Saturday at the Little Italy Mercato usually means we are coming home with a loaf from Swells. It is one of our musts, and if you have read our market blog, you have already seen it in our haul. Until recently, wanting another loaf meant waiting for the next Saturday.
Now there is a Swells bakery at 2254 India Street. That changes the bread run for us: we can pick up a loaf on another opening day without waiting for our usual market trip. We are super stoked to have them in the neighborhood.
Every time we see them, they treat us like friends. That warmth is part of why we keep coming back, and it makes us especially happy to see them have a place of their own.
There is more than sourdough in our bag.
We love their bagels, and the cookies are delicious. Those are the things we can already recommend from our own experience. The croissants are still on our wish list, and with the bakery offering them on weekends, I know what I want to look for next.
Then I saw the cold foam.
I expected bread. Finding out there is a café too made me even more excited. The menu includes lattes and matcha with banana, raspberry or pumpkin cold foam. We have not picked our drinks yet, but I am very ready to explore that part of the menu.
For us, this is an easy recommendation because Swells was already part of our routine. Our next stop has a simple plan: bring home the usual loaf, see if there are croissants and make time for a drink. We love having a familiar favorite this close to home.
A chef’s family and a bagel tradition.
Swells began in 2022 with Pamela and Erik Peraza selling at farmers markets. The team’s culinary experience spans generations: Pamela has chef training, and her mother studied at the Culinary Institute of America before becoming part of the shop’s operation. Bagels have a personal connection for Erik, whose childhood Sundays on the East Coast included them. Production for the storefront, markets and wholesale customers now shares one kitchen on India Street.
Start here.
Swells Sourdough
Our regular take home loaf.
Bagels
Another order we are happy to recommend.
Cookies
Delicious. Add one to your bakery bag.
Croissants + café drinks
Our next picks, with weekend croissants and flavored cold foam on the menu.
The practical details
Bakery hours
Currently Thursday through Sunday, 8 AM to 2 PM. Weekend croissants are a good reason to plan a Saturday or Sunday stop.
Keep your market plans
Swells also continues at the Little Italy Mercato on Saturdays and the La Jolla Open Aire Market on Sundays.