At the top of my list of joints to enjoy, one last time, is a tiny little establishment called Joe's Cafe. Joe's is a breakfast/lunch place owned and operated by Joe, a Southern gentleman with a huge, loud, and friendly personality, and located on the west side of North State Street, in Orem. The restaurant, which is little more than a hallway that's been crammed with tables and chairs, and quipped with an efficient, open kitchen, is one of my very favorite places to eat around here. Aside from the loud, warm, and comfortable atmosphere- the walls are plastered with photos of Joe and customers, a continuous playlist of soul and funk music plays from a wall-mounted television in the front corner of the restaurant, and Joe's carrying, jovial voice often booms out from the kitchen into the dining area whenever greeting favorite customers, or instructing his staff- what really keeps me coming back to this unassuming eatery is, of course, the food; Oh. My. Cholesterol, is it good. The first meal I practically inhaled at Joe's Cafe was actually recommended to me by Joe himself, upon my asking what he would suggest I try first. The meal consisted of about five pounds of biscuits and gravy (okay, it wasn't really five pounds, but any amount of B&G over a cup feels like five pounds of celestial cement in your stomach), sweet grits with a couple fried eggs on top, and two strips of bacon- the bacon was actually given to me by Joe for free, for taking his suggestion. I was full about a quarter of the way through the food, but the flavor was so freaking good that I soldiered on and ate everything, and took a piece of sweet-potato pie to go. As I waddled home and collapsed upon my bed- awaiting the glorious, gluttonous death that was sure to take me home to my Maker- I told myself that, if I survived the impending caloric coma, I had to be sure to go to Joe's again. And I have.
Since that first exquisite encounter, I've been able to go back to the cafe a few times- each time sampling something different (although I always ordered a side of those ridiculous grits). I can tell you the pancakes- served in batches of about 30, each only about two or three inches across, and tasting as if they were fried in plenty of butter and touched by the finger of Divinity- are adorable and dangerously delicious, and that the omelettes are to die for (I mean that almost literally, as they each weigh about a half a pound and are filled with so much cheese that your heart probably abandons all hope of survival once you lay eyes on them). I've enjoyed other items there- all of them completely worth whatever I paid for them (when it comes to my bank and my body), and I can't wait 'til tomorrow morning, when a bunch of my super-friends and I are planning on paying one last visit before I go skip town. I'll make sure to snap some iPhone photos of the place and the food while there- if I can remember to actually do so before tearing into whatever it is I end up ordering.
I'mma keep this one short, but I do hope that, if you're in the Provo/Orem area, you make it a point to stop by Joe's Cafe sometime. The place is generally open from Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 4 PM, and you'll be very happy you did so.
Eat Well and Much Love,
Adam
PS: The healthy eating will commence once I'm living in Arizona. This is a "Treat Yoself" week.