Mix of new, old favorites at Swift Creek Cafe

The refreshed Swift Creek Cafe is a bit new, but still a bit of what regulars will remember.

Under new ownership and with a new chef in the kitchen, Swift Creek Cafe reopened its door last week to waiting new and returning customers.

Guillermo and Lindy Moreno purchased the restaurant earlier this month and after a remodel and restyle the cafe has opened again. The Morenos’ son Christian is the chef, and his wife Melissa works the front of the house.

Guillermo Moreno says a few regulars have come in wanting to sit at the same table they have for years and others have asked about the menu. He says they’ve tried to create a balance for the new Swift Creek.

“We wanted to look at what was here before and what the staples were and marry that with good changes,” he said. “We knew there were good things and we wanted to add our own fresh take to it.”

Moreno says it is important to have fresh scratch-made selections on the menu. He points out that the pancakes — buttermilk served with a dollop of peanut praline — have replaced waffles so they could be made fresh to order.

Still other favorites remain. The avocado eggs Benedict is on the menu, but has been renamed Sallie’s Benedict in honor of the Swift Creek’s accountant who requested the breakfast option stick around.

The lunch menu includes sandwiches like The Cubano and The Patty Melt, along with soups and salads. And for dessert there’s the Triple Chocolate Cookie.

“We want to focus on really good breakfast and lunch,” Moreno said. “We want to make it accessible while elevating the quality, and make available to sit down or take out.”

Three years ago the Morenos began searching for a winter home. They checked out Colorado and then a friend suggested they visit Whitefish. They were sold and now have made it home. Christian was working in Minnesota at the time and so they invited him and his wife to visit, and they too liked it here.

“We knew we were going to be grandparents so we wanted them to come here,” Moreno said. “They fell in love.”

Christian, a trained pastry chef, previously worked at Ceres Bakery in Kalispell and Melissa worked as a barista at Montana Coffee Traders before the family began working to revamp Swift Creek.

“This felt like one of the staples in town,” Moreno said of Swift Creek. “We felt good about taking a family business and changing it from one family to another.”

Swift Creek will continue to focus on serving breakfast and lunch. As the new owners settle in they’re looking to add to the offerings including a take out option and packed lunches that folks can take with them hiking, cycling or spending the day on the lake. Christian Moreno also plans to make in-house breads and eventually offer pastries.

“We want to have a larger presence with the local farmers,” Guillermo Moreno said. “We will make our jams fresh and we’re planning for seasonal soups. A lot of the food will be made fresh.”

Much thought has gone into the food menu, but also to the beverages served.

Kuo coffee from the Moreno Family Estates Coffee is served. Guillermo Moreno is part of a family of coffee farmers and his brother ships the family coffee directly from Panama to Whitefish. Loose leaf tea is served from Lake Missoula Tea Company and selected by Melissa Moreno, who has a particular interest in teas after serving in the Peace Corp in Africa.

Swift Creek Cafe is open Monday-Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/swiftcreekcafe