On April 14th, I called my friend Jim Boyer for an impromptu lunch date.

He’s the busy on-site manager of the Copperfield Condominium Complex off of Royal Lane that LH Today profiled here.

Bachelor Jim is a frequent visitor to our neighborhood eateries, so he was glad to join me to check out our newest neighborhood dining spot.

Located in the Skillman Commons Shopping Plaza, just north of LBJ, it’s a quaint little joint called Samich’s Soul Café.

As the name suggests, Samich’s offers up over a dozen types of sandwiches - specifically nine hot and nine cold.

Some are favorite standbys like turkey, tuna and club, but most are a bit out of the ordinary and cater to regional tastes, with names like the Southern, the New Yorker, the Philly, and the Chicagoan.

The mission statement, coined by owners Felicia and Arturo Hill (who hail from Chicago) is that "Samich’s Soul Café adds a new dimension to eating out and culture to the cosmopolitan community of Lake Highlands."

Along with sandwiches, the menu also includes a nice variety of salads like Caesar, Cobb, Chop and Chicken, and the soup offerings include Beef Chili (with a disclaimer to not come in the kitchen if you can’t handle the heat) Tomato Basil, Wild Rice and Chicken, and Clam Chowder.

All selections are made to order, and sides and baked goods include fruit cup, cole slaw, and homemade brownies and cakes.

Prices range from the $2.95 for the kid-friendly choices to $5.95, with most selections right at five bucks.

During our lunch, I had the meatball sandwich. It was great - simple and satisfying. The meatballs were very light in texture with a mild yet full flavor, a hint of garlic, not cloying at all. The only addition to the sandwich was melted cheddar, and it was a perfect compliment.

At Arturo's recommendation Jim had the Philly, and I honestly didn’t think he’d ever get through it because he kept stopping between bites to say, “this is just delicious!”

Both fountain and cold case drinks are available, and soon beer, wine and margaritas will be as well.

When the Hills opened their new location, they say it was because they realized that a revitalization was taking place in Lake Highlands.

According to Arturo, “we wanted a place that would evoke a sense of community. We want to be a neighborhood place to eat and meet.”

“We also want to introduce - and encourage - the community to a healthier way of eating," he says. "Our vendors are local. The Flours Baking Company provides our bread, and we get our produce locally, too.

Offering up free Wi-Fi, the café is a perfect working lunch spot.

The ambiance is that of a comfortable, kinda hip speakeasy. With good reason, too.

On Tuesday nights Samich’s offers up jazz music, Wednesday nights host open-mic comedy, and Thursday nights budding crooners can participate in the Karaoke Koral.

Poetry readings are also scheduled every other Saturday. Arturo was excited to share that the café is working to orchestrate a visit from Ramsey Lewis in July.

And then there's the origin of the name Samich’s. Arturo explained that his grandchildren inspired the title.

“When they were little, they couldn’t say sandwiches. They’d say to their mom, ‘I want a samich!'”

Samich’s Soul Café is located at 9220 Skillman Street, Suite 105, in the Skillman Commons Shopping Plaza.

Hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., with breakfast served until 2:00 p.m.

Click here to visit their website and check out the menu.