David Sweeney debuts as Cakes & Ale’s bakery lunch chef today

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It’s a joyful day for those of us who have missed David Sweeney’s cooking: The chef-owner of closed Dynamic Dish begins today as lunch chef at the Cakes & Ale bakery. Sweeney notes that, fittingly, the opportunity to work with Billy Allin, Cakes & Ale’s chef-owner, arose organically. “Billy and I always run into each, it’s almost serendipitous,” says Sweeney. “It’s almost always in a farmers market, and we’re both paying such attention to the produce we’re buying that we don’t even realize the other is there until we look up.”

Sweeney says the food will be similar to what he prepared at Dynamic Dish, though he’s more interested in continuing to grow as a chef than making comparisons. “What I can tell you is that it is, as always, seasonal—and quality local. I always believe in putting a little global in your local because I just think that’s the way the world works.” The menu will start small and simple and evolve over time. Today for lunch you can expect sandwiches like smoked trout on brioche and ciabatta crostini with butternut squash, chevre, and pepper jelly; warm corn soup; a house salad of the freshest greens; a room-temperature antipasto vegetable plate; and sides like sprouted chickpea salad.

These are offered in conjunction with the bakery’s daily menu of savory breads like olive stecca, pastries, and desserts. The bakery has a beer and wine selection, including low-alcohol whites Allin selected like prosecco, cava, and Portuguese vinho verde.

Sweeney will cook lunch Tuesday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. I’ll report more after I stop in this week.

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