In today's fast-paced, super-sized, big-brand world it can be refreshing to dine at a place like Jumbars. Chef/Owner Paul Hoffert and his daughter, Emily, claim, “there's no place quite like it,” and we would have to agree with them on that.
Intimate café tables, aged hardwood floors, a bakery counter that can't quite contain all of the made-from-scratch pastries, breads and jams—Jumbars is a true destination that attracts regulars from the North Bethlehem neighborhood it occupies, and those who travel a bit farther for this bistro-like experience.
If there's ever a complaint to be made about Jumbars it's that you will have to wait for a table. Rarely is there a break in the throngs of hungry diners, but fortunately they offer call ahead seating—no reservations!
And once you get there you'll want to stay awhile. Breakfast, brunch, lunch is never grab-and-go; those who frequent Jumbars understand that it might take time for their meal to arrive. Everything is made to order entirely by Chef Paul and Emily, so you know if you choose their house-made, organic English muffins or a short stack of buttermilk pancakes it's going to be worth any wait. But with friendly, long-time wait staff and patrons who often enjoy conversation across tables this time doesn't matter. It's why they come in the first place.
This is exactly the kind of establishment Chef Paul set out to create nearly 10 years ago when the exhausting hours and late nights working the kitchens in fine dining restaurants made balancing work and family difficult.
“I was in high school when it was time for my dad to make a change, and my parents started dreaming of Jumbars,” Emily recalls. “We all knew it was going to be a lot of hard work, but it ended up being much, much, much more than we thought.”
The hours are still long, she admits, “but it brought us all together as a family, and what is most rewarding and not entirely expected is the creation of our Jumbars family.”
Chef Paul spent most of his culinary career working in Vermont after graduating from the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, and his time spent up North is certainly reflected in the menu. Take their New England Omelet, with house-made maple sage pork sausage, Granny Smith apple and Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar cheese, or their Elmo Street Café Sandwich, a variation of a sandwich Chef Paul made as an intern at a Vermont café of the same name.
But some menu items are truly influenced by Jumbars and their customer's tastes. Where else could you get a slice of Jumbleberry Pie (a fruit crumb pie with apples, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries)? Or a pulled pork sandwich on grilled homemade challah bread?
So for those who are Jumbars' best custom-ers, or for those who have never been, we nabbed recipes for some of their most beloved menu items sure to bring a bit of the undefinable yet familiar flavors Jumbars is famous for to your kitchen.
1342 Chelsea Ave., Bethlehem | 610.866.1660 | jumbars.com
Sour Cherry Scones
Serves 6-8
2 1/4 cups flour1/4 cup sugar1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 cup dried tart cherries1 stick butterLemon zest1 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Blend dry ingredients with butter in food processor.
Gently fold in buttermilk and cherries.
Roll dough out into circle (it doesn't have to perfect). Slice into 6-8 triangles. You can use your hands to form the dough into a disk; sprinkle top with flour so dough won't stick to your hands.
Arrange triangles on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
An original scottish treat, the scone is best served with a brisk tea and a touch of freshly whipped cream.
Jumbars Secret Honey Dijon Dressing
1 cup cider vinegar1/2 cup smooth Dijon mustard2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard (optional)1/3 cup honey1 1/2 cups canola oil
Whisk together the cider vinegar, mustards and honey.
Slowly whisk in canola oil. You can also use a blender and drizzle the canola oil in with the other ingredients.
Mary's Salad
Spring mixGrated carrotsGrape tomatoesCabot Seriously Sharp cheddar, shreddedHard cooked eggSliced Fuji appleGrilled chicken breastHoney Dijon dressing
To plate, layer a generous bed of greens, top with grated carrots, grape tomatoes sliced in half, shredded cheddar cheese, hard cooked egg (quartered), thinly sliced Fiji apple and grilled chicken breast, all according to preference. Drizzle with dressing.
So simple to prepare but simply delicious.
Greenwich Street Special
White toastDijon mayonnaiseSliced turkey breastHoney Dijon dressingGranny Smith apple, slicedCabot Seriously Sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
To assemble each sandwich, slice 2 pieces of toast into triangles and top each piece with Dijon mayonnaise, sliced turkey breast, honey Dijon dressing, thinly sliced Granny Smith apple and thin slices of cheddar cheese, all according to preference.
Warm in toaster oven to melt and brown cheese.
Serve open faced with sliced pickles.
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
Makes approximately 9 pancakes
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda1/2 teaspoon saltPinch of white sugar2 eggs2 cups buttermilk1/4 stick melted butter
Blend together dry ingredients in large mixing bowl (flour, baking soda, salt and sugar).
In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients (eggs, buttermilk and melted butter).
Gently fold the dry ingredients in with the wet. Be careful not to overmix; lumps are okay.
Ladle onto hot, buttered griddle and cook on each side approximately 3 minutes.
