I’m always on the lookout for new places to eat in South Jersey, but it was a surprise to find this little gem so close to home. The Sweets Suite Bake Shoppe Cafe is located in the north gatehouse at Wheaton Arts on Glasstown Avenue in Millville. Opened last summer by chef Adrianna Spencer, this small take-out cafe is the “icing on the cake” for visitors to the glass museum. Now you no longer need to leave Wheaton Arts to enjoy a delicious lunch during your visit.
Ms. Spencer holds a culinary arts degree from Paul Smith’s College in New York, and she served two years as the pastry chef at Fat Canary, a five-star restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia, before returning home to start this solo venture. Her menu certainly reflects her pastry roots – muffins, scones, brownies, and cupcakes iced-to-order are available daily. Grab one of these with a cup of freshly brewed Green Mountain Coffee for a quick breakfast or morning snack.
My husband and I visited The Sweets Suite during it’s first season on a very hot, summer day. First we ordered lemonade – freshly squeezed and ice-cold. It was actually rather tart, not overly sweet, which made it very refreshing. We both ordered sandwiches – turkey and swiss on wheat for me, and ham and cheddar on Italian bread for my husband. The sandwiches were made to order with organic meats, quality cheeses, and freshly-baked bread. They were served with a choice of chips and could be eaten at picnic tables in Wheaton Arts or packed up “to go.” We agreed that the sandwiches were generously portioned, and we probably could have shared one. Luckily, the Cafe offers a half-sandwich option (at half the price) if you want to eat less!
For kids, there is peanut butter and jelly or an organic hot dog to keep even the pickiest eaters happy. Drinks for kids include juice, water, or lemonade.
As for the taste, our sandwiches were delicious! They were very fresh, with the ratio of bread to meat at just the right thickness for biting (I dislike sandwiches that are so thick, I can’t take a bite)! My husband had the homemade horseradish sauce which he claims “made” the sandwich.
We also took home a vanilla cupcake for our teenage son. Wow, was it huge! The sweet, very moist cupcake was nearly four inches in diameter and was topped with a mound of creamy icing. The cupcakes are iced-to-order with your choice of icing and sprinkles. It was too much for my son to eat, so I highly recommend sharing with a friend.
The Sweets Suite Bake Shoppe Cafe will be re-opening March 30 with new menu items and catering service. I recently had a chance to sit down with Adrianna to ask her a few questions about the cafe and her first year of business:
Why Millville?
When I was little, my mom would take me and my sister to Wheaton Arts (then Wheaton Village) often. We loved riding the train and visiting the General Store for the penny candy. So when my mother suggested that we open a café there, I thought it was a great idea and so did the staff at Wheaton. They desperately needed an eating establishment on the grounds, especially because the Paper Waiter recently closed. In addition, many of their patrons often asked if there was any place to eat on the grounds. I feel so honored to have filled that need.
Any changes to the menu this year?
This year we offer a choice of Caesar, Chef’s or garden side salads for our guests who are gluten free or carb free. We also offer scrumptious shortbread and peanut butter cookies as well as yummy carrot and red velvet cupcakes.
What inspires you when you are coming up with a recipe/menu idea?
I put items on the menu that I would want to eat, especially when it comes to the sweet treats. Most of the items on the menu are recipes that I have collected for years. I have tested and retested each one until it is perfectly delicious.
Tell me more about your new catering venture.
We now offer catering platters for any party or special event. We wanted our customers to be able to feed large numbers of people easily and conveniently from a birthday party to an office meeting.
The Sweets Suite Bake Shoppe Cafe is open Tuesday – Sunday 10:30 am to 4:00 pm at Wheaton Arts in Millville. Find it on the web at SweetsSuite.com or call 856-825-6800 ext. 161.
Jennifer Malme is a full-time mother, sometime substitute teacher, avid locavore, and enthusiastic supporter of New Jersey wines. Her lifestyle blog, Down-Home South Jersey, explores ways to live simply and eat well in and around Cumberland County. When she is not blogging, she enjoys cooking, touring local wineries, and reading. She has never met a cheese that she doesn’t like, and she especially enjoys finding new, authentic ethnic restaurants in her area. Jennifer lives in Vineland with her husband, teenage son, and very smart Siamese cat.
