With finals week approaching, it’s imperative to eat yummy, healthy foods to get you through the stress. Over the weekend, I tried Laci’s Lunchbox, which I consider to be a top-notch hidden spot in the Hawley-Green neighborhood of Syracuse. Down the road from Syracuse University, Laci’s Lunchbox is located at 115 Green St.

Opened by Laura Serway and Cindy Seymour, who also owns Laci’s Tapas, which is located across the way, Laci’s Lunchbox is set in a refurbished Victorian-style house. When first approaching the restaurant, you immediately see colorful Adirondack chairs on the front porch. I could tell that this lunch spot was going to be cute and inviting.

After successfully opening Laci’s Tapas five years ago, Serway and Seymour decided they wanted to restore Green Street one restaurant at a time, so they opened their second restaurant (Laci’s Lunchbox) last year. The name “Laci” comes from the first two letters of Laura and Cindy’s names put together.

Laci’s Lunchbox offers specialty coffees, smoothies, soups, salads and specials. Breakfast and catering are also available. They have eight different paninis to choose from, all made with freshly baked focaccia bread or gluten-free white or wheat wraps.

I tried the green panini, topped with turkey breast, Swiss cheese and cranberry mayo. The food is presented in a fun way — the sandwich was served on checkerboard paper, giving it an old-school diner kind of feel. The panini was very tasty and was not your average Syracuse sandwich. The cranberry mayo was a surprising addition to the turkey and Swiss combination.

For a drink, I tried the Almond Joy, a specialty coffee made with chocolate and almond milk, topped in whipped cream and finished with shredded coconut bits, served in a huge mug.

The coffee tasted just like an Almond Joy candy. It was very smooth and creamy but not overly sweet. Like all specialty coffee drinks at Laci’s Lunchbox, this one was served with a fresh chocolate chip cookie — which, I must say, was the perfect touch. I dipped my cookie in the warm beverage and thoroughly enjoyed this special treat.

On the way out, I decided to try a smoothie. I ordered the Green Genie, which contains apple juice, spinach, mango and pineapple. I was disappointed to see the smoothie being made with frozen fruit and confectioners’ sugar. It tasted very artificial. This isn’t something I would order again.

While watching my smoothie being made, I couldn’t help but stare at the container of cookies in front of me. There were four different options of cookies to choose from: peanut butter, chocolate chunk, white chocolate macadamia and the seasonal cookie which is white chocolate chip with cranberries. All of the cookies are baked fresh daily. I tried the chocolate chunk and it was exceptional.

The quaint lunch spot is casual but fun. When you walk in, you immediately see a chalkboard wall with specials listed. There is an open counter filled with containers of fresh baked goods next to where you order food. You can either choose to take your food on the go or stay and dine. Some of the chairs have coffee cutouts behind them, adding to the coffee shop decor.

The comfortable atmosphere resembles a dining room — it is very homey. There is a fireplace in the center of the dining room, adding to the coziness. It felt like the type of place where the employees would know my name.

Of all the sandwich options in Syracuse this is definitely one of the best spots. The food is phenomenal, the portions are massive and the prices are right.

Published on December 6, 2015 at 11:33 pm

Contact Callie: caweinst@syr.edu