Entering Sweet N Savory is like walking into a dynamic, hip cafe in Brooklyn – except, one that’s playing contemporary Christian country music by Mercy Me and Casting Crowns. This intriguing blending of vibes lends itself to the broader “sweet and savory” way this Sweet N Savory place has in carrying itself. The cafe was family-owned, and the owners greeted us warmly and patiently while we indecisively studied the menu.
O: I ordered one of their smoothies – a concoction labeled the “Daeynerys” – a blend of orange juice, kiwi, pitaya, pineapple, and mango. I’ve never watched Game Of Thrones, so I’m not sure if this aligns fittingly or ironically at all with the titular character, but the Daeynerys shake itself was an inspired performance of their “sweet” at its best. It was a thorough rendition of what you may envision as the classic fruit smoothie, its vaguely maroonish color and viscous, seed-dotted nature harmonizing with its balanced flavoring of the various fruit components – overall, a broadly fruity taste with prominent strands of the orange, kiwi, and mango mixed in.
C: Their “Sunrise” smoothie – blended banana, strawberry, raspberry, apple juice, and yogurt – also did not disappoint. It was unexpectedly yet delightfully sour, but not too acidic. It was the perfect balance for the combination of sweetness.
O: For food, I got an order of their quesadillas and their caprese panini. The quesadillas were three-cheese: mozzarella, cheddar, and pepper jack. These are perhaps one of their best savory dishes. The mozzarella and cheddar combined well as base flavors, with the pepper jack zinging up the two as a nice peppering of hotter flavor. The quesadillas were served with a sour cream dip, which had a slightly sweet, yogurt-like taste. The sour cream thus struck me as a bit odd, though it was helpful during the times that my far too spice-intolerant taste buds got upset by the slightest bit of pepper jack.
My caprese panini was satisfying, with a few underwhelming kinks to be worked out. I was very excited to have a caprese panini, one of my favorite sandwiches, and the ingredients in this one were spot-on – the classic mozzarella, tomatoes, and pesto – between two slices of pressed multigrain.
The quintessential caprese holy trinity combined pretty well together, though the pesto was decidedly on the milder side of pesto flavor, which did throw it off a little. Additionally, the panini was very finely pressed, to the point where the toastiness of the bread overpowered the caprese tastes to an extent – though hand-in-hand, this did give it a good texture to the bites.
C: The turkey burger, served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickles on a whole wheat bun, was almost picture perfect. That said, it was not worth the money. The patty could have used sauce or some other flavor to save it from the savorless taste and dryness.
Granted, the cafe is a healthier scene that keeps it simple, so it can’t be expected to taste as good as it is beneficial.
Is Sweet N Savory worth checking off on the Dobbs bucket list? Their sweets are not to be missed, but when it comes to the savory, you might be better off sticking to the Dobbs Diner.
