BY KAREN YOUNG
As I entered Sweet Butter Kitchen, Cafe’ and Market, I passed an outdoor pillowed sitting area through open wrought iron gates and an herb garden, to a patio courtyard with tables leading into a small café and marketplace. And for an instant, I felt that this large butter yellow hued building could be somewhere around Cape Cod instead of on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks.
Sweet Butter owner Leslie Danielan (front) and her "brown haired girls" — as she has affectionately coined the group name of her chefs. Photos: Karen Young
Leslie Danielan and her husband, Rick Berge, are the proprietors of this adorable and delectable new eatery which adds exciting culinary verve to the San Fernando Valley landscape. Danielan has run her business, Sweet Somethings Catering Company, for over twenty years. Before that, she was the one responsible for supplying all the baked goods to Mary’s Lamb, which was a popular farmhouse restaurant during the 80s (and now houses Zach’s Italian Cafe) in Studio City. She’s also been a food stylist, recipe writer and television food consultant, among other things, in the food world. Sweet Butter is her first restaurant.
Just opened yesterday, the Monday before Thanksgiving, Sweet Butter is already jumping with customers. Impeccably decorated with warmth and charm, the narrow café/market has that eastern seaboard feel. The menu selections are all written on a large chalkboard. There’s a pastry counter with hot drinks and sweets on one side and food in a counter case on the other side, while a glass refrigerator case lines the back wall. The kitchen with Danielan’s chefs (the “brown haired girls” as she affectionately calls them) work in a steel kitchen across the way.
The courtyard patio is one of three outside seating areas.
The menu consists of freshly made soups, salads and sandwiches — Grilled Turkey and Fig Jam, Grilled Grafton Cheddar Cheese, BLT with Aioli, Chicken Paillard with Laura Chenel Chevre and Arugula on a Brioche, Grilled Vegetable Salad and Tuna Nicoise are just a few offerings. Breakfast is served until 11:30 am and includes a Breakfast Sandwich with sunnyside up eggs, bacon, roasted tomato and a Dijon aioli. A Sweet Butter parfait with homemade granola is served in glass jars. Croque Madame with egg, ham bechamel and gruyere is coming soon. Saturday and Sunday brunch specials will include Belgian Waffles and Homemade Herbed Sausage Patties. The ingredients are seasonal, so all menu items might not be available each day.
The Market and Cafe.
Kid options include Buttermilk Jidori Chicken Tenders, Shoestring Fries and a Grilled Nutella Sandwich. Or how about a freshly baked cookie with a mini carafe of organic milk. Forget the kids…it sounds like a good adult snack too.
Buttermilk Jidori Chicken Tenders and Shoestring Fries
There’s an incredible array of homemade muffins, scones, cookies and cakes all made in house, as well as fun candy on the counter. While waiting we were treated to a complementary hot chocolate chip cookie. From my first bite of that cookie, I knew for certain why the name is Sweet Butter. For coffee aficionados, Sweet Butter serves Intelligentsia coffee with each cup “poured-over” individually with a filter. Lattes are beautifully constructed with a design in the foam. Other drinks include house chai, fresh lemonade, organic hot tea, latte, machiatto and more. Don’t miss the Madame Chocolat hot cocoa available through March!
Grilled Vegetable Salad with Laurel Chenel Chevre.
The marketplace, which includes handpicked artisanal food items, like salt, spices, jams, and more, is being developed further. Sweet Butter will also offer take-out dinner items in the next month or so. I’m looking forward to watching Sweet Butter grow. How very sweet it is.
Italian Tuna on Ciabatta with Arugula Salad
Sweet Butter Kitchen, Cafe and Market 13824 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, Ca. 91423 818.788.2832 www.sweetbutterkitchen.com Prices: $4.95-$12.95 Open 7am-7pm. Breakfast served until 11:30 am. Counter service ordering available.
Thanksgiving Petit Fours
Karen Young is the Founder/Editor of MyDailyFind.com. Got a suggestion, idea, comment? Email:karen@mydailyfind.com
Scones, muffins, cookies...oh my.
About Karen Young
