa introduced sushi pizza, a special made by topping a deep-fried rice crust with hunks of fresh avocado, crab meat, salmon, tuna and red snapper. A drizzle of house-made spicy mayo and a sprinkle of sesame seeds finished the shareable dish, which was an instant hit.

Sushi pizza ($16) is now on Wa’s permanent menu. You don’t need chopsticks to eat it: Just grab a slice, dunk a corner in bright green wasabi paste and take a bite. You won’t miss the marinara.

This story was originally published May 18, 2015 at 7:00 AM with the headline "5 food mashups to sample this summer in the Kansas City area."