Sweet Point Bakery

Sara Liss4/17/2011

The goods: Miami gets a much-needed bakery-bistro hybrid with Sweet Point Bakery at Midtown. The cavernous space has free Wi-Fi and a morning-to-night menu of breakfast staples, fresh-baked pastries and hearty entrees. Owner Liliana Alderete is a Mexico native and worked at Balans before striking out on her own.

Ambience: Stainless steel fixtures and dark wood tables give the neo-industrial space a comfortable, urbane vibe.

The grub: Globetrotting comfort food. A glass case is stocked with fresh pastries throughout the day, and plenty of savory offerings are available for lunch and dinner. Prices are moderate: Most cakes sell for $5, breakfast can be had for less than $9 and salads and main range from $11 to $19. Bonus: after 9 p.m., all baked goods are half-off.

Breakfast offerings include three-egg omelets with fixings like feta and glazed ham. There’s a tofu scrambler for vegans and old-fashioned oatmeal topped with salty almonds and bananas. Lunchtime brings turkey bacon sandwiches and tuna with salsa verde on a ciabatta. Salads include grilled octopus with preserved lemon and Thai noodles tossed with steak, mango, cilantro and peanuts. For dinner there’s a half-pound Angus burger topped with bacon, ham and fried egg; oven-roasted chicken with rosemary sauce,  and shrimp and scallop linguine.

Desserts (house-made, of course) include fruits tarts, white chocolate mousse cake and red velvet cupcakes.

Verdict: Big tables, free Wi-Fi and a constantly replenished dessert case make this a comfy coffee house/bistro hybrid in Midtown.