THE streak continues! The city's downtown lunch options keepgrowing and I continue to be impressed with the offerings.
This week's restaurant critique took me to the charming CapitolRoasters Cafe, a new coffee shop on the corner of Quarrier andSummers streets. This latest hot spot not only offers great fresh-roasted coffees and organic teas, but also serves up delicioussandwiches and an impressive array of gourmet baked goods.
With wide open spaces filled with robust colored walls, a cozyfireplace, hip decor and more, this place is big on ambiance.
And the paninis are hot, too. (Get it? Paninis ... hot sandwiches... never mind.)
I've tried - and loved - nearly all of them.
The Verona offers a savory blend of prosciutto, Fontina cheese andsun-dried tomatoes, while the Cuban features pork tenderloin andthinly sliced ham accented with dill pickles, Monterrey jack cheeseand a cracked pepper and chipotle mayonnaise that, surprisinglyenough, lacked the spicy kick you'd expect.
The Turkey Chutney comes with smoked turkey and Danish havarticheese topped with seasonal chutney, a sweet-and-tart relish ofassorted fruits, vinegar, sugar and spices.
The best, though, has to be the Italian Roast Beef filled withslow-roasted beef, smoked Provolone, red onion, tomato relish and asun-dried tomato pesto.
The ones I haven't gotten to yet are a California BLT with bacon,cheddar, lettuce, tomato and spicy avocado spread and the Vegan withhearts of Romaine, red onion, Roma tomato relish, cucumbers, squashand avocado spread drizzled with balsamic vinegar and oil.
There are also a variety of deli sandwiches and soups for lunch,or bagels, muffins, breads, pastries and breakfast sandwiches.
On the sweet side, I've been impressed with an impossibly moistslice of Banana Cake with Bavarian Cream, an individual-sized OperaCake with multiple chocolate and coffee-flavored layers, and the mostdecadent wedge of Mochachino Creme Brulee Cheesecake. Each bite wasan otherworldly experience.
Try any of the above with a cup of Almond Joy - a creamy coffeedrink with chocolate, coconut and almond flavorings - for totalsensory overload!
The Hazelnut Torte looks impressive, too, but the piece I triedhad an aftertaste and didn't quite live up to its appearance.
The desserts, I'm told, come from three different sources, whichmight explain the hits and misses.
Some are baked on-site, some done by a local woman and others areordered through gourmet food services.
Whether you stop in for morning coffee and a scone, a soup andsandwich for lunch, or an afternoon sugar-spiked pick-me-up, a visitto Capitol Roasters is well worth your time.
Writer Steven Keith can be reached at 348-1721 or by e-mail atdailymailfoodguy@aol.com.
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