Juno’s Kitchen & Delicatessen

A few days ago, we decided it was time to try to find a new restaurant for our lunch-time meal – we enjoy being able to take a gamble on occasion, just to add a little variety for our salivating palates.  So, I scanned the web for any new restaurants close by.  Lots of choices popped up, some were eliminated right off the top since they were way too expensive for our pocketbook.  But, I was able to quickly narrow down my investigation and land on a place that caught my attention, Juno’s Kitchen – both it’s mouth-watering menu & affordable prices looked appealing.

Next thing you know it, we are in line at Juno’s for a late lunch, at about 1PM.  We’re outside, standing with the rest of the overflow crowd, but we get a chance to peek at the menu – a delicious array of salad and sandwich   choices, each being a gourmet meal in itself.  Once we move forward enough, we see that the inside seating in quite limited, there are only a handful of tables. It’s packed, and the place is a complete madhouse with the long line, orders being called for take-out, servers taking orders to tables both inside & out, and tables being cleaned up quickly.  Juno’s is smallish, but it’s run like  a well-oiled machine.  After being seated, orders arrive promptly.

Our lunch choices not only looked good on the menu, but they tasted absolutely superb.  We relished every bite of our two orders: 1) the Salmon Special of the day topped with a wonderful sauce, on a bed of lentils, herbs, and Juno’s sour bread, for $11.95, and 2) the Banh Mi Sandwich – Grilled pork loin, aioli, jalapeno, pickled radish, carrot & herbs, served with mixed greens, and Juno’s sour bread, for $9.25.

Juno’s serves their homemade sour – though not sourdough – bread fresh each day.  The bread has a crunchy crust and soft inside.  And, it tastes fabulous.

Chef Mark Helms

Veteran Chef Mark Helms runs Juno’s, which he opened late last year.  He adds panache and offers customers an affordable gourmet meal in a casual setting.  Also, as it turns out Juno’s, the restaurant, is named after Chef Mark’s dog, Juno, a bull terrier/pitbull mix.

We definitely enjoyed our lunch-time expedition to Juno’s.  The food tasted exquisite and we could see and taste the little added touches that helped make our meals so satisfying.  We’re already planning our next visit to Juno’s.

We give Juno’s a definite 2 Thumbs Up!