By Kelli Samson
Whose lunchbox, would you say, was the “luckiest” when you were a kid in the lunchroom at school? I will be the first to tell you that it was not mine. My lunchbox had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread one day and a bologna-and-cheese the next. There was nothing gourmet to see there, although I do have to throw some credit at my mom for putting in home-baked goods almost every day.
I always envied the kids with the packaged cookies, the Twinkies, the Fruit Roll-Ups – the kids with the lunch bag filled with junky things like a soda wrapped in foil (what was that foil supposed to do, really?) or a candy bar.
Thankfully, the times have changed. We live in a time when we have access to great ideas for lunches at our fingertips, and we also live in a town that values locally sourced, wholesome food and all of the delicious things one can craft from said ingredients.
And, lucky for all of us in Thurston County, we have Olympia – because Olympia is home to The Lucky Lunchbox, located in the Wildwood Building at 2826 Capitol Boulevard, in South East Olympia.
The Lucky Lunchbox is owned by locals Jim Butigan and his wife Nicole. It is affectionately known as “the little brother” to their other establishment, Swing Wine Bar.
Its inception was simple: the hard-working staff at Swing was hungry one night, so they made sandwiches together. The idea for a sandwich shop was born. The Butigans had to add a prep-room to Swing to support the 300-square-foot Lucky Lunchbox.
“We’ve tripled the space of the kitchen at Swing,” states Butigan. “Now we’re able to do more with Swing itself, too. We have the capacity for more catering.”
The establishments compliment one another in more ways than the kitchen. “It’s fun because The Lucky Lunchbox is open from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, and Swing is open from 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm. There’s a nice chemistry going on there between the two,” adds Butigan.
The two also share the vision of Sam Mikesell, formerly the chef of Swing, now the general manager of The Lucky Lunchbox. “The Butigans asked me if I wanted to take this on as a project. I was excited to,” smiles Mikesell. He is eloquent and welcoming.
He takes a lot of pride in this place, and rightfully so. Mikesell designed the menu with some input from the Butigans, and he preps the salads and bakes the macaroons himself. He is a man who is happy in his work. “I am so excited he enjoys it,” says Butigan.
And that menu? Simple and scrumptious. One begins with either a cold sandwich or a hot sandwich. For $2.50 more, two sides can be added. There are also soups and lunch salads, not to mention a kid’s menu at a fixed price. They have gluten-free options, and customers can call ahead to place an order. For orders of ten or more sandwiches, they deliver. Like Swing, they also cater.
I can speak from experience and assure you that the Sicilian tuna sandwich – with rye bread, capers, arugula, dolphin-safe tuna, and some very subtle onion – is absolutely delectable. It was so big I had to save half for the next day’s lunch, and it was still terrific. The macaroni salad is full of mayonnaise, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and onion, along with classy Rigatoni noodles. One bite and my brain thought I was back on the East Coast where I spent time growing up. Perfection. I could eat it every day. Finally, Mikesell’s macaroon is a generously sized golf ball of a treat that is toasty outside and exquisitely sticky and moist inside.
My daughter got the kid’s meal and declared it the “best lunch ever!” She chose Pablo’s Yummy, which is a jam and butter sandwich and a favorite of the Butigan’s son, Pablo. Her lunch was reasonably priced at $5 and came with a choice of a side and an organic juice box.
The ingredients used at The Lucky Lunchbox will make any Olympian proud. The produce comes from Charlie’s Produce and from next door at Spud’s Produce Market. They use nitrate-free, preservative-free, organic meats, and the organic bread is made by Seattle’s own Essential Baking Company.
The folks at The Lucky Lunchbox also make their own bacon for their sandwiches. And if that’s not dedication to quality, from-scratch ingredients, I don’t know what is.
The Wildwood Building’s revival has been done by and for the community. The Lucky Lunchbox shares a bathroom and a wall with the Olympia Coffee Roasting Company. The lumber in some of the shops, including The Lucky Lunchbox, comes from Windfall Lumber, who harvested it from an old gym floor.
“Everybody here has a business that works well together to make Wildwood one great stop,” explains Butigan.
Butigan grew up in Olympia. “I always have known the Wildwood Building as a landmark on Capitol Boulevard. We love the whole area. We felt comfortable with Olympia Coffee next door. We know Dave Jekel from Spud’s Market, and I went to school with the owners of Vic’s.”
The neighborhood loves what places like The Lucky Lunchbox offer them. Says South East resident Carie Bussey, “I love the Lucky Lunchbox. I have stopped by to get kid lunches a couple of times to take to my son at Pioneer Elementary – fun!”
And what about that name – The Lucky Lunchbox? The Butigans credit their son, Pablo. “We like to think about things we’re lucky for in our lives – we gravitated toward the horseshoe on our logo because the horseshoe is facing up for good luck. We like to embrace the luck,” explains Butigan.
Trust me: you would feel pretty lucky to have a lunch bag filled with a mouth-watering meal from this establishment. You can follow The Lucky Lunchbox on Facebook or visit www.theluckylunchbox.com to learn more.
