Dear readers,
The jazz spilled out onto the sidewalk before I even opened the door of Café Sway, Shelbyville’s newest haven for coffee, creativity, and the occasional daydream.
The syncopated rhythm of bongos tangled with the murmur of conversation. Somewhere in the distance, I heard that familiar intro music from an episode of the “Twilight Zone.”
I could have sworn I’d stepped into 1950s Greenwich Village.
There, at a corner table, sat Allen Ginsberg in deep conversation with William S. Burroughs, their words as thick as the espresso steam curling toward the ceiling. And at the center of it all, Jack Kerouac held court, his voice rising above the finger-snapping crowd like a prophet of the open road.
“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk of life again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life. And The Helbing will be moving!”
As the last syllable hung in the air, Kerouac’s gaze landed on me. “Look, Meltzer has finally arrived,” he announced, “fashionably late as usual.”
He gestured toward an imaginary stage. “Kris, the mic is yours.”
Normally, I’d improvise, letting the poetry flow like coffee from an overfilled cup. But today, I have written something special. It is a masterpiece, written on a napkin with my writing instrument of choice, a Ticonderoga No. 2 pencil.
It is written in a cursive hand that would make State Sen. Jean Leising proud. I reached into my pocket and slowly unfolded the napkin. Just as I was about to recite, a voice cut through the haze of my imagination.
“Can I help you?”
“Are you OK?”
I blinked. The Beat poets vanished like smoke. Standing before me was Skylar Ward, owner of Café Sway, her amused expression pulling me back to reality.
“Sir, were you having a senior moment?”
“No, just having a bit of a Walter Mitty moment,” I admitted.
Skylar is 100% Mohawk, Waldron K-12 alum, and the undisputed Martha Stewart of Shelby County. For years, her business card declared, “Have Whisk, Will Travel,” and she lived up to it, commandeering kitchens across the county as a culinary mercenary for hire.
Whether whipping up gourmet meals for 35 or crafting wedding cakes that belonged in a patisserie window, Skylar’s talent was as undeniable as her work ethic.
When she decided to transform an East Washington Street historic building into Café Sway (photo, above), it became a family affair. Her father, Jay Ward (of Access Property Solutions), along with her brother (also Jay) and mother, Landa, rolled up their sleeves.
The result? A space where the espresso machine is a gleaming Italian beast worthy of James Bond (see: Live and Let Die). It hums alongside the chatter of regulars and the clink of porcelain.
Skylar still caters and bakes custom cakes for special occasions, but now, she’s also serving Shelbyville’s best cup of joe. Stop in, mention you read about Café Sway in my column, and she’ll hand you a free souvenir (while supplies last).
Trust me. It is a souvenir you will want to proudly display in your home. Your guests will gossip about it for years.
Sway Café isn’t just a coffee shop. It’s a stage for daydreams, and proof that even in Shelbyville, the beat goes on just like Cher predicted so many years ago.
See you all next week, same Schwinn time, same Schwinn channel.
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