Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe

weeknight shows are mighty fine shows!

2011-06-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

Come on over and show some San Luis hospitality for a warm evening of goodness with Brooke Parrott and CJ Boyd

spring

2011-04-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well, it's fairly obvious that I've dropped the ball with this blog. Our to-do lists are miles long and the weather is too nice not to be hiking with friends and out in it when not at Sally Loo's.

Still much is a brewing. Keep in touch for more wholesome updates.

Meet Casey

2011-04-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

He's been with us since day -1. We actually tracked him down and begged him to work for us. He was the lone wolf for many moons and didn't complain.

He's cool calm and collected no matter what crabby customer or crazy rush hits. Plays a mean sax. Has the greatest kitty named Thor who will visit him at work from time to time. He keeps us under control and taken care of. We loooove you, Casey!

Date of Birth: June 1, 1985

Favorite Sally Loo's treat: Apple Chai scone all the way!

Favorite place to eat : The Range in Santa Margarita. You gotta try the Dragon's Breathe!

What do you do when you’re not at Sally Loo's: Traveling and being on the road is the best. But don't get me wrong, there's nothing like chilling with a beer and good friends.

Favorite customer experience: Its hard to say that I have a favorite. But I think its the experience of being a barista itself that is so great to me. We only get a few moments in someone's day but you never know what may come of it. I've had people crash on my couch and others let me take out their Miatas on joy rides all because of being behind the counter . Good times.

Who would you have coffee with alive or dead: Albert Einstein and my Grandfather. Although I wouldn't mind coffee with MJ (Jackson or Jordon, Im not picky).

Any last words: Being who we are is all we've got. Live Pure. Live
Simple. Live Honest.

Meet Sarah

2011-02-08T17:46:00.000-08:00

Meet the snarky panini princess of the bunch.

She's incredibly compassionate, always down to dance in the kitchen to her fav, Katy Perry, and was thought to be too sensitive for public school.

DOB: May 27th, 1989

Favorite Sally Loo treat: Strawberry black pepper scone or Hailey's double print chocolate cookies

Fav place to eat: Besides The Loo, I enjoy Big Sky Cafe and Gus' Sandwiches

When not at Sally's you can find me at school, instagramming, enjoying my wonderful friends and our crazy antics, and playing words with friends. I also love reading, relaxing, and a good gin and tonic.

Favorite customer experience: One time, our regular customer Robert gave me advice on how to deal with the dreadlocks that spontaneously form in my hair.

Who I would have coffee with: Jesus and Katy Perry. At the same time.

Last words: There's always a party happening in the back of The Loo. Secret's out.

lack of posting due to cafe overload

2011-01-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

sorry lovely followers! Since we re-opened we have been super busy making goodies, serving customers, hosting music and events, cooking up new recipes, & in our spare and rare time, sleeping.

Here's the skinny...

Superstar, Inga Swearingen, played our first show after the retrofit with her fabu band and Brynn Albanese making us all swoon with admiration!

Sarah wowed us with her voice at the kick off show with the Sexton Sisters

These two got engaged at the cafe after hours
And much much more.

We have gained a few loocrew members and have held tight to the old ones. Introductions will follow.

sally's back

2010-11-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

oh yeah. day two of quietly being re-open.

Man, do we love our beautiful community! It has been amazing to see familiar faces and have life buzzing around the cafe. People sipping coffee at tables. cozy on the couch.

yep. we love this.

wild

2010-11-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

crazy beasts are popping up around the cafe.

mr. praying mantis saying hello. He sat on a coffee cup for hours watching us work.

caterpillars eating our plant so they can become Monarchs!

We are busting out in order to re open asap!

We get by with a little help from our friends

We are incredibly thankful for the beautiful people who lend a hand!!

So many more than pictured have come out to help.

THANK YOU!

blustery

2010-10-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

This blustery weather reminds me of early chilly mornings of my childhood.

I was always awake first, usually before sunrise. Would make some cereal and watch cartoons or infomercials.

Making my parents coffee was one of my first chores. They stressed the utmost importance of this special job.

"You fill the grinder to here, grind for 10-12 seconds, put in a filter..." My dad instructed. I looked on, wide eyed, absorbing every word so I would do it exactly right. Now I see what they were doing :) tricksy parents.

This song takes me right back to those cozy mornings.

the rain song from Disney's Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Now the brisk air and dark evenings make me want to make these spooky little dumplings of love...

