FOOD TALK: ‘Sweetly Divine’ hits the spot
Just days after the autumnal equinox, like clockwork I’ve begun to see leaves falling, collecting in the yard, and changing the most beautiful reds, oranges and yellows.
I suppose it is summer’s incessant heat that drove me, as an adult, to eventually prefer autumn over summer. Even as I write this, a wonderful cool breeze blows through my open bedroom window. And that cool air means to me – among other things – that it’s now official soup season. Nothing beats a hot, homemade bowl of soup on a brisk autumn day.
The craving for a great bowl of soup reminded me of a tip I was given not too long ago by one of my professors. She told me I should check out a little pastry shop called Sweetly Divine the next time I’m in the market for a decent sandwich and fresh bowl of soup. So, in honor of the fall season and my unofficial soup tradition, I decided to take my professor’s advice.
When locals hear the name Sweetly Divine, I don’t suppose many of them think soups, salads and sandwiches. In fact, if I said you were able to order a three-course meal at a pastry shop, you may think I was a little bonkers. Then again, pastries are actually rather diverse when you think about the possibilities.
Allow me to tell you about the fabulous discoveries I made at my most recent visit to Sweetly Divine Pastry Shoppe, which is located at 1309 N. Main St. in Logan Рflanked by Costa Vida and Deseret Book. The shop owner, Mark Grodkowski, is a Polish immigrant who lives in Cache Valley and shares his knack for sweets with the local clientele. The first time I visited, I was there to order a bunch of fruit tarts, ̩clairs, Napoleons and swan-shaped cream puffs. As far as dessert pastries go, Mark is the man Рno joke.
However, it took some time for me to go back and try the sandwiches, salads and soup. I suppose part of the reason I was hesitant is that I was told the sandwiches and salads were all pre-made. For this reason, I didn’t think they would create any significant response on my food radar.
I later found out that they are still made fresh, just not made to order. In the tradition of any skillful baker, Mark makes everything he sells at Sweetly Divine throughout the night and the early morning. Everything is then sold fresh that day – as fresh as can possibly be. Being from the East Coast, specifically from the tri-state – New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania – area, which is a place well-populated by sandwich lovers, sandwich critics, sandwich gurus and, consequently, sandwich snobs. I happen to be one of these snobs. I guess that’s the other reason I didn’t immediately give one of Mark’s sandwiches a try – it’s sometimes hard to find a worth sandwich in these parts, but it can be done.
When I finally tried one of Mark’s turkey sandwiches, I instantly tasted the homemade jalapeno jelly on it. That jelly made the sandwich completely unique to anything I’ve tasted in the past. It was in fact sweetly divine. There is also a variety of other sandwich choices, including roast beef and ham.
Sweetly Divine also features a wide selection of homemade jalapeno jellies, including blueberry pomegranate and jalapeno, apricot jalapeno, pineapple jalapeno and cranberry jalapeno. Each sandwich comes with a different kind of jelly. I’m sure there are a few I’m forgetting, but the point is that these homemade condiments set Sweetly Divine apart from the pack.
Since I opted for the half-sandwich-half-soup combo, I also got a cup of the creamy vegetable
soup – each day of the week features a different soup. I didn’t know what to expect when I ordered it, since vegetable is quite an arbitrary term in the food world; but it turned out that I got a creamy potato soup with fresh, local asparagus and shredded carrot. The soup was piping hot and perfectly seasoned. It required no additional salt or pepper.
There were two additional elements that made my stop at Sweetly Divine a hit. First, my third course was another one of those sinfully delicious swan-shaped creampuffs, which, at $4, I couldn’t turn down. Then, I was able to leave with a whole pint of that fantastic jalapeno jelly – priced at an affordable $6.95.
Next time you’re in the neighborhood, look for Sweetly Divine – it’s a tiny place kind of sandwiched between a couple of other stores (it’s right next to Zeppe’s) – and show Mark some love. He deserves the business, and he certainly knows and loves what he does. His passion for food comes through in his food. Sweetly Divine gets an A-plus in my book.
– D. Whitney Smith worked as a server, cook, bartender and lacky in 24 restaurants across the country from 1999-2010. When he decided to hang up his apron and enroll at USU, his interest in food only increased. Now he shares his thoughts on food and dining with you. If you have any suggestions for review topics, email him at dan.whitney.smith@aggiemail.usu.edu.