Lemolo Cafe Wenatchee Serves Up A French Dip You’ll Crave

Finding lunch in the Wenatchee Valley is actually quite easy, but finding the perfect lunch for that perfect day? Not so much. I myself have a little bit of a love hate relationship with lunch because if I get busy in the office, I can wind up working straight through. On the other hand, if I find a break and go to lunch, then the problem is I don't really need lunch. (Come on, look at me. I'm not wasting away.) But I do like to eat. 

The great thing about grabbing lunch, of course, is that you get a break. The day can stop for 30 minutes. (Or 60 if you're lucky.) You can invest a little time on yourself, sitting back, relaxing and savoring that next great bite. 

I do have several places where I like to go to grab lunch. Sometimes it is fast food, maybe more than it should be, but then sometimes I can step out of the building, turn left and just a little way down the sidewalk into the next block is the Lemolo Cafe and Deli.  

The name Lemolo Cafe and Deli is actually a tribute to Mission Ridge, and the double black diamond run of the same name. (Did I mention the original owner liked to ski?) 

There are several things on the menu that are my first choices for lunch. The pizza is always awesome, same for the calzones. I truly love the French onion soup. (Nobody does it better in Wenatchee.) But on this day, I decided to go for the French dip. 

Like many great eateries around the world, the key to Lemolo Cafe and Deli's success is that everything is scratch made. They make their own bread, they make their own soups and more, all made from scratch. 

A French dip sandwich is a great way to judge the quality of a restaurant. A few weeks ago, I found myself in town on Saturday. I was in East Wenatchee, and I got a French dip at a restaurant (Not to be named here.) So, I Ordered the French dip, and received something a little less than excellent. The sandwich was small, the beef was tough and stringy, and very difficult to eat. The au jus was OK but not great. The high point of the meal is that I got it with onion rings. Unfortunately, they did not make up for the sandwich. 

I did leave a tip for the waitress because basically it wasn't her fault that the sandwich sucked. 

In my opinion, here is what makes the French dip sandwich at Lemolo Cafe and Deli excellent.  

First off, they bake their own bread. They use very thinly sliced roast beef. They add to that mushrooms sauteed in garlic and a little cheese on top and then they put it in the pizza oven and toast it. The au jus is also made from scratch using the drippings from the roast beef hot out of the oven. The flavor is really quite remarkable. 

I have no idea what other seasonings are used in the au jus in order to give it that flavor. (I should have asked.) It really makes the sandwich. (I mean, after all, it is called a French dip.) 

The Lemolo Cafe and Deli in its current form started in 2005 when it was purchased from Ron Mirada. (I hope I spelled it right) It was an excellent restaurant when Ron had it and when he decided to get out of the business. Zeb and Avery (brothers) worked hard to take it to the next level. 

If you get the opportunity to walk into the back prep area, which not everybody does, two things jump out at me, one is the rack of spices. Most of us have a spice rack at the house, right? This one is a little bit bigger. 

The other thing that caught my attention was the recipe books. All these recipes were either created by them or handed down to them. After 20 years in the business, they have it down to a science. The best ingredients they can find, to create the best flavor possible, for the best customer experience. 

My customer experience on that day was excellent, and when I was done with the French dip sandwich. I topped it off with a brownie. (For later, of course.) And yes, the desserts are scratch made as well.
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