Purple Potato Gnocchi hand made and rolled over a fork just like an Italian Nana.

the latest

2010-10-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

We know you miss this face...

so tired of saying "we don't know when we'll re-open"

trying to continue to encourage the construction dudes to HURRY!

Meanwhile...behind the retrofitting... our guys get busy (aka friends Evan and David of Poiema construction + Tim my Daddio + Brandon ) on the kitchen remodel!!

the new service window- where the cooks will put finished dishes to be taken out to your glorious selves to enjoy.
view into the kitchen from the back door.
Evan being the boss.
My Daddio running electricity.

[ insert inspirational 80's butt-rock chorus here ]

2010-10-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Progress! Not as fast as we would like but hey.The retrofit is near done. Keep encouraging those guys to hustle!Our kitchen remodel meanwhile is going great!
Pics of the progress:the view out the back door to what once was our little kitchen nook...

boy butts getting ready to concrete the NEW kitchen floor.

This next shot is NOT for the squeamish. This is our dear friend and amazing contractor, Evan, after he nail gunned his finger!!!

He was smiling the entire time and was back to work an hour later. Crazeballs!

The wholesome hut + Ruby Rose = true love

2010-10-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing day at Ruby Rose!

On Saturday we ran around the Remnants of the Past show at the Dana Powers House. Lots of amazing artists and junkers set up their finest goods to sell. On Sunday Stephanie of Ruby Rose along with her wonderful crew Cathy, Helen, and our Emily opened the doors and had a lovely relaxing event. We nommed on veggie pot pies, fruit crisp, and lots of scones at tables beside vintage bikes and a trailer.

Thanks for coming down and supporting us! Can't wait to collaborate again!

For you curious folk wondering when the cafe will re-open....
the honest and short answer. We don't know. We are not in control unfortunately.

We are hoping and the landlords are shooting for two more weeks from now.

So

So those that pray, pray! Those that hope and send goodness, please do!

Is this Autumn?

2010-09-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

Most Septembers into Octobers I'm doing a lot of the above activity. Roasting and toasting pumpkins and squash. We dust off the jars of cardamon and coriander and make 'stick to your bones' sort of dishes.

This week, however. All I want to do is eat popsicles and cucumbers.
I'm hoping when the cafe re-opens the weather will cooperate with me and I'll be happily warm in the kitchen...

Maiden Voyage

2010-09-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and loves!
We will be taking the wholesome hut on the road, for the first time!

It will be next to Ruby Rose, here in SLO on the corner of Pismo and Walker. We couldn't have picked a better place to start her off!

We'll be serving coffee a la single cup brew bar style!

We'll be serving your favorite scones!

We'll be serving personal pies both sweet and savory

Come on down, TOMORROW 10-2pm!!

Hope to see you there.

whilst we wait...

2010-09-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

Lovely Lavender Creme Bruleè

My sweet friend and Sally Loo's superstar,

Danielle (aka Arms)

planted the idea to make lavender creme brulee a few nights ago.
So we along with sweet Jen Young got busy.

We added local lavender and amazing vanilla bean to spruce up the custard.

soaked the lavender into the simmering cream

strain into a bowl

divvy into ramekins

pop them in the oven in a nice warm water bath until jiggle is to a minimum

and the next step is very hard...
let cool for at LEAST two hours.

sheesh.

Luckily I planned ahead and made culinary magic a la the food network and had some made ahead so they would be ready to enjoy.

sprinkle with sugar. We found the baking sugar to be far better than the sugar in the raw that some recipes called for.

nice glassy ice skating rink.

celebratory crack with spoon and enjoy!

Recipe:
2 cups heavy cream
4 heads of lavender
1 vanilla bean
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar + more for bruleè

Heat cream, lavender, vanilla, and sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to boil then keep at a simmer covered for 30min. Take off heat.
In a bowl mix yolks until light and fluffy
Strain the cream mixture and slowly mix in 1 TBS at a time into yolks
Put in desired vessels and bake in the oven at 375degrees for 20-30 minutes. The real judge is the consistency. Watch for the middle to just slightly jiggle. It will feel springy to the touch.
Stick in the ice box for at least 2 hours.
Sprinkle sugar on top and torch the little suckers.

Sky Light

2010-08-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yup. Major.

HUGE. HOLE. Can it even be called a hole if it is the entire ceiling?!

It feels raw, it feels like an airy ancient courtyard, it feels exciting and scary. It is so strange to see our little building that we have cared for for the last year just ripped apart. SO EXCITED for it's completion. I think it's going to feel and look just amazing.

