Dream a sweet, organic dream in Glenview
by Laura Michaels
Story published in the Glenview Lantern on October 06, 2011 | 12:48 AM
The Eurythmics sing "Sweet dreams are made of this," and "this" to Martha Sutton is something organic.
That would also make the lyric completely accurate.
Sweet Dreams Organic Bakery and Cafe in Glenview makes delectable organic dishes a reality, with each ingredient meeting or exceeding the USDA's National Organic Program requirement. Sutton, the cafe's executive pastry chef, even makes her own food coloring with vegetable juices and organic sugar.
Since opening six years ago at 1107 Waukegan Road, Sweet Dreams has been changing the way diners enjoy organic, vegan and gluten-free foods.
"We're so excited about our food," Sutton said. "Literally, we don't buy a single thing pre-made."
Pause.
"Well, except for milk. I mean, we don't have a cow," she laughed.
Sutton acknowledged Sweet Dreams' prices are slightly higher than other cafes (most lunch items between $9-$12), but that results from the high quality of all-organic ingredients.
"It's what food used to be before we messed with it," Sutton said of Sweet Dreams' organic menu.
Sutton described her partnership with Sweet Dreams owner Mary Sopcic as "the perfect marriage of healthy and decadent."
The savory offspring of that marriage was showcased in Sweet Dreams' creamed chicken crepe ($13.50), one of four lunch items our trio enjoyed during our visit last week.
Rich creamed chicken – Sutton's grandma's recipe – is enclosed in one of Sopcic's made-from-scratch crepes and served with sliced avocado, tomato and a small garden salad. The crepe was the hands-down favorite of Assistant Editor Alex Mayster, and fellow editor Anna Lothson and I agreed it was the perfect pick on a cold, rainy day.
As we awaited the arrival of two sandwiches – grilled portobello and grilled tofu – we sampled one of Sweet Dreams' fresh-squeezed juice combinations. I took one drink of the orange-carrot concoction ($5 for 10 oz.) and couldn't get the smile off my face. The crisp carrot flavor is coupled with the orange's sweetness to create a juice that makes you feel healthier after just a sip. Sutton called each juice combination (you can also get apple, beet and celery) a "little glass of sunshine," a description I'd say is right on.
Sweet Dreams doesn't serve soda, but has an ample coffee and tea menu to accompany the juices. The cafe is also in the process of getting a liquor license to serve organic wine and beer.
Sutton brought the sandwiches next and noted all sandwiches are served on Sweet Dreams' fresh-baked vegan ciabatta bread.
The grilled portobello ($9.7) features lightly seasoned mushroom caps with tender-crisp zucchini, roasted pepper, carrots, onions and tomatoes with homemade red pepper hummus and mixed greens. Each vegetable's vibrant flavor was evident in every bite, and the hummus was an ideal complement. Even Mayster, who is usually anti-vegetable, appreciated the light yet filling sandwich.
New to pressed soy milk curds, the three of us weren't sure what to expect from the grilled tofu sandwich ($9.25). Thanks to Sweet Dreams' expertise, we were all pleasantly surprised.
The firm, seasoned tofu was topped with roasted red peppers, zucchini, carrots, red onions, tomatoes and more of Sopcic's red pepper hummus to create a sandwich I plan to enjoy on a regular basis. The tofu's unobtrusive flavor allowed the freshness of the accompanying vegetables to shine while still providing texture to the meatless dish.
Sutton then had us sample the vegan navy bean soup, which we all agreed tasted better than any other we'd tried. All of Sweet Dreams' soup stocks are made from scratch, and aside from the chicken soup, all soups are vegan.
We then dug into the Harvest Salad ($10), one of the lunch specials and perfect for the fall season. Fresh mixed greens are generously topped with apples, candied walnuts and a dusting of Monterey Jack cheese, and the salad is served with a side of Sweet Dreams' balsamic vinaigrette.
As we polished off the salad, Sutton came back to our table with a smile and said now that we'd eaten our fill of health food it was time for dessert.
With that, she presented her chocolate peanut butter cupcake ($4.50), cappuccino brownie ($4.50), strawberry fruit tarts ($6.50) and a gluten-free peanut butter cup ($1.50). Our smiles mirrored Sutton's as we savored the decadent treats.
