A merging of culinary influences from cafes through central Europe is “seizing the day” at a second location of Caffe Carpe Diem, which recently branched into North Park since establishing itself in Bankers Hill as a neighborhood coffeehouse. Soon, that original location will adopt the North Park food menu, which breathes international flair into egg dishes, sandwiches and salads, all stamped charmingly with top-quality ingredients.

Carpe Diem’s owner, Sema Gurer, is unmistakable – a Turkish jetsetter with long, curly black hair whose stunning figure moves between the two cafes each day as she feeds from her coffee machines and mingles with customers.

Here in North Park, her coffeemaker of choice is a Clover, an $11,000 contraption that brews one cup of coffee at a time and features the ability to micromanage dose, strength and temperature. Like French-pressed brews, the result is a heightened roasted flavor that will easily coax you in to a second cup. Gurer says that she’s the only person in San Diego using the Clover, at least until Starbucks begins installing them in various locations throughout the coming year.

Carpe Diem caters to those on the hunt for breakfast and lunch. The interior is artsy and informal, adjoining with the small, experimental Art Produce Gallery, which will take in a few tables for extra café seating next month. The café’s main space, however, features a marble-topped breakfast bar, ornate wrought-iron chandeliers, jumbo wall mirrors framed in wood molding, and a miscellany of chair styles parked at iron tables. In the back is a large corner banquette upholstered in colorful fabric.

Arriving in the hang between breakfast and lunch, my companion and I ate both. We started with kebab panini a la Turka salad, a lovely arrangement of mixed organic greens dressed in lemon and olive oil, and adorned with kalamata olives, cucumber, avocado, goat feta and ground beef kofte patties. Kofte is a Turkish staple that comes in hundreds of versions. Gurer’s recipe omits the lamb, but maintains the savory herbs and onion-y essence. The salad plate also included panini-grilled ciabatta and a mound of fluffy tabbouleh punctuated with fresh basil, dill and parsley that was so good, we didn’t mind it garnished nearly every dish we ordered thereafter.

From the “egg creations” section, the Carpe Diem changed forever the way I look at omelets, thanks to spicy Turkish sausage (sucuk) and soft, buttery Romanian kashkaval cheese folded in. Red, orange and yellow bell peppers were also present, adding prettiness and a whisper of sweetness.

We then happened upon two cleverly constructed panini sandwiches that were both outstanding. The “farmer’s daughter” brings together brie cheese, finely chopped, caramelized apples and lean prosciutto di Parma (the good stuff).

“This is one farmer’s daughter who made a successful transition into the city,” my companion commented as we rejoiced over the sandwich’s alternating sweet and savory flavors.

The second panini, a croque-monsieur (aka “mister crunchy”), adhered mostly to its French roots, using Black Forest ham instead of plain, plus a trio of mozzarella, Parmesan and kashkaval cheeses in lieu of the more common Swiss-Gruyere combo. These small diversions equated to nirvana; the ham offering a slight smokiness against the toasted cheeses blanketing the top of the sandwich. And unlike so many other places that dry-press their paninis to a boring crisp, we liked the fact that the bread here receives a slight brushing of butter before it’s grilled.

Other panini options include beef kofte, three cheese and turkey with sautéed mushrooms. There are also bagel sandwiches, one made with smoked wild Atlantic salmon, Bermuda onions and Spanish capers, plus several more omelets and colorful salads. At the breakfast bar, you’ll find homemade scones and muffins, plus outsourced pastries and croissants. And whole-bean coffees are plentiful, originating from Ethiopia, Columbia and various fields from around the globe.

Service is welcoming and casual, although menus were in short supply the afternoon we visited, causing us to relinquish one of ours to a customer in waiting. Caffe Carpe Diem nonetheless embodies all of the relaxing comforts and quenching food inherent to urban cafes across France, Italy and Turkey. And for that, we’ll be coming back.