Sugarpearl Espresso Bar Gets Vegan Kudos!

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Cafe Hooray!

Sugar Pearl, a vegan coffeehouse, brings a big-city feel to Hawley-Green

By Lorraine Smorol
Courtesy of Syracuse New Times

From dive to dove, Sugar Pearl Espresso Bar and Lounge has transformed a sketchy spot in Hawley-Green to a fun and funky cafe worth a visit. Sugar Pearl is a welcoming, multi-use venue that opened May 1 at 600 Burnet Ave. It is owned and operated by manager Phyllis Vadala and chef Deborah Sorrentino. You may remember Sorrentino as former co-owner of the Lucky Moon Cafe, 719 E. Genesee St., which closed recently.

A few years ago, Vadala had been looking to invest in the neighborhood and came upon the spot. “It was a rough bar called Neumann’s Shag Inn, and the police finally closed it down,” she recalls. “It took almost two years to completely renovate the main level, and it was really a lot of work.”

Sweet things: Phyllis Vadala manages Sugar Pearl while Deborah Sorrentino keeps the vegan goodies coming.

Since Lucky Moon had shuttered, Sorrentino was looking for a new job. When Vadala asked her if she knew how to prepare vegan food Sorrentino admitted, “No, I don’t, but I can learn.” Responded Vadala: “We are a perfect match.”

First and foremost, Sugar Pearl is a coffee bar, which you’ll see in the first room you enter. A pair of white leather banquettes furnish the space, one fitted against the outer wall, the other on the opposite end. Small, round glass-top tables sit in front of each and orange “petal” chairs can be pulled up for seating. Bar stools in the same orange sit in front of the coffee bar’s counter.

A myriad of coffee choices is printed on boards in front of the coffee bar. “I cannot tell you how many brands of coffee we tried,” says Vadala. The pair finally decided on Gimme Coffee from Ithaca, “Our loving partners in coffee fanaticism,” says the menu. They also felt that French press was the best brewing method, used before transferring the coffee to a holding pot.

You won’t find Coke on the menu but there are many other unusual cold drinks: Birch beer, Roman penguin, sweet cucumber water and New York egg cream are listed along with vegan drinks like Xiang ice, Kyoshi’s ginger and pom, and soy or rice milk. A raw vegan smoothie combines fruit, olive oil, soy, bulghur, flax seed and almond butter. Have a vegan wrap, salad or a more substantial item like marinated baked tofu or wasabi sweet potatoes to go along with your beverage.

For dessert there’s a wonderfully moist carrot cake or chocolate chip cookies. Eat in the coffee area or take your food to the next room. The floor plan here is railroad style—that is, four rooms, one after another. The second room is a cozy combination of slate floor tiles and little bistro tables and chairs. The third room has parquet flooring, great for dancing. A jukebox was just installed this week, and a keyboard and upright piano are also in the room. The end room sports a pool table.

On Tuesday evenings Sugar Pearl holds an open mike from 7 p.m. to whenever. On Thursdays at 7 p.m. come in to view a free flick. “We’ve shown movies like Calendar Girl and Auntie Mame,” says Vadala. The last room is also where the listening crowd gathers in the evening. During the day it is a nice quiet spot for working on your laptop, catching up on reading or having a quiet tete-a-tete with a friend.

Vadala’s sister Sharrie helps out once in a while. There are also loyal volunteers who staff the coffee counter or do whatever else might be needed. Sarah is a young volunteer who knows the ropes. You’ll recognize her by her innovative tongue and face piercings.

Raising the bar: The opening of Sugar Pearl in Hawley-Green signals the continuing resurgence of the funky neighborhood.

Another regular, Morgan, is the self-appointed Sugar Pearl tour guide. “Have you seen the men’s and ladies’ rooms?” she asks. “It’s worth a look.”

Indeed, in the ladies’ room a framed photo of sorority members from the 1960s look down at you, with their pouty red lips and pouf hairdos. In the men’s quarters a similar framed photo has a graduating class of Methodist ministers, so be sure to behave. The sink is made from an old TV set, with the glass screen still intact; it’s a clever bit of kitsch.

Vadala and Sorrentino feel it’s important to be a venue for local artists, and Sugar Pearl features a different one every two weeks. A fascinating display of figurative drawings by Syracuse University graduate student Meggallion was up in October. November’s artist has yet to be installed.

Sugar Pearl serves breakfast Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, midnight to 3 a.m. Regular hours are Mondays through Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; call 422-7427.

To have a better handle on the late/early breakfast clientele, who at that hour have probably imbibed a bit, the early morning breakfasts are for members only. But not to worry. “A breakfast club membership card will be available for our customers during regular hours,” says Sorrentino. “Just ask for one.”

Breakfasts here will not be the usual IHOP menu of gummy pancakes with ham and sausage. This is a vegan place, after all. The only non-vegan item are dishes made with free-range, organic eggs.

For an out-of-the-ordinary morning meal, vegan or not, it would be worth a trip to Sugar Pearl to sample an omelet stuffed with a choice of red peppers, onion, mushrooms, cheese and vacon (that’s tofu bacon). If you like your eggs “neat,” they serve two, any style for $2.95 or three for $3.95. For a Southern breakfast try a mixture of collard greens, tomato, onions, garlic, black beans and zucchini.

Or try a triple-stuffed tomato dish, or a “sweet” dish, scrambled eggs or tofu over raisin bread, for $4.50. Add fries made from root vegetables or beans for an extra $1.95. Breakfast burritos and multi-carb sweet pumpkin/zucchini pancakes are also offered. For cereal lovers, raw vegan granola is $2.95 or hot bulghur is $3.25. Freshly squeezed orange juice is also on the menu.

The lunch and dinner menu has been expanded to include a vegan BLT: a V&T, vacon and tomato. Future fare will include pasta or rice bowls.

Sorrentino emphasizes that Sugar Pearl is available for catering, and recently put together a vegan menu for a wine tasting party at a private home in Sedgwick.

Sugar Pearl will be serving wine and beer as soon as its license comes through, and future plans include renovating the second level for dining, so that the main floor may be reserved for the coffee bar in front and a pub area in the rear. For now this latest addition to the burgeoning Hawley-Green gay neighborhood has also attracted vegans. Many customers come in for the great coffee and so they can hang out with the eclectic clientele.

“We are still getting out sea legs, and we want to expand to accommodate the need plus any requests for healthy food,” says Vadala. “We want to give the artsy people and the theater crowd something they haven’t had in Syracuse.”

About the name: Sugar Pearl evolved through brainstorming session. “We wanted something that people would remember,” Vadala says, “and the name just came out of the blue