Is the cold weather giving you cabin fever? Had enough of your kids playing video games? Then turn off the tube, and go explore someone else’s kitchen. Local eateries Maggie Moo’s, Lou’s Pizza Pie, and Gibson’s Donuts all offer a behind-the-scenes look at what they do. So if you want to learn how to make (and enjoy) some yummy treats, keep reading.

SCOOP IT UP

Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream & Treatery offers tours of their stores (Peabody Place & Collierville) to groups of six or more for $5 per person. I rounded up a few friends and their kids and we took a tour of Maggie Moo’s in Peabody Place one Monday evening. Velma Bobo, franchisee of both Memphis locations, greeted us warmly and had several staff members, including Maggie Moo herself, on hand for the tour. Velma gave us an overview of the store and its offerings, then put aprons on the kids and instructed them to go behind the counter and wash up.

Jessica Bobo, Velma’s daughter and the store manager, corralled the kids at the waffle iron and taught everyone how to make a waffle cone. The kids actually got to roll the cones themselves, which was great.        Next, the kids helped pour the mix into the ice cream maker. While the machine did its work, each kid got to scoop out his or her very own ice cream — any flavor. They dutifully lined up and took turns, and then ran around to the tables to paint their faces blue. As they were finishing up, Velma announced, “The ice cream is ready!” Everyone rushed to watch as the sweet treat oozed out of the machine. The kids then took turns guiding it into gallon containers and fluffing it up.

I thought that would be the end of the tour, but Jessica led the kids back behind the counter to help her decorate a cake. The older ones got a kick out of using the airbrush. The tour officially ended with everyone getting another scoop of ice cream. Two ice creams in one day — the kids were ecstatic. Our group included children ages 2 to 12 and every one of them enjoyed this experience.

• Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream & Treatery, 150 Peabody Place, Suite 114, 522-1912, and 1010 W. Poplar Ave. Collierville, 861-6240. maggiemoos.com

ROLL IT OUT

Lou’s Pizza Pie asks, “Who can take the sunshine — and cover it with dough?” The answer: Your children! Cooper Young pizzeria owner Lou Savarin offers lessons in pizza cookery on the first Saturday of each month from 1 to 4 p.m. The class is geared for kids ages 5 to 10. Just call the restaurant one week in advance and order a large pizza for your child. Each class lasts about an hour and the kids, clad in long, white aprons, get to stretch and roll their own dough, load up their pizzas with toppings and sauce, and then watch as the pies are slid into the oven. Once cooked to perfection, everyone gathers around to enjoy their creations.

While my kids have helped me make pizza at home, the experience of doing it with a chef in his restaurant was way more exciting. My 6-year-old was beaming the whole time, and once he had a bite of his own work, he was very pleased with himself.

Lou, who has 13 grandchildren, is generous with the kids and keeps everyone laughing. “You’re doing great,” he said to my son, “but you’re going to have to work a lot faster when you start working here.” The kids receive a personalized Certificate of Merit for their efforts, and a picture with Lou for his website. The pizza class is a great way to turn a Saturday lunch into something really special. Lou prefers teaching two kids at a time, but will allow for three if you ask nicely.

• Lou’s Pizza Pie, 2158 Young Ave., 722-4031 • louspizzapie.com

SPRINKLE IT ON

My kids aren’t early risers, so getting them awake enough to see how doughnuts are made at Gibson’s Donuts was a bit of a struggle. However, judging by the long line of parents and kids under 6, plenty of early birds want to sneak a peek into this kitchen. Once my kids had a chocolate-sprinkled doughnut and a bottle of juice though, their sleepy faces became animated and they soon had a spring in their step.
When the line thinned a bit, we asked store owner Don DeWeese if we could watch the doughnut-making process. He gladly obliged and several kids filed into the kitchen. DeWeese enthusiastically showed them the giant mixer, the mounds of rising dough, the giant vat of oil used to fry doughnuts, and best of all, where the chocolate and sprinkles come from. The kids all got to hold a little bit of dough and learn about yeast’s amazing powers. None realized the doughnuts started out flat or that they were fried, so they definitely came away with some new knowledge, even if they didn’t get any hands-on experience. (There was a bit of hands-on experience for the adults — DeWeese likes to keep his regulars on their toes by throwing doughnuts to them across the store with little warning.)
Gibson’s Donuts is open 24/7, 364 days a year (they close on Christmas Eve afternoon), but the best time to catch the action is Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8 to 10 a.m. Gibson’s also has a thriving birthday party scene on Saturdays. Customers who call ahead can have a “Texas Donut” — one the size of a birthday cake — specially prepared for early morning revelers to enjoy.
•  Gibson’s Donuts, 760 Mount Moriah Rd., 682-8200                                    

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 1st, 2009 at 12:00 pm and is filed under 3-5, Activities, Food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.