Confetti Bene

2010-08-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

Since the beginning of the retrofit we have found our mornings awfully........quiet.

quiet fruit

my quiet little butt succulents.

To mix things up we have found we...

Cook. For each other. This is strange.
confetti benes! (I'll tell you how to make them, don't fret)

Confetti Benes!
Wouldn't you like to eat these, eh eh?

Cut up seasonal veggies. We just received amazing veggies from Cal Poly CSA (which is SHUTTING DOWN! oh no! let's stop this shitake!

So zucchini, yellow squash, little red onions, green peppers get cut up

and tossed in the pot to saute

I added a pinch of fresh ground pepper and some herbes de provence because hey, when your mom brings you back a cute little jar of the stuff from France, you use it sparingly and feel loved

Brandon whipped up his famous hollandaise sauce:

melt 4Tbs butter in a sauce pan

Add:

1 egg

1 egg yolk

whisk like there is no tomorrow

a splash of lemon juice

a pinch of salt, pepper, and cayenne

done!(keep whisking, you don't want a skin on top)

Poach up some eggs. Farm fresh are the best

Build the bene,

We used whole grain bread toasted

slather it with smoked salmon

add a poached egg

the confetti of veggies

and sauce

yay for breakfast.

when the sun shines through the ceiling.

2010-08-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

The retrofit is in full swing. Plaster rains down as the crafty retrofitters work balancing and dancing above.

Sal seems unaffected, happy to bask on the front step

Brick peeks reminding of a different time.

Looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

Presenting...

2010-08-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

The Wholesome Hut!

Exciting news, although the cafe will be closed for the next few weeks there will be Sally Loo's cuteness behind that little hut window in a town* near you.

We don't have a set schedule just yet but check back here and we'll let you know AS soon as we know!

We love you all and are already having withdrawls.... :(

*yeah, our town, San Luis Obispo, you know this.

What is a RETROFIT?

2010-08-11T17:00:00.001-07:00

retro? fit?

Actually it will consist of us being closed for 3 weeks while construction geniuses rip the ceiling/roof off and replace it with industrially chic beams and cables.

That's right folks, we will be closed starting Monday the 16th of August. Come by before then and get your Sally Loo's fix

Who's initials are the same as Sal's?

2010-08-06T14:28:00.001-07:00

San Louie's!! The magazine that is, not the sandwich.

Tonight is the launch party at the Sanitarium just doors down from the cafe.
If you haven't seen the gorgeous first edition come check it out tonight. We have but two left for sale at the cafe.

We are so excited to be a part.

oh deary me!

2010-08-05T17:57:00.001-07:00

Why is Mo so fired up you ask?

A lot has been happening here with the Loo crew.

Mo was whisked away by her prince charming. His sparkly eyes and dapper old man hats were too much and, alas, she moved to the adorable community of Tehachapi. We miss her so but know that good things are happening.

Our dear Joey moved to San Diego to continue school. We love and miss our tank top wearing, super encourager mario brother. Thankfully he left us Bert the beta to remember him.

We will be retrofitting the building starting Thursday August 19th and will be closed for approx. 3 weeks. It is going to be so very strange not to have the cafe to go to for three whole weeks but we are figuring out ways we can still bring you Sally Loo's goodness.

We are fixing up the CUTEST food hut that we look forward to carting around town to sell yummy wholesome goods out of.

Follow us on twitter to find out our wherabouts.

We LOVE and APPRECIATE you!

2010-07-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

Look at the fresh garden goods!!! These lovely bouquets are from our friends Frankie and Amanda's garden.

Gotta love the summer greens popping up everywhere!

The Happy Andersens

2010-07-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

Our dear Cas and her beloved, Ian are officially a married unit!! Hooray!

The day was so so beautiful with the casual ceremony on Terrace hill.

A parade down to our house to celebrate with scones and coffee.

What a delight! What a handsome couple! What a fun morning spent with friends and family!

I'm so excited, but I have to hide it...

2010-07-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

...for just a little while longer! We have a new project in the works that I am just so jazzed about.
We are hammering and painting and planning away.
Here are some clues :)

Can you guess? huh? huh?

free to be

2010-07-03T10:43:00.001-07:00

We will be celebrating our freedom tomorrow and the cafe will be closed. Enjoy these warm summer nights friends!

What's in your picnic basket?

2010-06-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's the summer breeze
Maybe it's my love of food on the go
Maybe it's all the train people coming through needing something quick and fantastic.
My Question for you is....

What's in your ideal picnic basket?

