The Details
- Presto Cafe
- 4950 S. Rainbow Blvd. #130, 293-3332.
- Daily, 8 a.m.- 8 p.m.
If you’ve resolved to eat better in 2013, try Presto Cafe. The recently opened spot on Rainbow near Tropicana promotes fresh, sustainable ingredients. Not only is it healthy, it actually tastes good.
Presto’s limited menu is essentially split into three categories: salads, pides (pronounced “pea-days”) and sandwiches. The salads ($2.25 a scoop) are freshly made in-house, and it shows. Current choices include a sharp farro offering with asparagus and arugula, earthy Israeli couscous rife with wild mushrooms and truffles, and my favorite, quinoa with spring peas, pumpkin seeds, sweet peppers and prosciutto. Delicious and nutritious!
The unexpected inclusion of the pide—a Turkish specialty—is a real treat. Essentially an open-faced Stromboli, its toppings are nestled in a light and buttery crust. Presto opts for familiar ingredients with the Italian ($9), a rich combination of house-made meatballs, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and pomodoro sauce. The less traditional Blanco ($8) melds ricotta cheese and white garlic sauce with pistachios for a welcome textural contrast. Either makes for a quality selection.
Sandwiches include a robust Rueben and an exemplary turkey ($9 each), but the coup de grâce is the Cafe’s Ham and Cheese Please ($9)—surely the only ham and cheese sandwich you’ll ever encounter featuring Funyuns and blueberries. Those, along with smoked ham, Gruyère and mixed greens, are layered on chili mayo- slathered bacon cheese bread. Okay, so Funyuns might not be the healthiest ingredient on the menu, but they sure are addictive. And you can always order more salad to balance it all out.
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