The cupcake features rich, moist chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and a peanut butter cup. The brownie, meanwhile, was topped with a layer of cinnamon cream cheese followed by chocolate ganache. Sweet dough with pastry cream and a thick strawberry slice combined to make the best fruit tart I've ever tasted. The peanut butter cup is sweetened with agave instead of sugar, and you'd never guess it's gluten free.
Sweet Dreams offers catering services, along with custom special occasion and wedding cakes.
The cafe is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit www.sweetdreamsorganicbakery.com or call (847) 657-1092.
Link to the story on the Glenview Lantern web site
Story published in the Glenview Lantern on October 06, 2011 | 12:48 AM
The Eurythmics sing "Sweet dreams are made of this," and "this" to Martha Sutton is something organic.
That would also make the lyric completely accurate.
Sweet Dreams Organic Bakery and Cafe in Glenview makes delectable organic dishes a reality, with each ingredient meeting or exceeding the USDA's National Organic Program requirement. Sutton, the cafe's executive pastry chef, even makes her own food coloring with vegetable juices and organic sugar.
Since opening six years ago at 1107 Waukegan Road, Sweet Dreams has been changing the way diners enjoy organic, vegan and gluten-free foods.
"We're so excited about our food," Sutton said. "Literally, we don't buy a single thing pre-made."
Pause.
"Well, except for milk. I mean, we don't have a cow," she laughed.
Sutton acknowledged Sweet Dreams' prices are slightly higher than other cafes (most lunch items between $9-$12), but that results from the high quality of all-organic ingredients.
"It's what food used to be before we messed with it," Sutton said of Sweet Dreams' organic menu.
Sutton described her partnership with Sweet Dreams owner Mary Sopcic as "the perfect marriage of healthy and decadent."
The savory offspring of that marriage was showcased in Sweet Dreams' creamed chicken crepe ($13.50), one of four lunch items our trio enjoyed during our visit last week.
Rich creamed chicken – Sutton's grandma's recipe – is enclosed in one of Sopcic's made-from-scratch crepes and served with sliced avocado, tomato and a small garden salad. The crepe was the hands-down favorite of Assistant Editor Alex Mayster, and fellow editor Anna Lothson and I agreed it was the perfect pick on a cold, rainy day.
As we awaited the arrival of two sandwiches – grilled portobello and grilled tofu – we sampled one of Sweet Dreams' fresh-squeezed juice combinations. I took one drink of the orange-carrot concoction ($5 for 10 oz.) and couldn't get the smile off my face. The crisp carrot flavor is coupled with the orange's sweetness to create a juice that makes you feel healthier after just a sip. Sutton called each juice combination (you can also get apple, beet and celery) a "little glass of sunshine," a description I'd say is right on.
Sweet Dreams doesn't serve soda, but has an ample coffee and tea menu to accompany the juices. The cafe is also in the process of getting a liquor license to serve organic wine and beer.
Sutton brought the sandwiches next and noted all sandwiches are served on Sweet Dreams' fresh-baked vegan ciabatta bread.
The grilled portobello ($9.7) features lightly seasoned mushroom caps with tender-crisp zucchini, roasted pepper, carrots, onions and tomatoes with homemade red pepper hummus and mixed greens. Each vegetable's vibrant flavor was evident in every bite, and the hummus was an ideal complement. Even Mayster, who is usually anti-vegetable, appreciated the light yet filling sandwich.
New to pressed soy milk curds, the three of us weren't sure what to expect from the grilled tofu sandwich ($9.25). Thanks to Sweet Dreams' expertise, we were all pleasantly surprised.
The firm, seasoned tofu was topped with roasted red peppers, zucchini, carrots, red onions, tomatoes and more of Sopcic's red pepper hummus to create a sandwich I plan to enjoy on a regular basis. The tofu's unobtrusive flavor allowed the freshness of the accompanying vegetables to shine while still providing texture to the meatless dish.
Sutton then had us sample the vegan navy bean soup, which we all agreed tasted better than any other we'd tried. All of Sweet Dreams' soup stocks are made from scratch, and aside from the chicken soup, all soups are vegan.
