You were convinced that the halter-top you bought last week at Nordstrom was totally you. But once you tried it on at home, you realized you could never actually wear it in public; it's still in the bag that you brought it home in. Time to return it to the Village Mall in Corte Madera and meet your buddies for a chic lunch at the California Café.

You are going to need the sustenance, Dahling, after noticing that everyone else at the mall looks perfect in that halter top (you shlep from store to store trying to find one that isn’t so, well, so halter).

The California Café is a mall shopper’s dream come true. After all your harrowing excursions, rest your weary feet and shopping bags while you order a Diet Coke with plenty of ice and lemons, watch the refreshment be placed on the white table cloth by good looking men. Sit in the dazzling, sun-filled atrium area or in the cozier inner sanctum; peruse the menu filled with sandwiches, salads, pizzas and appetizers. The wine list is appropriately impressive (half bottles!), and you can enjoy a very elegant buzz in the middle of the day.

There’s even a kids’ menu.

My mother had to return a suit at Macy’s so, of course, we arranged a little tete a tete at the California Café. We both ordered the Asian Chicken Salad ($10.95). Light, delicately spiced chicken over cold noodles. My mother complained about the technology of the iced coffee, said it should be pre-brewed and not hot poured over ice. She said she didn't realize there would really be so many noodles in the salad. She tsked tsked over the fact that the plates were warm beneath the cold salad; she said, "be sure to write that down.” My mother is one of the great people of all time: beautiful, compassionate, and smart; but if you think she’ll rave over every little thing at any meal, you’d indeed be hallucinating.

The California Café is a bit pricey for lunch, about $9 to $13 for entrees, but it is wonderful for a special treat, is great for dates (not a "ladies only" type of place), great for buds, moms, grandparents, older kids.

Live dangerously: come to Marin. Remember: the Golden Gate Bridge leads in two directions, and both directions are truly golden. There’s a big mountain on this side that you might like to see, too! But I’m not going to tell you how big it is, or what it’s called. You’ll have to come check it out for yourself. California Café, Bar and Grill, 1736 Redwood Hwy (in the Village Mall), Corte Madera, Marin County, 415.924.2233. Credit Cards, Cash, First Born. Mon-Fri Lunch and Dinner 11am to 9pm; Fri & Sat 11am to 10pm; Sunday 11am to 9:30pm.

--Jolie Kanat

Reproduction of material from posthoc is prohibited without written permission.

Copyright 2002, Posthoc, Inc.

editor@posthoc.com