Cafe J

In town for a visit to Hamilton College and Cafe J offers a free cookie for visiting campus so we stopped by for lunch. Great Salads and sandwiches. I had the quiche with sausage spinach on a homefries crust. Great coffee and baked goods.

I was in town for 4 nights, and was in here 3 days out of 4. The espresso is amazing, the service is warm and welcoming, and the food is top notch vegan and vegetarian, as well as other options. Truly a gem in the city of Clinton NY.

I came to Cafe J on a chilly weekday afternoon, looking for somewhere in Clinton that had wifi and something vegan for lunch.  The place is small but brightly colored and adorably decorated, and I had no trouble finding a place to sit with my laptop.  The people working behind the counter were really warm and friendly, and though it was relatively quiet when I was there, I imagine it gets pretty packed when college is in session.

I suspect Cafe J is one of the only places in town with the word 'vegetarian' anywhere on the menu, and for that, I was grateful.  They had a number of different vegan options, including a black bean wrap, a hummus sandwich, and a few salads.  You can also order soymilk in any of their coffee drinks.  I did just that, enjoying a vanilla soy latte and a salad with mandarin oranges, craisins, and pumpkin seeds.  They were tasty, if unremarkable, but the Utica area isn't exactly a vegetarian wonderland, so I was content.

Cafe J is a really cute and welcome addition to Park Row, and I was so happy to spend some time there while passing through Clinton.  Don't miss it while you're in town!