On the day that Brandon proposed he made a picnic for us of mangos, hummus, akmak crackers, baby bell cheese, an avocado, and a coconut.

That combo is always dear to me both because I'm obsessed with food and memories (especially the mushy ones).

So, what would you like to eat?

happy summer

2010-06-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

Here we are, just past summer solstice, the days are long and warm and kind.

We took one of our normally productive Mondays back in May and had a bbq in the backyard with friends and family.

It truly is beautiful to see employees loving each other outside of the cafe.

ha

and like all the Sally Loo's potlucks, the food was to die for

apricot honey tart

toasty kale chips with pine nuts
and plenty of bbq madness a la brandonio

and his magic hat ;)

a cute commercial

2010-06-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

So we had the honor of being part of something quite amazing.
A talented group of Cal Poly students decided to use us for their senior project. They made a commercial about us!
It turned out so great. I've watched it more than a couple times in a row. They captured what we want Sally Loo's to feel like to a tee!
Great job Becky, Gordon and crew!!
We love it!

oh the people we meet

2010-05-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

We have a wide array of AMAZING and talented and beautiful and creative people who come through our doors on a daily basis. It's always such an honor to see a shout out come out in the form of a blog, tweet, or piece of art.
Bryn Hobson is an artist who I am incredibly smitten with! He designed the typing in public art in my last post.

AMAZING!

Recently I found a little goodie or two from Sally Loo's on his blog! woot!

Thanks so much! We appreciate you!!

Typing in Public

2010-05-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

Today marks the much anticipated day of the type happening around san luis. There are vintage typewriters stationed at some of the greatest spots in town for you to freely type your heart out!

Tonight at 6:30 we will have a reading and celebratory music to end it at yours truly. Come on down and see if you won a raffle prize, enjoy the lovely words and performances.

Talk Sing Why

2010-05-10T16:03:00.001-07:00

Darling Mo, you know, the one who makes your lattes by day is now adding to her repertoire. She started Talk Sing Why
a blog of interviews and photos of musicians as they come through the central coast and Sally Loo's. Follow her as she reviews the acts and expresses her sweet self.
She is also booking our shows here at the cafe. As an amazing musician herself, we couldn't be happier to have her take on the role.

We were Mobbed!

2010-05-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

We have these fine folks to thank! Erin has been a favorite customer since we opened almost a year ago!

At 12 sharp the line formed and was out the door all four hours.

With 335 transactions in 4 hours they raised $1,627.744 for Sally Loo's and Energy Efficiency!
Just under a dozen to-go cups were used! Thank you SO much for byo mug!!
Check back to see what we use the money towards!
love love love and thanks from all of us at Sally Loo's!
To see more pics:
our flickr site

Hello, nice to meet you.

2010-04-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

Meet Alex,
She's an innovator of amazing espresso drinks. She makes the place beautiful with her chalk drawings. She also just happens to be really smart about nutrition. Needless to say, she's one of our secret weapons...

Date of Birth: 3/31/89

Favorite Sally Loo's treat: Its all amazing!
Fav Scone: Nectarine Almond
Fav Pastry: some type of awesome cookie
Fav food: Waffle
Fav Panini: Caprese!

Favorite place to eat : Besides good ol' Sal's? Probably Oasis right now.

What do you do when you’re not at Sally Loo's : Cook awesome food/Drink tea/studying Nutrition

Favorite customer experience: I have so many! I have amazing conversations with Vangeli but I really like seeing Stephanie's sweet smile! I also totally loved getting art advice from Robert. My chalk drawn paninis looked so much better!

W ho would you have coffee with alive or dead: Thom Yorke from Radiohead of course!
Any last words?
Sometimes, it is fully necessary to pump the 90's jams!

Our friends over at Ruby Rose

2010-04-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

We have some amazing and talented friends who just opened Ruby Rose, a junk shop here in San Luis Obispo! If you love the old maps and milk bottles in the cafe you will be filled with GLEE over the finds in Stephanie's shop.

This girl has amazing stye and can pick treasure out of a pile of trash.

Here is Ruby, the daughter of Stephanie and John and the namesake of the place.

They take their airstream cross country in stye to find goodies.
Here are some shots I took while getting a sneak peek of the shop

Don't you want to just nap the afternoon away in this bed!

The brains and the beauty behind it all!
Go down and visit Stephanie and tell her Sally Loo sent you.

formspring.me

2010-04-16T16:11:00.001-07:00

I gave into it...so,
Ask me anything http://formspring.me/sallyloo

have you heard?

