Lunch with an Old Town attitude

House of Juju’s Athena Salad with a side of freshly made Clam Chowder.
PHOTO BY DONNA MELCHOR

This past Friday, I was in Old Town looking forward to an enjoyable place for myself and an employee to have a lunch meeting. I wanted to try out one of our newer establishments in the area and decided on House of JuJu. The restaurant is famous for their mouth-watering burgers, roasted potatoes, and signature dipping sauces.

Once seated I quickly decided that the perfect Friday lunch would need to begin with a glass of wine.  I thoroughly enjoy house wines and have developed quite the palate. I can tell you that their Chardonnay does not disappoint.

My lunch companion was fashionably late which gave me time to go over the menu and relax with my wine. The atmosphere of Old Town with the perfect lunch setting was perfect! Outside the large street front windows is a wonderful view of our new Centennial Plaza.

I quickly acquired an “Old Town attitude.” This comes from the smugness brought on by knowing that Clovis has an Old Town that puts most others to shame.    

Being in the mood for soup and salad I was thrilled to see they offered some enticing options for salads along with clam chowder. Clam Chowder is one of my favorites — however, I am very particular about it. I asked my waitress, Crystal, if the Chowder is freshly made. She told me it indeed is. However, it is not your typical bowl of Clam Chowder. It is a House of JuJu variation made with butter rather than cream. Thinking that it could be either a hit or a miss, Sherri offered me a sample. My reaction: YUM! I decided on the Athena Salad along with the chowder.

My lunch companion arrived so, it was time to “order up.” He is a burger enthusiast — this contributed to my deciding on House of JuJu. He ordered the Leticia hamburger with the clam chowder as a side.

True to the saying, you can always tell a great local restaurant by all the locals frequenting the establishment.   

Donna Melchor is the owner and publisher of the Clovis Roundup. Her love and passion for the City of Clovis and its people is the inspiration behind this publication. For her dedication, Donna Melchor has also been honored as the 2012 Business Woman of the Year and as the recipient of the 2014 Spirit of Clovis award held by the Clovis Hall of Fame.