It was a hot and quiet Friday at Cowley when Poe decided to leave caution to what was left of the wind and go for a little afternoon stroll. I came along, of course.
We started heading down Walton Street not really knowing where to go. We thought we’d pass the late-lunch goers (it was about 2PM) at Blue Tusk and embarrass ourselves a bit (try walking downtown with a gnome) and go from there.
PB&J’s Lunch Box
We took a random turn for the best through the connector passed The Bistro Elephant and Lemon Grass. Then it was out around The MOST where a familiar yellow wagon was parked, serving hot dogs. I reminded Poe I wasn’t hungry (had just had lunch an hour ago and I’m not the 15 year-old I used to be) but he insisted on stopping by.
There were several customers there so we waited a moment and took a look at the admittedly mouth-watering menu selection and could hear the hissing of the grill inside the caboose (and smell it, it “smelt” good).
PB&J’s of course has the sandwiches of the same name, hot dogs, conies, burgers, Italian sausage, wraps, grilled cheese, and a Philly Cheesesteak. (You can also add Fluff or Nutella to your PB&J – awesome!) It’s the traveling home of the $5 meal deal: not one but two Hoffman hot dogs, chips, and a drink – all just for five bucks!
I think Poe may have disappeared to go get some of that.
Jolimé Fresh Garden Café
We kept walking up Jefferson Street because I was really in the mood for an iced chai latte and had been to this place called “Jolime’s” the week before with my bro. And got vitamin water because I’m on this workout thing. And you can get that at Wegmans. Or any gas station.
So we had to try to local “brewmanship” (or “-womanship”) of the area, so Poe and I entered Jolimé, right next to Aspen Athletic Club, conveniently situated near Syracuse Media Group (Syracuse.com and The Post Standard (@PostStandard) and the new Pike Block (new business).
Jolimé is a nice “come in and have a gourmet sandwich and a latte and relax” kind of place, serving pastries, soups, salads, premium grilled sandwiches and much, much more! (My mouth is watering, it’s almost lunch time on Monday.) As the tagline goes, it’s: “Local, Fresh, Natural, [and] Delicious.” And affordable.
If you’re looking for an upscale place to stop by for breakfast or lunch or do a breakfast or lunch for your businesss – Jolimé. They also cater and offer free delivery for orders over $150 within a 3 mile radius.
Poe and I startled the staff a bit (as usual) and met with the owner, John Caveny, who was more than welcoming to have us take some shots around the establishment. John explained that they have two locations, the other in Chuck Hafner’s Garden Center in North Syracuse (funny, I had just noticed it the day before driving by).
We met Megan, the barista and cashier, who made the chai latte (hit the spot and thank you) and who was very cooperative in helping us take the shots for Instagram. The cooks were a lot of fun too. (Watch our Instagram video here.)
Poe stepped out for some shots with some happy customers (relatives of John) enjoying Jolimé’s convenient outdoor seating (gotta’ love outdoor seating in the summer).
Going Home
All in all, it was a great little trip and Poe exchanged business cards with everybody (he has his own, you know, of course, complete with his Instagram and Pinterest QR code).
The rest of the afternoon Poe took a nap while I went back to work. He told me he dreamed of peanut butter Fluff sandwiches and half-moon cookies. No idea where that came from.
Follow PB&J’s Lunchbox on Facebook & Twitter and find out more about Jolimé Café at www.Jolime.com.
