Sausalito Cafe, Northcote

By ELEANOR BLACK for canvas

When it comes to leisure, it's awfully hard to beat that classic duo: dinner and a movie, especially when it's made so easy for you, as in the case of Sausalito Cafe and the Bridgeway cinema, which nestle together chicly in Northcote Pt.

The cafe-cum-bar was named for the chi chi Californian suburb on the northern side of the Golden Gate Bridge, across the bay from San Francisco.

My mother lived there in the late 60s, zipped around in a green Carmen Ghia and went to cocktail parties on house boats. It's very glam. The positive associations of the name (and the really good shoestring french fries served with aioli) have made me rather fond of Sausalito, the cafe.

But this was our first dinner there, and it was a starkly different experience from the lazy afternoon coffee and cake break. We were whizzed through our meal at top speed to make our 8.15pm movie, and while this was meant to be helpful, I was unable to relax until settled in my roomy seat at the Bridgeway, the lights dimming, my stomach gurgling with the effort.

The timing was also misjudged: we ploughed through the mains but had to stretch out dessert to fill in time — or spend 15 minutes loitering uncomfortably in the cinema lobby. That said, the service was friendly and attentive, although our waitress didn't seem to know the menu well.

Just 10 minutes after ordering, my panfried calamari ($17.50) and Tim's chargrilled minute steak ($18.50) were steaming on the table, next to glasses of Kaimira riesling 2003 ($7.50) and Mt Difficulty pinot noir 2002 ($10.50).

The steak was not a fine cut and the accompanying mash was bland, but the green beans were beautifully crisp and the bearnaise sauce made things interesting.

My salad appeared freshly picked, although the dressing didn't taste like mango or chilli, as mentioned on the menu. The calamari was good: thick-cut and served in several long pieces, not the rubbery little rings you often get.

To bulk out our meals, we shared a bowl of those wonderful fries ($4.50) and a small Caesar salad ($6.50), which was delicious, a winning combination of crisp lettuce, creamy dressing, chunky anchovies, garlicky croutons and plenty of parmesan. I was disappointed I hadn't ordered a main-sized Caesar, which comes with a poached egg and bacon or chargrilled chicken.

Dessert was fairly pedestrian: a tiramisu that tasted of instant coffee ($8.50) and a bowl of vanilla icecream with my choice of sauce, caramel ($4.50). The icecream could have used a sprinkle of nuts, or sprig of mint to make it special.

However, the point of Sausalito is not candles-and-gilt-mirrors fine dining. It is simple, hearty food served with a smile in record time. During the day, this formula works superbly and you won't easily beat Sausalito for cheerful, tasty lunches, brunches and snacks.

By the way, our movie was excellent. If you haven't yet seen The Station Agent, do.

Ambience: Seat'em, feed'em, dispatch'em.

Cost: $78 for two mains, two desserts, two side dishes, and two glasses of wine.

* Read more about what's happening in the world of food, wine, party places and entertainment in canvas magazine, part of your Weekend Herald print edition.