Restaurant Review: Swheat Market Deli

One of the best things about is that it is not a chain restaurant. Everything is made from scratch daily. When you order a turkey sandwich, you get thick, carved turkey meat, not something processed and slimy. The soups change daily, making use of whatever ingredients are fresh at the moment. Best of all, Swheat Market is staffed with the kind of people who take the time to learn your name and your order.

I took my 7-month-old son with me for lunch on a Wednesday. As I approached the entrance juggling a diaper bag and car seat, the gentleman behind the counter came rushing to the door to help me inside, then spent several moments cooing over my baby. Already I was impressed with the warm welcome and service.

The atmosphere at Swheat Market is fun and soothing at the same time — fun in the sense that it’s decorated with elaborate wall murals and mismatched tables, soothing in that it smells like Grandma’s house and the indie rock music provides a quaint soundtrack to your meal. Simply put, it’s the kind of place where you want to linger over your meal, maybe write in your journal or have a deep conversation with your companion. In my case, I had a one-sided conversation with my son about the cars going by as we sat in one of the two corner tables looking out at downtown Main Street.

I ordered the veggie wrap which included seasonal fresh vegetables and herb vegenaise on a whole wheat wrap. I customized it a bit by asking them to add sliced turkey, which they happily obliged. I also ordered a bowl of tomato and blue cheese soup because I couldn’t resist the combination. The daily soup collection also included parmesan potato sausage and bacon cheeseburger “chowda.”

It was by no means crowded but there were other diners scattered throughout the restaurant, which is always reassuring when you are trying something new. After I placed my order at the counter I grabbed a bottle of water from the drink case and settled into a table. Along the way I took a moment to appreciate the rustic décor and also noticed a bar containing condiments and a large glass container filled with fresh croutons, presumably to sprinkle on soup.

My food arrived quickly and I started with the soup, which was hot and fragrant. It was simply prepared and delivered on its promise with the distinct flavors of tomato and blue cheese coming through. My wrap was also simple and delicious. The vegetables were plentiful and crisp, the meat thick and the herb vegenaise offered a creamy, flavorful accent to the veggies and nutty wheat wrap.

What I especially liked about the wrap was how well it was wrapped. A lot of times you order wraps that are too skimpy, too full or just too lazily assembled and everything comes pouring out the ends when you take a bite. Not this wrap; I was able to eat it with one hand while holding my son and I didn’t lose a single bite.

Swheat Market Deli is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and recently opened Sunday afternoons as well. The menu is the same for lunch and dinner and they always have daily specials and new soups, so it’s worth popping in on a regular basis. While I was there during the day and might have enjoyed a cup of coffee if I had more time, I can imagine it would be quite lovely to go for dinner and sip a glass of wine or beer while enjoying the atmosphere. Maybe I’ll see you there.