Joule Coffee + Table If it is possible to fall in love with a space, I’m downright smitten with Joule Coffee & Table. The building itself will mark its hundredth year in 2017, and Joule’s front of house is the perfect marriage of light industrial and vintage aesthetic. Exposed ductwork is suspended below tin ceiling squares, bookending the near-century span of 223 South Wilmington Street. The lighting is soft and nicely diffused. And even during the busiest times, I’ve been seated with a companion in the main dining area and still enjoyed an easy conversation without too much ambient noise or bustle. The staff is always warm and friendly, with just the right level of attentiveness. The menu is imaginative without being trendy. Uncle Alex’s Cubano is possibly the best sandwich I’ve ever had, and every item I’ve tried on the brunch menu has been exquisite: Make sure to sample the hotcake. But I’ve saved the best for last. One of my favorite times of day to stop into Joule is around 3pm, when you can still order from the lunch menu, but the pace is laid-back and the pre-cocktail vibe is strong. I like to sit in the front window and order an iced pourover coffee, watch dogs walking their people, 110 | midtownmag.com
and pretend to read a book or work on my laptop. From 1940 to the mid-1990s, a pawnshop occupied the Joule property. As I sip, I like to imagine all the wheeling and dealing that went down here, along with the advent of US involvement in World War II, the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, the civil rights movement, and economic booms and busts that a pawn and loan business must have felt acutely. On most days, by the time the iced coffee cylinder in my glass has melted, I’ve spent just enough time daydreaming and dog-watching that the task of heading home to make dinner and help with homework seems infinitely less daunting. The Mecca A weekday lunch or late-night bite at the Mecca Restaurant on East Martin Street consistently delivers comforting fare at prices that defy the expectation most folks have for a downtown destination. But I return time and again for the sheer charm and nostalgia of the place. The shotgun layout and floor-mounted barstools are quintessential American diner décor; the wood paneling and vintage silver-backed mirrors flank booth seating to the left. The Mecca opened in 1930 and has operated in the current