Foothill Flavors

Sonora Joes: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

By Antoinette May Herndon

When a poet friend raved about her recent book signing at Sonora Joe’s, I was intrigued. “Such friendly people!” she enthused. “Everyone wants to talk.”

Clearly some books had been sold. All writers like to hear that kind of news.

A quick google of Sonora Joe’s Coffee Shoppe, revealed that they also feature live music and occasional jam sessions.

My friend, Lucy Sanna, and I would be passing by Sonora on our way to the Bay Area. Why not stop at Joe’s for brunch?

As it turned out, this was not one of my better ideas. Now, how best to describe this culinary misadventure?

Since the debut of Foothill Flavors nearly three years ago, I’ve attempted to maintain a sorority girl approach to column writing. You know, “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

For that reason, there have been a few restaurants along the way that I’ve thought best to omit. I might have taken that tack with Sonora Joe’s if there hadn’t been some recent buzz about the bistro. A few readers had emailed to ask if I’d been there. “What do you think?” they’d wanted to know.

Ok, so now that I’ve been there, done that, what can I tell you? Where to begin? The unisex restroom was dirty, the service sluggish. The lettuce in Lucy’s chef’s salad was soggy despite the $8 price tag.

I took

one bite of my ground pepper sausage, pepper jack and potato flour tortilla and put it down. One bite. ($3.35). Whatever can be done to ruin something that simple had been done with a vengeance. It was pretty awful. Imagine congealed library paste. Hungry and frantic, I tried a blueberry scone. You know the expression, “Dry as a bone?” I bit that bone.

Sonora Joe’s bills itself as a Coffee Shoppe and coffee is surely what they do best, but then there are the deli offerings . . . Perhaps ours was an off day. Good luck with your own experiences. Let me hear.

We did love our mocha lattes. ($3.25 each) They were very, very good. Maybe exceptional. I couldn’t resist a second cup.

What else did I like? The décor. It has that engaging everything old is new again feel to it. Think: Polished plank floors, beamed ceilings, Gold Rush vintage stone walls and very comfy leather chairs and couches.

It soon became apparent that people come to Sonora Joe’s mainly to drink the coffee and just hang out. Across the room from us, Willie Todd looked up from the guitar he was tuning and then preceded to demonstrate his skill with the harmonica. Willie frequents Sonora Joe’s because of the jam sessions.

The eatery also offers free wifi service. A number of people seated around us were busily clicking away at their correspondence.

Amongst the colorful selection of locally produced water colors,

were posters listing upcoming open mic events and reading nights for poetry and short stories.

Some patrons may have been preparing their epics that very morning. We saw a number of open lap tops and intense, writerly expressions.

One thing is certain: aspiring authors don’t have to look far to find source material. Sonora Joe’s is a veritable oasis. No one appears the least bit reticent about sharing their scenarios either. The poet friend who’d told me that people at Sonora Joe’s were friendly was right on the mark. Make that chatty.

An elaborately dressed woman wearing a large hat and elbow-length gloves dropped by our table just to carve up the details of her failed marriage. Tsk! Tsk! A shocking tale.

Later, an older man in vintage jeans confided that he was an alcoholic on probation. I wasn’t surprised to hear that he was having a tough time with it.

No, I’m not making this up. Take it from me, brunch at Sonora Joe’s is a multi-level experience, one you aren’t likely to forget.

VITALS: Sonora Joe’s Coffee Shoppe, 140 South Washington St.,Sonora. Phone: 533-4455. Sonorajoes.com/ Hours Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 8 to 4. Credit cards accepted.

Pictures:

Aaron Impink pours a great cup of mocha latte at Sonora Joe’s

Willie Todd and his guitar are attractions at Sonora Joe’s

A relaxed moment at Sonora Joe’s.