We then dug into the Harvest Salad ($10), one of the lunch specials and perfect for the fall season. Fresh mixed greens are generously topped with apples, candied walnuts and a dusting of Monterey Jack cheese, and the salad is served with a side of Sweet Dreams' balsamic vinaigrette.
As we polished off the salad, Sutton came back to our table with a smile and said now that we'd eaten our fill of health food it was time for dessert.
With that, she presented her chocolate peanut butter cupcake ($4.50), cappuccino brownie ($4.50), strawberry fruit tarts ($6.50) and a gluten-free peanut butter cup ($1.50). Our smiles mirrored Sutton's as we savored the decadent treats.
The cupcake features rich, moist chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and a peanut butter cup. The brownie, meanwhile, was topped with a layer of cinnamon cream cheese followed by chocolate ganache. Sweet dough with pastry cream and a thick strawberry slice combined to make the best fruit tart I've ever tasted. The peanut butter cup is sweetened with agave instead of sugar, and you'd never guess it's gluten free.
Sweet Dreams offers catering services, along with custom special occasion and wedding cakes.
The cafe is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit www.sweetdreamsorganicbakery.com or call (847) 657-1092.
Link to the story on the Glenview Lantern web site
Apple Strudel - Sweet Dreams Organic Bakery & Cafe, Glenview
Story published in The Wilmette Beacon on September 22, 2011
Now that fall is here, the only food I love more than pumpkins are apples. With memories of lazy Sunday afternoons strolling through apple orchards with my family, where my big brothers would typically toss an apple or two at my head, I'm always reminded of the simple things in life when I enjoy a savory apple dessert. But after going to Sweet Dreams for the apple strudel ($3.50), I learned this seemingly simple treat is quite complex.
I sat down with Martha Sutton, the Executive Pastry Chef at Sweet Dreams, where she explained the dough starts at about 6 inches and is stretched to a 6-by-4-foot piece. Unlike many bakeries, Sweet Dreams' phyllo dough is homemade, just like the rest of its pastries. "It's kind of an art to make it," she said. "It's layers of flaky, fresh, apples."
I opted to eat mine warm and after one bit of all the decadent flavors of fall rolled up into one dessert I was content. The Gala apples, picked fresh and grown without chemicals, were mildly sweet but the warm phyllo dough made for a rich combination.
The hard work Sutton puts in the kitchen certainly paid off. I also learned Sweet Dreams offers blueberry, cherry and peach strudel throughout the year.
I guess I'll be making a trip back soon.
To learn more about Sweet Dreams, visit www.sweetdreamsorganicbakery.com or call (847) 657-1092. The bakery and cafe is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Anna Lothson
Link to the story on the Wilmette Beacon web site
Now that fall is here, the only food I love more than pumpkins are apples. With memories of lazy Sunday afternoons strolling through apple orchards with my family, where my big brothers would typically toss an apple or two at my head, I'm always reminded of the simple things in life when I enjoy a savory apple dessert. But after going to Sweet Dreams for the apple strudel ($3.50), I learned this seemingly simple treat is quite complex.
I sat down with Martha Sutton, the Executive Pastry Chef at Sweet Dreams, where she explained the dough starts at about 6 inches and is stretched to a 6-by-4-foot piece. Unlike many bakeries, Sweet Dreams' phyllo dough is homemade, just like the rest of its pastries. "It's kind of an art to make it," she said. "It's layers of flaky, fresh, apples."
I opted to eat mine warm and after one bit of all the decadent flavors of fall rolled up into one dessert I was content. The Gala apples, picked fresh and grown without chemicals, were mildly sweet but the warm phyllo dough made for a rich combination.
The hard work Sutton puts in the kitchen certainly paid off. I also learned Sweet Dreams offers blueberry, cherry and peach strudel throughout the year.
I guess I'll be making a trip back soon.
To learn more about Sweet Dreams, visit www.sweetdreamsorganicbakery.com or call (847) 657-1092. The bakery and cafe is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Anna Lothson
Link to the story on the Wilmette Beacon web site
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