Sofra Bakery and Cafe

This is Sofra, the new bakery and cafe from Oleana-ites Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick. It's located on Belmont Street in Cambridge, right after the intersection with Mt. Auburn Street, almost in Watertown.

Here's the inside view. There's Sortun behind the counter, diligently tending to something or other. On my first visit recently, she was full of patient instruction: how to foam milk, how to find customers who have disappeared just as their orders come up. She seems like a great boss, generous with her knowledge.

The place is cozy, lined with sunlit benches. You can buy produce from Siena Farms there (it's operated by Sortun's husband), spice blends, and more. But the main attraction is the menu. This is one of those places where you want to try everything: You can choose from hot and cold mezze (green olive and walnut salad; smoky eggplant with pine nuts; warm buttered hummus), stuffed flatbread sandwiches, breakfast items (Lebanese croissant with za'atar; soft-boiled egg with cucumber, tomato, olives, feta, fig, and thick yogurt with honey), and baked goods. As for drinks, there are several intriguingly spiced iced teas; I had an iced coffee that made me very happy. It was so strong it was slightly sludgy, and it was delicious, made with Rao's coffee.

This photo is annoyingly blurry, but I include it because it shows the special grills the stuffed flatbreads are cooked on. They're convex! The sandwiches come in such tempting versions as chickpea, potato, labne (yogurt cheese), and za'atar (a spice blend); sausage with cumin, orange, and olives; and tomatoes with feta and Syrian spices.

This one contains lamb shawarma, tomato confit, tahini, and pomegranate. It was one of the best sandwiches I've had in a long time -- a perfect balance of earthy and bright flavors. Gamy lamb, soft and sweet tomatoes, just amazing.

This fellow is the Maureo, a crisp chocolate sandwich filled with milk jam...

... and this is the Egyptian shortbread.

I already love this place. It's the kind of cafe we need more of -- one that serves really good food and good coffee. Why aren't there more of those, again?

Sofra is at 1 Belmont St., Cambridge, 617-661-3161. Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.-3 p.m.