It's almost time to dig the sweaters and scarves out of the trunk.

While the afternoons are still sunny and warm, the mornings are getting cooler and cooler. Why not sip on gourmet coffee before you head to work?

Mocha Marks is a new restaurant next to Omni Health and Fitness off Walton Way Extension that serves more than cappuccinos and espressos.

The place also serves cafe Americano, cafe latte, cafe mocha, chai tea latte and macchiato. There are a variety of flavor shots available. You can buy coffee beans by the pound from such far-flung locales as Kenya, Sumatra, India and Costa Rica.

And that's only half the story.

I met a friend for lunch on a recent afternoon, and ordered the club panini sandwich on low-fat sourdough bread, which I highly recommend. Many of the sandwiches were on display in a cooler, and after taking it out to serve, the server put the sandwich in a toaster to warm the bread. It was by far the biggest sandwich I've eaten in a long time.

I also had potato chips and an iced coffee with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Although I normally wouldn't have ordered a coffee with a sandwich and chips, the combination of all three was tasty.

The menu features an assortment of sandwiches, muffins, brownies, cookies, bagels, soups, salads and more than 25 flavors of smoothie - some with a purpose.

The Daily Dose smoothie contains strawberries, bananas, blueberries, multivitamin, ginseng, antioxidants and 15 grams of whey protein. The Peanut Butter Punch smoothie offers skim milk, banana, chocolate, peanut butter and 15 grams of whey protein. There are several more smoothies with a purpose to choose from for a healthy snack.

The decor at Mocha Mark's is modern and trendy. The walls are painted canary yellow and cobalt blue, and modern light fixtures hang from the ceilings. Small, colorful quilts decorate the walls, along with paintings of pastoral scenes and food. Several blue couches sit in the corners and the small, round tables have tiled mosaic tops.

Next week, I plan on stopping by to try a smoothie and perhaps a brownie. I'll have to split the brownie with my friend because they are about the size of my hand. I'm sure my friend won't mind.

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LATTE HEAVEN

The Eatery: Mocha Marks (map)

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Ambiance: Vibrant and lively

Cost: 75 cents to $7.50

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Phone: 738-8101

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