News
Sit Back, Sip and Snack at Lakewood’s Coffeehouse, Wine Bar
November 14, 2022
Sit Back, Sip and Snack at Lakewood’s Coffeehouse, Wine Bar
For Rebecca Swanson, Lakewood has always been her happy place. Her parents built a cabin near Paya Lake over 50 years ago, and Rebecca has been traveling “Up North” to her second home with her dad and siblings since birth. So, it’s no surprise that Lakewood is the location of her and her husband David’s latest culinary endeavor. Rebecca and David Swanson operate Braise North, a coffeehouse and wine bar in Lakewood that opens in November 2022.
David, a multiple James Beard nominee for “Best Chef in the Midwest,” also owns Braise Restaurant & Culinary School, a Milwaukee farm-to-table restaurant which features gourmet dining, a cooking school, and a private event space.
Like its Braise counterpart in Milwaukee, Braise North features locally sourced, seasonal, and simple ingredients and made-from-scratch fare.
The coffeehouse is open from 8 am-12 pm Saturday and Sunday. The coffeehouse menu includes house-made croissants, various pastries, seasonal quiches, and toasted market buns filled with assorted savory ingredients. Braise North’s fresh-roasted coffee and espresso is sourced from various small-batch Wisconsin coffee roasters.
In the late afternoon and evening, Braise North changes character to serve locally sourced food, global wines, and regional beers. The small-plate menu includes American and ethnic cuisine that is perfect for sharing or light appetites. A chef for 30 years, David truly gets creative with seasonal fare, melding flavors into interesting and delicious dishes available at reasonable prices. The wine bar is open Friday and Saturday nights from 5pm-9pm.
In addition to the coffeehouse and small-plate selections, Braise North offers grab-and-go meals to be enjoyed at customers’ homes and cabins. Plus, Braise North carries packaged products from Wisconsin that are featured on the menu, like maple syrup, granola, and various pickled vegetables. Bottles of wine also are available for purchase.
Braise North is located at 15398 Highway 32, Lakewood, in the former 4 Seasons Diner building. The Lakewood snowmobile and ATV trail is adjacent to Braise North’s rear parking lot.
Built-in 1916, the building previously was home to the Lakewood Congregational Church, then the First Presbyterian Church. The restaurant’s exterior still resembles a church, with a steeple and everything! The Swansons remodeled the facility in 2022, maintaining the building’s historic charm and enhancing the décor with an inspirational world-travel theme to spark the imagination: Let’s go places!
But before embarking on the next adventure, sit a while and relax. Sip a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and enjoy a bite to eat. Braise North’s mellow atmosphere provides the perfect backdrop for a casual visit with family and friends.
For Rebecca, Lakewood has always been a favorite place to go and quickly became a favorite of David’s after they met six years ago. Braise North makes Lakewood even more inviting as an enchanting destination in Wisconsin’s Northwoods.
