Equal parts coffeehouse and smoothie bar, Espumoso Coffee & Juice Bar has a modern, laid-back Latin vibe. Along with the requisite coffee drinks, it offers savory empanadas and authentic Latin American desserts, as well as a few baked breakfast goods – and 16 flavors of Dreyer's ice cream.

EVANS CAGLAGE/DMN

Tropical fruits play a big role at Espumoso, showing up in passionfruit mousse cups (rear) and the Ultimate Açai Bowl (foreground).

Espumoso is Spanish for foamy, referring to the shop's foam-topped coffee drinks and the frothy smoothies made with tropical fruits such as guanábana, passion fruit, açai, and lulo (a citrusy, kiwi-like fruit).

Tony Fernandez runs the Bishop Arts District shop, which he co-owns with his parents. Fernandez's Colombian-born mother, Clara, makes all the Latin goods in an off-site commercial kitchen. Don't miss her beef or chicken and cheese empanadas ($2.75 each); perfectly fried, they show no trace of grease.

Noteworthy dessert offerings include natilla ($3.50), a Colombian coconut pudding with blackberry sauce; flan ($3.50); tres leches cake ($3.99); and passionfruit mousse ($3.50, or 75 cents for a shot served in a chocolate cup).

Health-conscious breakfast eaters gravitate to the smoothies ($3.99) or the massive Ultimate Açai Bowl ($5.25) – a thick purée of organic açai, cranberry juice, strawberries and banana served over granola and topped with bananas and honey. The shop also brings in a few mainstream breakfast items, such as bagels, croissants and muffins.

Espumoso Coffee & Juice Bar, 408 N. Bishop Ave., No. 105; 214-948-2055; espumosocafe.com. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 7 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.