At Spot Cafe, it's all about the bread

Modeled after a French patisserie, the Spot is the anti-greasy spoon. From the realistic mural of a Paris streetscape to the sidewalk flower boxes to the lovely dining room painted eggplant, golden mustard, and dark orange, the place exudes class and sophistication -- without a whiff of pretension. With hardwood floors below and recessed lighting above, you'll feel like you're eating in an art gallery. And, as befits a restaurant with Parisian aspirations, the Spot takes its bread very, very seriously.

There are no light-as-air, American-style loaves served here. The breads come from a Montreal bakery called Au Pain Dore, which uses stone ovens to produce crusty, hearty, Old World European bread -- baguettes, baguettines, olive loaves, nut-raisin rolls (although these weren't available on any of my three visits), ciabatta, and whole-grain miche. They arrive par-baked from Au Pain Dore, and Mavrogiannidis finishes baking them at the cafe.

Then she does wonderful things with them. She slices and grills the baguettines, for instance, and serves them with whipped butter and strawberry preserves ($1.75). She transforms the baguettes into thin, crunchy French toast ($3.95) sprinkled with cinnamon or topped with fresh fruit. She uses soft, plump rolls called campagnards (or bagels or croissants) for the "breakfast quickies" ($2.95), made with fluffy, folded cheese omelets and ham, bacon, or sausage. She even makes the croutons for the Caesar salads. Most sandwiches ($6.45) are served on baguettines or ciabatta and can be pressed upon request.