2010-04-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

The next SLO Carrot Mob happening will be at our own Sally Loo's Cafe! wahoo!

We have the winning bid of 100%! That’s right folks, 100% of the money spent during Carrotmob will go back into the business to make it more energy efficient and environmentally conscious.
We couldn't be more excited. When we were approached about participating we couldn't stop thinking about it. What an amazing group of people we get to work with to organize an event filled with live music, a darling picnic area, and bike parking. Come down, BYOTupperware to keep the waste down, and invest in green business.
Here's to positive energy!

Easter Brunch with the Loo crew

2010-04-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

We had a splendid day of Easter festivities this year! Filled with friends, family, and of course, FOOD!
Here are but a few shots by the lovely jennifer young

It was so nice to have the day 'offish' and lounge by the fire in the backyard sipping lavender mimosas with our loved ones.

you can see more over at jen's blog

Hello, nice to meet you.

2010-03-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

Meet Mo,
If she’s not behind the bar charming the pants off our customers, you’ll mostly likely see her on stage sweetly singing her own melodies. Quick as a whip, she's a little firecracker and we love her.

Date of Birth: March 19,1986
Favorite Sally Loo's treat: The acai wonder bowl because it reminds me of riding my bike to a little shack that serves acai smoothies on the North shore of Oahu.
Favorite place to eat : Novo for dinner. Big Sky or Honeymoon Cafe for breakfast. Sally Loo's all the time.
What do you do when you’re not at Sally Loo's: Play music, write ballads while my roommates hold up lighters, listen to records, crochet, drive Highway 1, go to the ocean, hike, cook and eat, travel. Lately I've been obsessed with Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt and every documentary ever made about them...
Favorite customer experience: Every time someone asks me, "Are you Sally Loo?" without realizing that Sally is, in fact, a dog.
Who would you have coffee with alive or dead: Bob Dylan in 1965.
any last words: Thank God for the English, if it weren't for them, we would all be speaking some language that we couldn't understand.

music + churros + love birds = a really great Friday

2010-03-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

Ah, love is in the sweet, misty air. Yesterday was full of friends huddled inside the cafe fogging up the windows all sexy-like as they sipped on coffee and tea.
It was about to rain when up by the railroad bridge a sweet young man made the most amazing chalk drawing professing his love!

See how cute they are!

Ah, love, I'm a sucker for you.

Mo got me amped to make home-made churros and dipping chocolate, so I set out to make it happen in time for the concert in the evening.
oh were they yumsauce. This WILL become a music night staple! Which means, come out this Saturday and eat them as you listen to Whiskey and the Devil Chaplain!!

Hello, nice to meet you.

2010-03-04T22:42:00.000-08:00

Meet Cas. She's wicked good in the kitchen and is responsible for the tasty goods in the bake case. She's good at everything she does, so be envious :)
If you’re lucky you’ll witness her burst of laughter and know what it’s really like to laugh.

Date of Birth: 7-22-84

Favorite Sally Loo's treat: they're all my favorite. seriously. everything.

Favorite place to eat : big sky in slo, taco temple in morro bay

What do you do when you’re not at Sally Loo's:
-kick it with my favorite redhead, ian
-run
-type letters on my typewriter

Favorite customer experience:
- i'm totally honored every time someone tells me that they loved something i baked- i like baking because it makes people happy and whenever that happens i'm super stoked.

Who would you have coffee with alive or dead: i think i'd give anything to have coffee with my brother Rob one last time. It'd be sweet to hang out with my favorite artist Rembrandt van Rijn...and King David and Daniel from the Bible too.

any last words: "no one ever expects the spanish inquisition!"

sneak peek

2010-02-28T15:42:00.000-08:00

We are quite pleased to announce we will be working with the babes of Reading in Public in the near future. Check back for updates and keep your eye out for a classy little typewriter making an appearance at the cafe.

Ivan Colon this Friday, Feb. 26th

2010-02-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

This Friday at the cafe Ivan Colon will be playing!
Come on down and eat some hot and delish goodies and listen as he serenades.

hello, nice to meet you.

2010-02-23T15:35:00.001-08:00

Meet Claire.

She's a quiet one at first but stick around and you will find a jubilant and hilarious little thang! She keeps the place peaceful and makes a mean waffle that's as pretty as it is delicious.

