The Calypso CafÉ’s chicken pesto panini tops marinated chicken breast with a creamy pesto mayo, provolone cheese and lettuce and tomato on ciabatta bread. Below, the shish kabob wrap.

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The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

The last time I walked through the door at 385 Westminster St., it was into a restaurant that channeled Milan and all things Italian. Now as the Calypso CafÉ, I wasn’t sure quite what to expect.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a menu filled with lovely Lebanese specialties, including house-made hummus, and also a wide variety of sandwiches for every taste.

Josephine and Joseph Najm purchased the former A Pranzo Milano and opened their new cafe 17 months ago there at the corner of Westminster and Aborn streets in downtown Providence. Calypso refers to the name of a flower — an orchid — not to any style of food. But that’s not to say Najm’s food doesn’t have style; it has loads. The couple honed their cooking for crowds working at the annual festival at St. George Maronite Church in Pawtucket.

The cafe day starts with breakfast service, a rarity downtown, and it’s a complete one that includes pancakes, home fries, French toast and combination plates with prices from $2.99 for two eggs to $5.95 for omelets.

Our party arrived too late for that menu, but we had plenty to choose from with the more than two dozen sandwiches and panini as well as grilled pizzas, salads and Lebanese dishes and Italian specialties. Within a few short minutes, each of us selected lunch from the first column of the menu. It was only after sitting down — diners order at the counter — that we saw all that we passed up, including falafel, chicken kabobs and desserts, including kataifi made with white creme caramel with shredded phyllo dough on top.

Still, we were quite pleased with the choices. Our resident non-carnivore was very satisfied with her vegetarian sandwich ($4.95) which she called “gutsy.” It offered a hearty meal with marinated and grilled zucchini, tomato, lettuce, onions and parsley served on a crusty ciabatta bread from La Salle Bakery. A veteran eater of these veggie sandwiches, she was pleased to see the light touch of the grill that didn’t burn the delicate vegetables.

That sandwich, like the shish kabob ($7.40) and lamb kabob ($7.40) was elevated by what we thought to be a sparkling garlic mayo. It was not, I learned after the visit. Josephine Najm gave me a sample of this superb garlic spread that is made simply with garlic and olive oil. Its lightness was delightful.

So, too, is the hummus, which is made fresh beginning with soaking the chickpeas to their mashing to a smooth paste. Diners can enjoy an appetizer plate of hummus, or the fresh tabbouleh ($5.95), served with pita bread. But even better are the two served with Najm’s deep-fried pita chips. She imports her pita bread for wraps but also makes the wonderful chips, which are served with many of the sandwiches. They are as addictive as potato chips.

Equally delightful was my crunchy-on-the-outside-and-

tender- on-the-inside chicken pesto panini ($7.40). It started with marinated chicken breast and was adorned with a creamy pesto mayo, a slice of provolone cheese and lettuce and tomato on ciabatta bread before being pressed and warmed into a delectable panini.

All the meats are marinated with a blend of Lebanese spices, which enhanced both the rib-eye (a little tough) and lamb (made this day with leg of lamb) in the kabobs. Both Najms cooked on the day of our visit and made everything to order. Still service was quick and to the table as food was prepared.

With wraps, ciabatta and French bread in the kitchen, diners may ask for their choice, though we were pleased with the sandwiches as served.

The kebbe ($7.40) was a meaty sandwich with baked ground beef marinated in mild spices and served warm with crunchy bulgur to add a hearty consistency. A thin layer of the hummus was the just-right condiment.

Fruit juices, sodas and bottled waters are available, as are coffees and teas. The cafe has no liquor license. With high ceilings and long walls, there’s also room for a sofa and coffee table among the tables.

After breakfast, the same menu is served day and night. But with the owners in the kitchen, there’s always something fresh and homemade being served up as a special.Bill of fare

A meal for two at Calypso CafÉ might look like this:

2 sodas…$2.58

Hummus plate with pita bread…$5.50

Chicken pesto panini…$7.40

Shish kabob sandwich…$7.40

Total…$22.88

Tax…$1.83

Tip…$3.45

Total…$28.16

Calypso CafÉ, 385 Westminster St., Providence. (401) 454-7034. Very casual. On-street parking. Wheelchair accessible. Highchairs. AE, D, MC, V. Serving 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday; dinner Wednesday to Friday 6-10 p.m. Take-out and delivery. Breakfast $2.99-$6.95; sandwiches $4.95-$7.99; salads $4.95 to $6.95; pizzas $7.95-$11.95.

gciampa@projo.com