Stocks and bonds…meet soups and sandwiches. For years, hungry Loop and financial district workers have flocked to this location of Alonti Cafe (there are five others in the city) for fresh food in hearty portions.

The breakfast menu here departs from the regular biscuit and English muffin egg sandwiches, instead offering tasty treats like a breakfast taco with scrambled eggs, cheese and bacon or sausage, all on a warm tortilla. If you are in the mood for more traditional fare, fresh baked goods and made-to-order eggs and breakfast meats are available as well. Everything's cooked up lightning-fast and is inexpensive to boot.

For lunch, the offerings expand to fresh salads, pastas and soups, all made from family recipes and cooked from scratch. Pasta lunches or soup or salad and sandwich specials make perfect meals for the calorie-conscious, and everything is made to order with fresh ingredients by workers who greet regulars by name. Trade-happy lunch patrons love the bowtie pasta with chicken tequila sauce (a velvety mix of pepper, chicken, cream and spices); served with a hearty slab of garlic bread, it can carry anyone through the rest of a hectic day at the office.

The roasted chicken breast sandwich on foccacia bread—accented with a slightly sassy basil mayonnaise—offers a filling sandwich option, or you can pair the tangy Caesar salad with hearty tomato basil soup for a more varied midday meal. Alonti also offers a sumptuous catering menu for corporate events.

Centerstage Reviewer: Beth Dugan