Date of Birth: April 4th, 1987
Favorite Sally Loo's treat: Do I have to choose?!?! Probably the kiwi guava scone....mmmm salivating thinking about it....
Favorite place to eat : You mean besides Sally Loo's? Upper Crust or Shalimar
What do you do when you’re not at Sally Loo's: Study..... sort of......, hike, bake, read, sing, run, art projects.. stay active basically.
Favorite customer experience: An old couple came in and ordered waffles, which are my favorite to make. I brought them the beautiful things and they were so appreciative! They said they were visiting from the East Coast and LOVED California (of course). They were just sooo cute and happy, it made my day. They also left a hefty tip, I would have loved them even if they hadn't! I'm a sucker for old people......
Who would you have coffee with alive or dead: Jesus or Shia Labeouf. What do these two have in common you ask?.......they're both Jewish.....!!!
any last words: Joy is contagious, so try to spread it wherever you go!!!

tonight tonight!

2010-02-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

Candle will be performing a free show at Sally Loo's on Sunday Feb. 21st for all to see. Also performing are two great acts on tour:

Nathan Moomaw, indie/folk/pop singer from Barcelona by way of San Francico:
It's not always easy to choke down sugary singer-songwriters, but San Francisco's Nathan Moomaw writes songs that are as disarming as they are un-pretentious. With a clear, pure voice that tiptoes between innocence and sadness, the tunesmith trusts his wistful compositions to rickety cradles of acoustic guitar, ukulele, toy piano, and about a dozen other instruments. Moomaw's new disc, 26, is a concept album - a song summing up each month of his 26th year. Granted, it's a precious conceit, but the disc comes off less like a teenage diary and more like a tender commiseration.
- Jason Heller (The Onion A.V. Club)

also Mark Matos and the OS Beaches:
Equal parts Neil Young, Giant Sand and Will Oldham... heartbreakingly beautiful." -Sweet Heart of the Radio (UK)

Also we'll be playing as a full band, and Zebedee Zaitz / Sparrows Gate will also be playing.

PLEASE Tell your friends about this show. I am a little late in starting to promote it, but seriously its going to be amazing. These two acts are great and we are lucky to have them on tour for free, help us get the word out so we can help them on tour

tell us whether you can make it

warms my drizzly soul

2010-02-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

photo j.young

Ahhh, the rain is back after a typical February hot spell and I've gotta say, I'm pleased.
I love to see the cafe all fogged up from the espresso machine and cuddling patrons. There is a peacefulness about being holed up inside with a waffle and a good friend as the rain replenishes outside.

enjoy these bits of hibernation we central coasties get!

Hello, nice to meet you.

2010-02-11T20:54:00.000-08:00

We will be introducing each of the Loo Crew one at a time.
First up is everyone's favorite hotcake

Meet Emily

She’s got a sharp sense of humor and an even sharper knife, so don’t cross her. Seriously, don’t…
If you’re in the mood for a chat and latte, she’s the girl most likely to brighten your day.

Date of Birth: August 11th 1982

Favorite Sally Loo's treat: (baked good)Curry chocolate cookies (sandwhich) caprese (granola creation) acai (bagel creation) hippy with dried figs (salad) green with all the fixings :).......... so you pick :)

Favorite place to eat : Honestly its Sally's if you want my choice outside it would be Hofbrau

What do you do when you’re not at Sally Loo's: Do it up Mommy style, love thrift and antique store browsin, going to trails with Lily and the dogs

Favorite customer experience: Wow, I love our customers that's a hard one...... one that stands out is Ian doing his Sloth impression from the Goonies. That gave me a good laugh.

Who would you have coffee with alive or dead: My best friend Morgan and my mom. they count as one :)

Any last words?:
Although perfection is admirable, reality is infinitely more compelling

a twen'tea' first

2010-02-10T12:14:00.000-08:00

photo by Maleesa Suksiri

A darling girl named Brita turned twenty one and had an adorable tea party with her friends (aka the little granola girls :) at Sally Loo's!
I was quite honored to make mini earl grey scones and red velvet cupcakes for the foodies attending.

photo by Maleesa Suksiri

They laughed and colored and made the cafe more beautiful with their presence!

no one was sad to be missing the superbowl either.

she arted us

2010-02-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

The oh so fabulous jen young aka iartu shot lovely frames of us and the cafe over the weekend. She has such an elegant way with the camera.

panini and greens in the window sil

the silly sally

snarksters in the window

chocolate rosemary tartlets

claire and beautiful waffles

we love robert

I'll be slipping more of her gorgeousness onto the blog soon. Check the next Edible SLO magazine for more as well!

thanks jen jen! we looooove you

you are wonderful, thank you!

