Sofra

For anyone who's a fan of Ana Sortun's Oleana, a voyage to the Cambridge city limits to sister Mediterranean bakery and cafe Sofra is highly recommended.

I have the bizarre luck of living one block away from this new, culturally hip locale. With my Thursday tasks complete, I rounded up my trusty roommate Ross, who was ready for a break from his 5-hour stretch of playing video games, and we sauntered over for a late afternoon snack.

The place is tiny, but everything is new and spic-and-span. A word of warning: coming here during peak times (lunch) means you might have trouble finding a place to sit. In addition to made-to-order options, Sofra sells pre-packaged spices, teas, sweets, dips, and food. With my stomach growling, choosing what I wanted was the hardest part. The hummus bar offers traditional, avocado, and warm hummuses (hummi?!) with assorted veggies and pita, while stuffed flatbreads and shawarmas tempt your savory tastebuds. An added selection of cookies, cakes, and specialty sweets doesn't make the job any easier. Nevermind that there's a breakfast selection as well, or we'll never get anywhere...

I settled on a stuffed flatbread, filled with eggplant, radicchio, and goat cheese with za'atar spices. Ross went with shawarma: chicken with oyster mushrooms, bok choy, and garlic sauce. They were both outstanding. The slight bitterness of the radicchio mixed perfectly with the tangy creaminess of the goat cheese. My only gripe was that for $7, it could have been a bit more substantial. I could buy two cheese pizzas for 7 bucks, but that's not to say it wasn't worth every dollar simply for being delicious. We both had yogurt soda as well--a mixture of tangy, unsweetened yogurt with elderflower and cucumber. It definitely tasted like I was drinking yogurt, and while I liked it, it wasn't the most refreshing drink I've ever had. Next time I'll grab my old favorite, the orange blossom flower lemonade.

Our last task was to pick dessert, and this time we chose the same thing: chocolate hazelnut baklava. Oh. My. God. This is the best bakery indulgence I've had in quite some time. This is when I'm grateful that the damn thing cost $4, because if they were any cheaper I would have made off with a sesame cashew bar and an almond rose cake for later.

Sofra is definitely in a league of its own, what with the old fur coat shop and the pizza-by-the-slice joint as neighbors. But it brings a new sense of revitalization and urban surprise--the kind you look for when you go exploring new neighborhoods. And if you ever come check it out, let me know. I'll come meet you there.

Sofra

One Belmont St.

Cambridge, MA

617-661-3161

Monday-Friday: 8-8

Saturday: 8-6

Sunday: 8-3