Dining Pick of the Week: Sambalatte Torrefazione

Sambalatte Torrefazione
6555 S. Jones Blvd. at the 215 Beltway, 702-434-2337
Luiz Oliveira has brought his popular coffeehouse to the other side of town. But Sambalatte is not just another coffeehouse. Coffee is prepared to your preference (French press, Aero press, Chemex pot, drip brew), and for something different, ask that it be made via the Steampunk MOD 4.1 with technology featuring a Human Machine Interface (HMI) touch-screen operating system operated off a Google Nexus 7 smartphone app. There are frappes, smoothies, iced teas, a drive-thru window, covered-patio seating and a snack and sandwich menu that includes many pastries. Among those freshly made pastries are apple strudel, cake pops, apple turnovers, tarts (pear, apricot, lemon meringue), almond triangle, gourmet cupcakes, opera cake, eclairs and Napoleons. Sandwiches include Caprese, Black Forest ham and Brie on baguette, egg or chicken salad, turkey and Swiss with cranberry and Italian cold cuts on focaccia. There are salads (Greek, petite antipasti, berry, Caprese stack) and soups such as tomato bisque, potato and split pea. Anytime breakfast items include muffins (oat bran, carrot, blueberry, cranberry), scones, quiche (Lorraine, vegetable, egg white), yogurt parfait, and ham and cheese or vegetable croissant. Sandwiches start at $8.50. Sambalatte is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The original location is in Boca Park at 750 S. Rampart Blvd., No. 9 (702-272-2333).