2010-02-02T23:34:00.000-08:00

We could not have pulled it off, could not have raised nearly 4,000, could not have filled our cafe with smiling faces, without YOU!
thanks to all who came out and donated their time, energy, art and craft, music, service, and cash.
we love you and are happy to help Haiti along with you.

Hope for Haiti benefit

2010-01-27T15:13:00.000-08:00

The event this Friday is going to be ca-razy! We are so overwhelmed with everyone from our community down to get to work and raise some money for the Haitians!
We have a line up of over a dozen musicians,
the Moore Photobooth
Art work for sale by number of local and not so local peeps
Artisan bread made lovingly by Mary O'Neill
Face painting by amazing artists
Crafty crafters making gorgeous goods
live discussion with missionaries who just returned from Haiti!
goodie goods by Sally Loo's truly
and probably so much more!
We are SO proud!
check out more @ our dear friends blog

Haiti will Rise

2010-01-22T22:56:00.000-08:00

I feel my dear friend said it best over here

"The grandmother with a face covered in dust and a voice strained from crying. The girl with braids and a dress who lies covered in rubble. The stunned people running through the streets, looking for help but finding no one. The father who, in one moment, lost all 4 of his kids and his wife. The parents still searching and praying for their lost children.

It's been hard to stop thinking about Haiti. The heartache and suffering are so immense that it seems as though it can't be true. Each loss is a tragedy, and combined they form a situation that is incomprehensible. If any good can come of this, perhaps it is that people in America and other developed countries might recognize the need to strengthen places like Haiti before disaster strikes. Once the emergency teams are gone and the situation stabilizes, the need will still remain." -Lindsay Lange

It is devastating to see the mere images of what is going on as they try to pick up the pieces.
This is a call to action!

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for
good men to do nothing -Edmund Burke

come one come all! Spread the word!

sweetheart soup

2010-01-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

Our boxes of produce arrived from Cal Poly Organic Farm and at the bottom lay a bouquet of crimson beets. Add some ginger and lemon for a kick and voila! Sweetheart soup! A heart of goat cheese on top melting into every bite. oh yes.
Check back for it around Valentine's day. yes, we are that cheesy :)

chanterelle lover

2010-01-19T13:49:00.000-08:00

"I've got some mushrooms, would you like to take a look?" the young man asked as he placed the grocery bag on the counter in front of me. Inside I was pleasantly greeted with beautiful local chanterelles covered in mud.
I must admit, I was a bit worried, what shall I make with them? What will bring out the flavors best?
I set to work as I was serenaded by the musicians playing and clogging in the next room.
Here is what I built...

Wild Local Chanterelles with cashew cream

4 large onions diced
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
make the trio o goodness
add the puree of 5 delicata squash
add 4 large portobellos(other types of mushrooms would work too) and about a pound and a half chanterelles for a couple minutes
saute until sticky then add about a cup of white wine to get those crispy bits off the bottom
{place head over pot to enjoy pure bliss :}
add vegetable broth approx 8 cups and simmer
add salt and pepper to taste

cashew cream:
2 cups cashews
4 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
food process until smooth and amazing

add to simmering soup to add vegan creaminess!

saute chanterelles and garnish soup
fresh parsley to garnish as well

my favorite!

macaroons!

2010-01-17T19:03:00.000-08:00

You asked, we listened. Y'all get your macaroons! They are chewy and delicious and gluten free. This time around they are two bite size with a sprinkling of dark chocolate chips.
and you know it's all organic with fair trade chocolate!

my body, your body, M.Body

2010-01-15T15:49:00.000-08:00

A new and exciting yoga studio, M. Body has opened up in our neck of the woods and we had the great pleasure and honor of catering for their Grand Opening Party! We made two appetizers and two desserts (Tawnie and Peter are big chocolate lovers as is their beautiful toddler, Athena).
We made polenta cups filled with delicata squash, arugula, and crispy shallots

A flatbread with caramelized onions, pears, bluecheese, and thyme.

For the desserts we made a flourless mexican chocolate cake with candied pecans

and the famous chocolate rosemary tartlettes

Here is our biggest fan shamelessly going back for seconds

Let us know if you are interested in booking us for your next gathering.

This Friday the 15th at the cafe!

2010-01-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

Notorious
Extraordinary fiddling, masterful fretwork.
Lauded as 'sparkling' and 'exhilarating' NOTORIOUS presents a thrilling musical experience, featuring traditional American Celtic, and Eastern-European tunes, swing, blues, classical music and original compositions.

