Just in time for Halloween, popular lunch/breakfast spot 8:15 Early has risen from the grave with a new location, a new name, and an expanded menu. Taking up residence in the spot that was once home to The Mediterranean Café (and years before that, the beloved local-youth hangout Tony's Pizza), Louie's Corner Café brings one more option for a quick and tasty daytime meal to the downtown-dining scene.

A lot of the old favorites are back — like fresh pastries, the Rockstar turkey club and some sammys named after characters from the popular John Hughes film,The Breakfast Club. The menu reaches into local-taste territory with breakfast burritos, migas and other items, and diners are encouraged to create their own favorite sandwich. You can also belly-up to sweet and savory crepes, omelettes, egg-and-toast favorites, salads, locally roasted fair-trade coffee, and hamburgers made with organic beef (I shook hands with a "Krispy Kris Burger" yesterday — crispy bacon, cheddar, and potato chips; we're going to be great friends, I can tell). Dinner will be available after the acquisition of a beer-and-wine license — but given the snail's pace at which the permitting process crawls in Santa Fe, that may take a few months. But who cares? This already-hoppin' joint is delicious right now. And who the heck is Louie, anyway? The Fork knows the answer, but you'll have to visit the restaurant at 229 Galisteo St. to find out for yourself. Louie's Corner Café is currently open 7 a.m.-4 p.m. seven days a week. Call 820-2253 for details — and takeout!

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Cerrillos Road coffee house PD Bean went the way of the dinosaur some months ago, but as I was cruising down the street that Beelzebub built recently, I noticed a swirl of activity inside and outside the property. At first, I thought, It must be another film set under construction (in recent days, locally owned downtown-dining spot The Burrito Company was transformed into a very real, very corporate Coffee Beanery for the shooting of scenes for Due Date, a film starring Robert Downey Jr.). But the real reason for all the commotion is much more palatable — literally.

Cathy Notranicola and Nancy Peralta quietly opened Café Olé at 2411 Cerrillos Road on Sept. 29, bringing a local-café experience to a commercial territory that is lacking in homegrown-coffeehouse fare. Breakfast burritos, tacos, fresh breads and pastries, organic coffee, hot dogs, meatball sandwiches (plus a meatball salad!) and more are on offer, and a drive-up window means you can pick up a latte and a danish on the way to work. If you call ahead, a drive-up meatball sammy can also be yours.

According to a recent phone call to the establishment, Café Olé is currently open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and catering is available. A grand-opening celebration is planned for mid-November. The owners are still working out the details on operating hours as winter weather sets in, so call 438-3000 or visit http://cafeolesantafe.wordpress.com for more information.

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The corner of Cordova Road and St. Francis drive is about to get a culinary upgrade. On Saturday, Oct. 31, the Nile Café — a small, mostly takeout operation with a comfortable vibe — replaces a long-vacant spot formerly occupied by Domino's Pizza and a slew of used cars. Promising a fusion of Middle Eastern cuisine and regional fare, local owners Gigi and David Griffo are poised to stake their claim in the burgeoning demand for fast and affordable daytime fare with an ethnic twist in the City Different. A lamb kofta burger (ground lamb meat amended with spices and onions) gets a local twist with the addition of green chile, and briny feta cheese is the dairy that binds this lovely meatapalooza. Talk about a great deal: chicken or lamb gyro sandwiches for $5; generous kabob plates for just over $10; tons of vegetarian options including house-made falafel; and if you have a sweet tooth, you can pick up some baklava, which is also made in-house, for $1.50 apiece. This new venture, brought to you by one of the former proprietors of Cleopatra Café, is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. This Saturday, the eatery will be open during normal hours, but at 2 p.m., a celebration with belly dancers rings in Santa Fe's newest fast-fusion-dining concept. A table or two will be set up for folks who want to stick around a while, and Gigi promises that warmer weather will bring more opportunities for patio munching.

And to sweeten the pot: From opening day until Nov. 7, a side of fries comes free with your sandwich order. Let me repeat that, budding Santa Claus impersonators: free fried stuff.

Are you running with a fork, too? Send tips on what's happening in the local food and restaurant scenes to Rob DeWalt at rdewalt@sfnewmexican.com.