With temperatures dramatically shifting over the course of mid-September, it seems that fall is in the air at Deerfield. Football games, rainy days, and sweater weather all signal to students that the leaves are going to change any day now; nevertheless, nothing screams fall more than a trip across the road to Bittersweet.
Bittersweet Bakery and Cafe, approximately a 20 minute walk from campus (depending on your company), is a Saturday morning hotspot for many students. With their array of baked goods ranging from apple cider donuts to breakfast sandwiches, anyone is sure to find a treat of their liking that differs from the everyday options available at the Dining Hall, Koch Cafe, and Greer.
However, upon returning to campus this fall, students have learned that the esteemed cafe is temporarily closed. Bittersweet’s owner, Laura Newton Thiem, was expecting the birth of her first child over the summer; on August 28th, 2023, Bittersweet Bakery and Cafe posted an update on their Facebook announcing that “Laura and her husband Jamison welcomed their daughter Wren on August 3rd.” The FaceBook announcement also states, “We can’t wait to be back serving all of you in the fall…We miss you all and are eager and excited to be back in mid October!”
In the meantime, here are a handful of favorite orders from Deerfield Students that you can add to your Bittersweet order bucket list.
You can never go wrong with a classic breakfast sandwich and coffee combination. Sophie Petronzio ’25 said her go-to order is a “plain bagel with cream cheese and an iced coffee with oat milk.” Booie Blazak ’24 loves to get an “iced mocha with almond milk and an everything bagel with garlic and chive cream cheese.” Alex Hermsdorf ’25 enjoys their “iced chai paired with a bacon egg and cheese bagel sandwich.” Harlowe Healy ’24 is one of the many Deerfield students who orders a Seattle breakfast sandwich, along with Elizabeth Kelly ’25 and Annabelle Martin ’24.
Bittersweet also offers a great selection of pastries. Izzy Ramirez ’25 said her favorite item from Bittersweet is their “blueberry turnovers.” Finn Knight ’25 added that he enjoys the “iced tea and scones.”
Plenty of students can’t wait for Bittersweet to be back and running, relaying the message to new faces on campus that it’s not a place to miss out on. Alva Fink ’25, a new junior, has already heard about the Cafe’s offerings and environment. She said, “I am really excited to go to Bittersweet. My friends tell me that it’s super fun to go on Saturdays for brunch.”