The people behind Diesel Café—which Bostonist has been a fan of since it opened in 1999—are charting (and caffeinating) new waters in Somerville’s Union Square. Bloc 11, which is located in a former bank, has a hip, industrial vibe similar to Diesel’s, but it plays to a slightly more mature crowd—it’s like Diesel, but eight years older. The sandwiches, which run from $6.95 to $7.50, are considerably more tony than Diesel’s, featuring ingredients like caramelized onions, prosciutto, and olive tapenade.

First we tried out the 257—turkey, ricotta blended with basil, tomatoes, and caramelized onions. We loved the herby ricotta, and plan to try to replicate it at home (or maybe just snarf down another 257 at Bloc 11 sometime soon). We also ordered the fuse—apple curry tuna, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and greens on sourdough. It was also good, although one of us felt the curry didn’t come through quite strong enough. Bloc 11 also serves a wide selection of salads and baked goods (from Mariposa Bakery), and has a lot of excellent tea choices. (We enjoyed their “Finest Earl Grey.”) And the coffee? It’s the from the same roaster that Diesel uses, Intelligentsia of Chicago, and we’re very glad. We’re also just plain excited that there’s another coffee shop in town where it’s possible to settle down with a laptop for an hour (or longer)… but we won’t get too used to it. Union Square might be too awesome to stay quiet for long.

Photo by Lisa Scanlon