Welcome to the Lunch Box

May 17, 2015

It was 1992 when Julie and Dave Budas bought a little bakery in Bellaire called Baker’s Basket and Delicatessen.

Dave was railroad worker downstate with no eatery experience, while Julie had a couple decades of food service know-how under her belt before they moved north and began peddling pastries. After six years, they decided to make some big changes.

"There were three reasons," Julie recalled with a smile. "First, it was the era of the Atkins Diet and you couldn’t give a donut away. And I got tired of getting up in the middle of the night to get the pastries ready for the morning crowd. Finally, I topped 268 pounds. Those donuts were talking to me."

A Time of Change

In 1998, Baker’s Basket and Delicatessen became The Lunch Box, serving breakfast and lunch to "very faithful locals" and summer visitors.

Julie launched a daily health regimen that has seen her drop 100 pounds.

Located in a building that once housed a grocery store, The Lunch Box is a cozy place that seats 25 customers. After Memorial Day, they add a handful of outdoor seats.

It’s a home-cooking place with three distinct decorative themes.

Along one wall is a display of motorcycle photos and memorabilia, reflecting the Budas’s love of all things Harley-Davidson. Julie rides a 2004 Dyna Super Glide, while Dave tools around on a 2002 Road King. Their general philosophy is found on the front of the take-out menu: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, beer in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!"

The Menu

Diners can get breakfast anytime. During the summer rush, The Lunch Box goes through 160 dozen eggs a week. The menu features the usual assortment of eggs-any-style dishes, all served with a choice of thick-sliced toast, English muffin or house-baked muffin. In addition to bacon, ham and sausage, guests can order Polish kielbasa with their eggs or design their own three-egg omelets.

The most popular breakfast is the Country Style Eggs Benedict, which features a pair of grilled homemade potato pancakes topped with two sausage patties, two poached eggs, and bathed in sausage gravy rather than Hollandaise sauce. A homemade biscuit accompanies the meal. It’s a hearty treat for those with a healthy appetite.

"Another favorite is our Hopple Popple," said Julie. "It’s a skillet breakfast with ham, eggs, potatoes, onions, peppers and cheddar cheese, and served with your choice of toast."

For the lunch bunch there are five salads, including a grilled chicken salad, a chef salad, a chicken Caesar salad and a spinach salad, but the most popular is the bacon, lettuce and tomato salad, featuring crisp bacon and fresh-sliced tomatoes on a bed of romaine lettuce, topped with a sweet and tangy house-made dressing and garnished with cheddar cheese.

Sandwich lovers will find 23 different options choose from: classic favorites, but also some unusual choices like a Beef L T (roast beef, lettuce and tomato on Bianca bread and topped with homemade pepper mayo) or a Prime Time (beef and Swiss topped with horseradish sauce and grilled on pumpernickel).

The Lunch Box’s most popular sandwich is The Gobbler, an open-faced treat on pumpernickel bread, blanketed with a layer of house-made cranberry-raspberry sauce piled high with sliced turkey. It’s topped with Swiss cheese and broiled to a golden brown. Other turkey and chicken sandwiches include the Antrim County Reuben, Turkey Avocado, and Kickin’ Chicken.

One meal you can’t get at The Lunch Box is a burger and fries.

"No burgers," said Julie. "And nothing deep-fried. We don’t have a deep fryer. All our sandwiches come with chips and a pickle."

Cook Jenny Rowell makes many of the meals, but Julie also works in the kitchen. Dave handles the front of the house.

"He’s a fantastic wait person," said Julie. The Lunch Box draw skiers from Shanty Creek, and Short’s Brewery has turned Bellaire into a bustling little village, according to Julie.

"Joe [Short] has truly made Bellaire a destination," she said. "He’s a wonderful guy and he’s energized and is all about Bellaire."

The Skinny

Eggs and omelets start at $5, other breakfasts at $2. Soups start at $3, most sandwiches and salads at $8.

The Lunch Box is open seven days a week.

Through May 21, hours are 8am to 2pm. After May 21, it’s open from 7am to 2 pm.

The Lunch Box is located at 106 Cayuga Street in Bellaire. For more information, call (231) 533-6678 or visit www.lunchboxbellaire.com.