Swim Cafe
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Karen Gerod was a photo stylist when she started baking cakes and cookies for her friends. Small surprise, then, that Swim Cafe, her new breakfast-and-lunch joint, is magazine pretty. Awash in mild, bright shades of aqua and sea foam green, the uncluttered room is filled out by three curved wood benches that resemble waves. They were designed and built by Gerod’s husband, who also fashioned the white-topped tables. But though everything here looks just fabulous, the focus at Swim is on how it tastes. Gerod serves fresh, organic foods from local and socially conscious vendors–Ineeka Tea, Red Hen breads and croissants, Naked juices and smoothies, and java from Just Coffee, a fair-trade roaster based in Madison. She also uses them in her sandwiches, salads, quiches, and sweets. I can think of no more perfect treat for kids who’ve worked up an appetite across the street in the Eckhart Park pool than a PB&J on Red Hen’s scrumptious chocolate bread. A tuna sandwich on pumpernickel gets a kick from capers, cucumber, and lemon, and a ham-and-cheese panini uses Jarlsberg cheese. All are served with your choice of green salad or seasonal fruit lightly accented with mint. Desserts vary, but with any luck the chocolate bread pudding will become a staple–served hot with whipped cream and berries, it’s one of the most luscious chocolate concoctions I’ve had in some time. The tiramisu bread runs a close second: Gerod spreads two slices of chocolate bread (obviously she’s a fan of the stuff) with a layer of mascarpone, cocoa, and espresso and accessorizes them with whipped cream, strawberries, and chocolate syrup. Gerod also bakes her own muffins and cookies, which she keeps diminutive by design–“small but rich” is her motto. As it happens, they also bundle nicely into lunch boxes decorated with vintage illustrations of swimmers, available for $8 empty or stuffed with cookies for $15. Bring one back and you’ll get a 10 percent discount on the next meal you take away. –Susannah J. Felts
