•  SLIDESHOW: See and hear Dana Craig talk about Cafe Caturra

There are times I think the gods of casual restaurants are against me.

My favorite sandwich shops often have outdoor seating but no wine. My favorite wine shops have fabulous libations but usually nothing substantial in the way of food. My favorite coffee shops have great sweets but nothing more than a bench out front.

On a warm summer evening, all I want is a crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc, a light bite to eat, a nice outdoor patio and maybe an after-dinner espresso. Is it too much to ask to find all this in one place?

I thought it was until I recently visited the second (and newest location) of Café Caturra on Midlothian Turnpike.

I was thrilled to discover Café Caturra not only covers all of the above, but also covers them quite well.

This coffee shop-wine bar bistro concept not only roasts all its coffee beans on-site -- you'll see the big roaster churning away just inside the door -- but it also has a wine-preservation system that shows they take wine seriously.

When you consider Café Caturra's decently diverse menu breakfast sandwiches, paninis, wraps, salads and homemade soups -- and its all-weather patio complete with cozy fireplace, it's difficult to find something not to like.

My biggest complaint is that both Café Caturra locations the original is on Alverser Drive also in Chesterfield County aren't closer to downtown.

That is, until I heard a third location is in the works near Libbie and Grove in the former home of Luna Grove Deli.

In addition to a wide variety of coffee drinks, Café Caturraboasts 26 wines available by the glass ($6-$18) or bottle ($18-$54), each immaculately preserved in the aforementioned dispensing system built into the wall behind the main counter.

By the way, Café Caturra is a counter-service establishment, but based on the number of times a cheerful woman donning a black apron and huge smile checked in on us after we ordered, this is by no means an upscale Panera Bread.

When we arrived, this same employee was offering guests a selection of complimentary hors d'oeuvres, including hummus and crostini and Asian lettuce wraps, near the wing-back chairs surrounding the indoor fireplace.

A friendly lad was preparing cheese plates nearby and was happy to describe the evening's Spanish selections, including Idiazábal, Manchego and Garrotxa.

We snagged an umbrella-covered table outside and eagerly awaited the arrival of our chicken and Gorgonzola panini ($9.50) with tomato basil soup ($4.50) and The Caturra Club ($10) with curry chicken and apple soup ($4.50).

On the panini, a seasoned chicken breast, pounded to barely a quarter of an inch thick, was sandwiched between slices of grilled Campagne bread, a husky French country bread both crusty and chewy. The pungent swipe of creamy Gorgonzola made the sandwich, but I expected a larger portion for the price.

Served on hearty, cracked wheat toast, the triple-decker club was massive -- layer upon layer of crisp (not greasy) bacon, thin-shaved ham, roasted turkey and Cheddar -- but not so large as to cause jaw pain or an unsightly mess. I would venture to say it's one of the better clubs around.

Sandwiches come with chips or a side salad, but after trying the soups, we were glad we upgraded. The tomato was luxuriously thick and creamy with melted Brie accented with a subtle snap of basil.

The curry chicken's robust broth -- chock full of almond silvers, carrots and Granny Smith apple cubes -- married the unexpected combination of ingredients into a winning palate-pleaser. My only complaint was both soups were in desperate need of salt, and there was none on the table.

We ended with one of the most heavenly cookies ($2.10) I've had -- a chunky amalgamation of chocolate chips, macadamia nuts and coconut held together with just enough soft, chewy batter to call it a cookie. Tip: Get extras to go.

If Café Caturra's suburb success can establish itself as strongly in other parts of town, I might start thinking the gods of casual restaurants are finally seeing things my way.