Sally Loo's Wholsome Cafe Local, Seasonal, Organic...and Delicious!
By Leslie Jones
It’s always comforting to wander into a warm, inviting, communityminded cafe where you’re greeted by the owners themselves. It’s even nicer when it’s a place that serves local, organic offerings inspired by seasonal fruits and vegetables.
The baking continues on throughout the day here so chances are your mouth-watering selections are served fresh from the oven. Being cheerfully greeted with a chocolate rosemary tartlet and a freshly brewed cup of organic coffee can make any day shine a little brighter.
When owners Jen and Brandon Manuele opened their cafe in May 2009, they decided to name it after Sally Loo, their good-hearted, friendly pit bull. Of course, free organic dog treats are available on the glass counter inside.
As residents themselves of the Railroad Square neighborhood, they opened the type of establishment they themselves would want to frequent. The interior is bright, friendly and welcoming with splashes of yellow, red and green with colorful paintings from local artists on display. And then there’s the food... The sampled potato, kale, black bean and tomato soup is incredibly flavorful, and the menu never remains the same. Adding fresh seasonal soup daily has been wildly popular. “We get veggies from Cal Poly organic farm every week and that dictates what types of soups we make,” explains Jen. “Right now, after the rain, we have beautiful yellow chanterelles that brighten and enrich everything, yum!” They’ve also added panini sandwiches using House of Bread’s organic loaves. Using all hormone-free, free-range meat, there are a few vegetarian options, as well.
Keeping things local is important, so they use local farmers, Secret Garden’s blend of teas, SLO Chai, House of Bagels, House of Bread, and Coastal Peaks (their coffee roaster) to do so. “It is so nice, not only to know the beautiful people who make our food, but to have them a quick phone call away, no shipping involved, no giant truck, just our neighbors and their goods to deal with. We could obviously buy everything cheaper elsewhere, but the quality of the food and supporting our local economy is what is most important to us,” Jen explains.
The baked-good selection is especially tempting with never before heard-of creations including curry chocolate drizzled cookies, Mexican chocolate biscotti and ginger root scones. Everything here tastes incredibly fresh.
“Everything is made from scratch, right down to the quiche crusts, and we use all organic flour, dairy and eggs,” mentions Brandon.
Jen has experience in the coffeehouse industry since her parents owned the one-time Rainbow Bean in Cambria. There she learned the basics of baking and now continues forward with her own unique creations. In addition to being creative food masters, Jen and Brandon are big-hearted people who believe in celebrating community. “Our customers are our neighbors,” says Jen, “and when they tell us, ‘We’re really glad you’re here,’ it feels good to be a part of that.”
In January, Sally Loo’s held a music & art benefit called “Hope For Haiti.” “It was by no means our gig,” Jen explains. “We came alongside a group of friends and ran with it. Because we are a neighborhood cafe, we decide as a group to put something together. An array of local artists, a photo booth, more than a dozen musicians, and their lovely baristas all donated their time and energy to make it possible. We were so overwhelmed with the generosity and support of our community. We plan to come together again as a community in the future. With that under our belts, we know what we can do.”
They will be celebrating their first year anniversary in May. “Wow, we can hardly believe we are already approaching our one year anniversary! We are looking forward to adding good old-fashioned malts and milkshakes to the menu very soon.” Strauss dairy, right here in California, will provide organic milk for the ice cream and they are already dreaming up flavor combos to spotlight seasonal local fruit and herbs.
Jen and Brandon are also looking forward to going one step further in the seasonal direction. Now that they know what they will be needing in the next growing season, they are looking forward to freezing and dehydrating different fruits and veggies at the peak of their season so they can use them for a much longer duration.
Located in the Railroad Square District in San Luis Obispo (1804 Osos Street), they’re open from 6:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. daily except Monday. Come sample their tempting creations, enjoy the cheerful decor and, if she’s around, say hello to Sally Loo, who can often be found basking in the sun near the front door.
Informational Blog
Their informational blog features continuously updated community happenings, recipes, upcoming musical events, etc. http://www.sallyloos.com/
First published in edible SLO and now its at HopeDance since edible SLO no longer exists, even in cyberia!!!
