A slice of southwestern heaven on The Avenue

For a cool break from the norm and a trip to feast both your stomach and your eyes, a solution awaits just around the corner in Hampden. Sharing half of a rickety white porch with a vintage clothing store, the Golden West Caf sits very inconspicuously on Hampden's main street; if not for the yellow banner above the porch steps, you'd probably drive right by without even knowing. This tiny local gem, though, is definitely worth discovering. The restaurant's decor is as confused as its name - what can you expect from a southwestern caf? This hole-in-the-wall invokes all the themes of a Parisian caf and a western saloon at once, lining the walls with everything from a Mona Lisa tapestry to a southwestern cow skull to framed pictures of the smiling manager and his toddler. There's even a dabbling of the Orient, with Chinese paper lanterns strung from the ceiling above the tiny wooden caf tables.

Somehow, everything manages to be magically unified under the relaxed, mellow ambiance. After a while, it suddenly doesn't seem so strange to hear instrumental folk music and then look up and see a two-foot plastic Bart Simpson smiling at you from atop the coffee counter cabinets. Even the bathroom is worth a visit just to admire the old record album covers that plaster the walls.

The menu is equally appealing in its diversity, and the waiter is totally cool with answering any questions you have about the food - "green chili" turns out to be a spicy sauce - and leaves you plenty of time to contemplate your choices. The Caf prepares all its dishes from local, organic food products - they claim that's their secret to a great taste - and offers a menu that is a quirky mix of southwestern food (quesadillas, vegan burgers, all-day breakfast burritos), asian fare (these amazing black-sesame sprinkled noodles) and creativity (try the apple and brie or turkey breast and mango chutney sandwiches).

Both the food and the prices are seriously amazing. The most expensive entre was only $8.25 - the free-range grilled chicken quesadilla, which came with colorful salsa and an enticing green salad. The Caf, already voted one of Baltimore's best brunches by the City Paper and sporting a personal "thank you for adding your charm to our city" sign from the mayor, is a huge success just waiting to happen.

Their Mental Oriental salad was beautifully presented and turned out to be some spaghetti-like noodles sprinkled with black sesame seeds atop a bed of fresh lettuce. The portion may not have satisfied a starving football player but was definitely adequate for anyone seeking a light but substantial meal. All sandwiches are between $4 and $7 and are served on an incredible, fluffy, caramelized-onion house focaccia bread. Just this bread itself is reason enough to pay the Golden West Caf a visit. Both the black bean veggie-cheeseburger and the turkey breast, brie and mango chutney sandwich were unique and delicious creations. Instead of a typical side of French fries or chips, both arrived with the same sesame seed-topped noodles that came on the Mental Oriental salad. They are delicious, by the way.

The wonderful truth is, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything here to complain about, besides just wishing you had a bigger appetite to sample even more of the curious menu. Everything was perfectly-cooked and seasoned and served, as a nice surprise, neither greasy nor in fearsome, belly-busting portions. The melted cheese on the bean burger was light and tasty. The brie on the turkey sandwich might have done better as a more flavorful blue cheese or feta, but wasn't bad.

The dessert selection was a slight letdown for those of us who thrive off of those sweet and sinful endings to a meal. Desert varies by day, depending on what is fresh and available, so there is no desert menu. It was only carrot cake the night we went, so we opted for coffee instead.

In traditional Golden West Caf style, though, what is offered is consistently offered in high quality. All you coffee-lovers will be glad to hear that the coffee selections could rival XandO's or Starbuck's. The brew was rich and tasty and served with a pitcher of cream. The restaurant also gets bonus points for having waiters who allow you free range to lounge and chat after your meal. Most likely, the Caf won't be crowded enough to force you out of your seat, anyway; the only other patrons while we were there arrived for coffee several minutes before we left.

For its unique, multi-cultural charm, awesome food and amazing prices, the Golden West Caf gets two thumbs up. Check out this local gem if you get a chance - and soon. It only seats about 20 people at a time and, once the word gets out, the college crowd is sure to swarm.