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Wichita is still coming down from that Harrison Ford high

Shawny Montgomery

Wichita is still coming down from the excitement of actor Harrison Ford being in town for his annual visit. In case you missed it, Ford comes every spring for Flight Safety training, and this time, he was in Wichita for four days. The 81-year-old star and private pilot had breakfast at the downtown HomeGrown three times. He had dinner at Scotch & Sirloin and at Lotte. And before jetting out of Wichita on a United Flight last Thursday, he reportedly enjoyed a late lunch at Eisenhower Airport. Ford’s visits always get Wichita buzzing. I like to let people know where he’s been -- not where he is at the moment. Readership data shows me that people really enjoy knowing what Han Solo likes to do while he’s in town. And anecdotal evidence tells me that people here are respectful of his space and usually say hello or ask for photos only when he’s finished eating. Either way, it’s got to be easier to exist as a celebrity in Wichita than in Los Angeles or New York.

Fans of boba tea have no shortage of places to go in Wichita. There’s been an explosion of boba shops over the past three years. This weekend, Wichita will add two more. On Saturday, Leaf Teahouse ICT will celebrate the grand opening of its second shop. It’s taking over the former Kookaburra coffee shop space at 9414 W. Central. And a new boba chain also is adding a Wichita presence. ShareTea is inviting customers in for its soft opening today at its new shop at the northeast corner of Kellogg and Rock. It’s offering customers 20 percent off their drinks through Saturday.

Denise Neil, a Dodge City native and a KU graduate, started as a reporter at the Wichita Eagle in 1997. She took over the restaurant beat in 2000 and since then has built her popular column and Facebook page, Dining with Denise, where she keeps Eagle readers updated on all the happenings in the dining scene.