CLOSED Sweets du Jour--Bakery and Breakfast/Lunch Spot

My friend and I decided to try out a newish local bakery because I had heard some buzz about their cinnamon rolls and the sandwiches served on house-made focaccia bread. They have been around for about 3 years but for some odd reason I've never tried them out probably because they close at 3pm. The situation changed yesterday when I had the afternoon off and a burning craving for some fresh focaccia. Yum!

The lunch menu gives you five sandwich choices, one of which is a build-your-own.  The meatball sandwich is only available on Friday. The chicken-berry salad is the one sandwich that comes on a different type of bread--a croissant to be exact. There are 3-4 daily rotating soup choices as well. There is also quiche if any is left over from breakfast, a generous slice is $5.00. The small sandwich is $5.50 and that is indeed what you get...just the sandwich. You can add a cup of soup for an extra $3.50 or a bag of chips for .75 cents. A large sandwich, which is basically two small sandwiches, is $8.50. They also have breakfast sandwiches on croissant in the morning for $3.75, along with various pastries. 

There are about 10 tables in the place. It is decorated in a black & white theme with a touch of red. Very quaint. The picture below is of one of the cases with some sweets. I was greeted promptly but they warn on their website that it may take up to 15 minutes to get your sandwich so this isn't a place to eat if you are in a rush.  They told the truth as it took about 12 minutes to get our food and there were only 4 other people in the place, two of which ordered after we did. They do have an online ordering system if you want to take advantage of it for a meal or for ordering a bakery item.

I requested the salami, provolone and olive-relish sandwich with a cup of the chicken gnocchi soup (they 3 soup choices from leftovers earlier in the week).  My friend had the mozzarella, basil and roasted tomato sandwich and chips. Drink options were coffee, iced tea or water. No sodas. Bummer.

The bread was delicious and the toppings were very good quality if not overly generous. My soup was well worth the price. Very flavorful. My friend enjoyed her sandwich as well. All in all, not a place to go if you have a big appetite but enjoyable for a light lunch. Just remember it isn't $5 foot long subs here but a gourmet bakery.

I bought some peanut butter toffee cookies (.76 cents each) for dessert and they were delicious, just a tad too salty.  I plan to return and try some quiche, a spinach artichoke dip sandwich or order a cake/pie.

Sweets du Jour
726 S Leggett Dr. (SW corner of Leggett and S.7th)
Abilene, TX  79605
(325)793-0382

Hours
10:30 a – 3:00 p Tuesday-Friday
9:00 a – 2:00 p Saturday
Closed Sunday & Monday

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sweetsdujour

Trip to Cambridge, Mass.

I recently spent a week doing some professional development in Cambridge, Massachusetts, so I thought I would share my eating adventures with anyone who might be traveling there. Actually, I wasn't that brave as I tended to stick pretty close to my hotel (The Charles) since I was so pooped from class each day.


Legal Sea Food 

Dinner Saturday night and Tuesday night. I had high expectations since I was on the coast. The first dinner being Saturday night they were slammed so I just ate at the bar (full menu). Ordered clams strips and a cup of lobster bisque. The bisque was creamy, well-seasoned and the lobster meat was fresh. The fried clams were huge! It was an enjoyable meal and the bartender took good care of me but the price was steep ($40). A couple of nights later, I ate at the bar again though they were not as busy. I had the baked stuffed shrimp casserole and though it was tasty (how could something with that much butter not be?) it was also very expensive ($26). I would have liked more than 6 shrimp at that price. Service wasn't quite as attentive, though still okay. I guess I should have gone with some New England specialties like crab cakes or fresh lobster. As, it stands, I am just as happy with Pappadeaux seafood.

Henrietta's Table

Breakfast Sunday morning and lunch on Friday. They are known for serving very fresh and local ingredients. Breakfast was awesome, huge mushroom and cheese omelet with potatoes (with a seasoning I couldn't place but it reminded me of German potatoes) and an English muffin with real butter ($9 a bargain, no doubt).  It was the fluffiest omelet I have ever seen! Impeccable service. Lunch was a huge salad with smoked turkey, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, a small sprinkle of bleu cheese and greens ($15).  I also had some broccoli cheese soup ($6). There was a sweetness to the soup, maybe nutmeg? It was all delicious but the server was a grump.

Rialto
Dinner Sunday evening. Fancy hamburger with provolone and prosciutto, served with homemade fries ($15). A little undercooked. I ordered medium-well and they were out of their regular buns so it was served on brioche. I meant to go back another time for a dessert, the menu looked very tempting, but never made it.

The Taco Truck
Supper Monday evening. Fast food. Two carnitas pork tacos with green salsa, cilantro and onions and a Jarritos mandarin soda ($8). Pretty tasty, much better than expected. I was impressed.

The Shake Shack 
Evening snack, Monday.  Strawberry milkshake ($5). Not any better than any other strawberry milkshake I've ever had...too expensive even at tourist prices.

Toscano 
Supper Wednesday evening. I had house-made gnocchi with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and lots of garlic (around $17).  It was a little mushy and bland, except for the garlic. The bruschetta ($9), however, was very tasty. Complimentary bread and olive oil. Loved the open to the street seating and the service was superior. Very close to the theater so it was quite busy, reservations are recommended. No cream sauce options though. Guess I needed to go into Boston to get some really hearty Italian food.