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| - To my recollection, I've never dined at a non-profit restaurant before in my life. In a restaurant scene as gruelingly competitive as the Phoenix area, the idea of a restaurant operating for the purpose of charity is hard to wrap my mind around. But owner Jennifer Caraway had a vision, and here it is. The Joy Bus organization began in 2011 as a mission to deliver healthy gourmet meals to homebound cancer patients as well as deliver compassionate interactions to meal recipients. Since then, their charitable operation has expanded to include this diner on the southwest corner of 35th Street and Shea. Hungry for a good breakfast on a Saturday morning and always up for helping a good cause, I made the pilgrimage.
Just as with the meals The Joy Bus charity serves their cancer patients, the Joy Bus Diner emphasizes healthy gourmet items on the bulk of their menu. The restaurant sources the bulk of their items locally and in fact many of the food items served here are donated from local farms and distributors. You might understandably question what type of quality and creativity to expect with donated ingredients, but the Yelp ratings gave me optimism that I would have a good breakfast here. The diner itself is hidden in a relatively non descript strip center with seating for about 40 altogether. I arrived at opening and grabbed a seat at the front counter.
To start my meal, I embraced my inner millennial and went with the item that is apparently Joy Bus' most popular menu offering. The Avocado Woods Toast. Avocado, arugula, tomato, and a poached egg stacked high on toasted bread. The portion is appetizer sized, but nevertheless a tasty treat for those who love avocado (and I do). I especially enjoyed the mix of the egg yolk with the veggies and toast. For my second act, I went with a breakfast staple I usually steer clear of. Oatmeal. In the case of Joy Bus, its their Bircher Muesli. What's this you ask? A traditional Swiss oatmeal made with raw oats, slices of seasonal fruits (in today's case it was coconut, apples, blueberries, and grapes), milk, whipped cream, and a dash of cinnamon. If oatmeal tasted like this, I would eat oatmeal everyday. An absolutely fantastic dish with lots of fresh fruit and the perfect balance of oats and cream. Still hungry, I closed out my meal with their CSA Scramble with Egg Whites. The CSA is for Crooked Sky Farms (one of Joy Bus' biggest suppliers). Egg whites with mixed veggies (I picked up spinach, onions and potatoes), with a side of fruits, sliced tomatoes, whole grain toast and peach jam. A well balanced, healthy, delicious plate mixing in sweet, salty, tart, acidic, grainy and whatever other adjectives you wanna throw in there. Point is, the food here is excellent.
Total cost for the food, tax, and tip came to $25. A healthy, delicious, inexpensive meal at a low cost and for a great cause. Its a feel good story all around at Joy Bus. You can be sure I'll be back to try out their lunch menu, eager to sample more delicious offerings. And also eager to support Jennifer Caraway's worthy mission to make life in the valley a little bit better for those in need of a good meal and a smile. Here's hoping Jennifer's non-profit business model is not just a one off, but a movement that we'll see replicated elsewhere in the valley's vibrant local food community.
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