This Friday! at 8pm $15 at the door
Come on down, we'll have special treats just for the evening

Happy 88th Kent

2010-01-07T17:09:00.000-08:00

We have a beloved regular, Kent who walks miles to our door almost every day! He is turning 88 today and plans to hike Madonna Mountain, naturally! In his honor, go out and hike Madonna too. When you see the tan smile of dear Kent wish him a happy birthday before he passes you!
We LOVE you Kent! Your mocha is on us today!

Soup season

2010-01-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

So it's 75 degrees in January here in slo so I guess we missed the winter season all together. None the less, tis soups season! We have been having lots of fun creating recipes from the seasonal produce coming through! Pictured is our Roasted Veggie Lentil soup. Its of the vegan variety and is also gluten free, hip hip! Served with a slice of yummy toast and butter.

Daddy the pitbull

2010-01-06T17:24:00.001-08:00

As some of you all may know, our paninis are named after famous pitbulls through history. (We are well aware of how nerdy we are, thank you.) We would like to introduce you to our latest obsession, the Daddy Berry Nutella goodness! Picture strawberries and raspberries smooshed between sourdough with nutella oozing through. Oh yes, it is addicting. I've tried to convince myself it is a good idea to have another a few times this week.

Who is Daddy you may ask?

This is Daddy! He is Cesar Milan, aka The Dog Whisperer's right hand pooch. We ADORE both parties and are happy to add his name to our list. He has helped train so many people and rehabilitate so many dogs. He is such a beautiful, amazing, and balanced dog. He is such a pitbull!

If Sal were a teenage girl, Daddy would be the heartthrob taped to her walls.

So, the sandwich is fitting, no?

I've waffled before, I'll waffle again

2010-01-02T23:33:00.000-08:00

I'm so hungry right now. It's 11:30 pm and I am having a craving for our waffles.

Oh hot loveliness.

Have you tried them yet? no? what are you waiting for? They are crisp and delicious and packed with all sorts of healthy goodness like flax and bran to help you out! Served with real (aint no mrs. buttersworth here folks) maple syrup and seasonal fruit.If you're feeling really ca-razy, try the Goober waffle. oozy gooey organic peanut butter drizzled atop with bananas.
yes ma'am

what's new for you?

2009-12-30T09:12:00.000-08:00

A new beginning is just around the bend. The end of one year always makes me try to prophecy what the next will be like. As for the cafe, we are closing in on our 7th month and have many ideas of what to work on next. We look forward to meeting more of our neighbors and patrons. We want to take advantage of the amazing produce we can get year round from our favorite organic and pesticide free farmers on the Central Coast. We want to bring the old school malts and milkshakes to our area. Can you taste a fresh muddled mint with chocolate shake? yes please! What is it that you are craving? What would make you a happy little chicken?

music makers

2009-12-29T17:14:00.000-08:00

We have been incredibly blessed and honored by the musicians coming through the Loo. Local bands and touring alike, have brought community and love our way! Thank you all!! We are looking for musicians to book up the winter to spring season so if you or someone you know and love is talented in such a way, give us a jingle! being lively in the cafe in November!

month seven

2009-12-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a fabu holiday! We sure did. Lots of warm nog, delicious soups, and yumsauce goodies to inspire us for 2010!We have launched the panini sandwiches and home made soups. We are quite happy with how they are turning out! Above, pictured is our Buster Brown sandwich.Roasted Portobello mushrooms, basil pesto, caramelized onions, roasted peppers all oozing with herby goat cheese on squaw bread by none other than SLO's own House of Bread. We use only the best ingredients we can find, all organic, and the peppers, basil, and onions are locally grown with love.
Cal Poly Organic Farm is delivering amazing winter veggies in which we are forming the menu of soups to come.

We're getting cozy

2009-10-14T14:52:00.001-07:00

We are alive, and well, and truckin' along singing a song.

Thanks to all our beautiful patrons and regulars. We are incredibly grateful to you! You bring the soul.

Sally Loo's is celebrating month FIVE! Can you believe it? Ca-ray-ray, no? And in this short time we have grown into the community so nicely. We know people. We love people. And we especially love serving people yummy organic and local treats paired with delish espresso and coffee.

We will try to blog regularly so check back and comment so we know you're listening.

The beginning of a scary fun thing...

2009-04-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well, here we go! We have the cafe space we have always wanted and we are making it happen. Pics of the new paint job and progress to follow~

-jen