There's been a boom in Central Phoenix coffee shops lately, but so far, there's certainly room for more -- especially one serving locally roasted java, sandwiches, and homemade pastries.
Something else that two-month-old Dolce Espresso (1025 E. Camelback) offers is even more novel: live video DJs.
Brothers Cesar and Leo Marin opened their shop back in November, with the hopes that customers would come in after hitting the clubs on weekends. On Fridays and Saturdays, Dolce is open 24 hours, and showcases DJs playing music videos on three large plasma screen TVs.
"I wanted to create more of a hangout," says Cesar.
The featured coffee is locally roasted, from Echo Espresso, and is a nutty, chocolatey "world blend" that incorporates beans from Indonesia, India, Africa, and Central and South America.
Bagels, granola with yogurt, and egg sandwiches are offered for breakfast, while the lunch offerings include quesadillas, vampiros, and customized sandwiches. There are housemade pastries such as red velvet cupcakes and lemon bars on hand all the time. And eventually, they'll be adding brunch service on the large back patio, with omelette and waffle stations.
