Juniper Café has been the talk of the town lately and for good reason! This charming breakfast and lunch spot located in the Tett centre provides locally-sourced products and bakes a majority of their menu items fresh onsite. So you can understand why I couldn’t wait to stop in for lunch.
After a busy morning at the office, a friend and I make the game-time decision to sneak out for a bite (Juniper is conveniently located just a few minutes away from work). After we park (heads up, bring change for the metered parking lot! $1.50/hour) we are greeted by the wooden Juniper sign at the front of the building directing us to travel downstairs. Once we reach the bottom of the stairs, the smell of baked bread leads us down the hallway and to the back of the building to a sunlit room with exposed limestone and brick. A server advises us to order at the front, take a seat and the food will be delivered.
Food Choices: Every sandwich on the menu looks delicious and they conveniently list which local company they’ve sourced the ingredients from. I like it. I am torn between the Lyons Farms Chicken: marinated peppers, wilton feta and arugula; Meatballs; Wallace co-op black angus beef, tomato sauce and parmesan or Veggie: Roasted butternut squash, goats chevre, pecans and arugula on fresh focaccia. I opt for the Veggie and a salad of arugula, fennel, parsley, patchwork carrots, lemon and oil. This is certainly an upgrade from the cafeteria. The bread is the highlight for me, it is so soft with a wonderfully subtle buttery herb flavour and pairs perfectly with the squash. I save the other half for dinner because it’s a pretty generous serving.
$$: I wouldn’t say the prices are outrageous especially considering how fresh their ingredients are. My meal is $14 for the sandwich and salad combo.
BONUS: The treats! Peppermint marshmallows, ginger cookies, meringues and more! I get a ginger cookie for the road and I am surprised by how soft it is when I bite into it. Yum. Plus, this summer Juniper will have the only patio with an unobstructed view of Kingston’s stunning waterfront – bring on sangria season!
Keep up with Juniper: Follow their behind the scenes updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Hours: 8 am – 6 pm; Monday to Saturday; 9:am -5pm on Sunday
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