Ulysses Voyage | dejeuner

Who says malls don't have good food?? Well, those who say that usually have a point: Sbarro's, McDonald's, Tastee Freez and Wetzel's Pretzels aren't exactly what I would call "good food." Not if you like an original meal and/or your original waistline (not necessarily in that order). But for every ten malls in middle America that get it wrong, there's at least one mall in Fire City that gets it right.

We're a pretentious crowd, admit it. Wetzel's doesn't satisfy anything but our need to look sideways at our girlfriends and say, "Really? Extra cheese? Do you need extra cheese?" And that need, though often strong, is not noble. Therefore, in an attempt to maintain a shred of nobility, Fire City malls "class up" (did I just coin a new term?) and serve better food. Look at our favorite outdoor mall, The Grove. Sure, it's got its share of Cheesecake Factory and a bit of Wetzel...but The Grove also has Ulysses Voyage, a modern Greek bistro that wowed my business lunch socks off.

What am I talking--I don't wear business lunch socks. Until the weather dipped last weekend, I barely ever wore socks. This is California, after all.

But Ulysses Voyage, from the first taste of house-made hummous to the last nibble of grilled calamari shrimp pizza, was ridiculously awesome. I don't know how Greek that pizza really is, but who cares, I'll take it. And it's the perfect size for a waistline-watching gal to nibble at lunch and re-visit for dinner.

My work friends and I went there for a special send-off: I was leaving their lovely fold of fun, and as a last hurrah, we went to Greece. It's true: I may hate MAMMA MIA, but I do love Mediterranean food. From falafel to gyros and several variations on a theme of the chick pea, Ulysses served up great afternoon fare, fit for the office crowd or a romantic lunch date, and its location provided a great deal of people watching without the horrible mall atrocity of "people touching." The world looks best, Bette Midler and I agree, from a distance.

A note on that location: blink while walking and you might miss the place--I have until now. It's located near the clock tower and the Coffee Bean, between the mall's entrance proper and the tail end of the boisterously unkempt and expensive Farmer's Market. (The Farmer's Market, might I note, has a GREAT funnel cake section. Besides that, it's mostly skippable since the prices have escalated to spite the economy's malevolent frown.) Also, you'll do best to make reservations: though the place never seems to be full, reservations allow you the option of first pick for patio (great when it's sunny!) or indoors near the fire--where I wonder if they allow traditional Greek plate-breaking. L'Chaim!

the takeaway: Good food and good service.
in five: 4/5 for a mall; probably 3.5/5 for a restaurant (docked .5 for location--the Grove may be nice, but it's still a mall)

tastes better than ABBA: http://www.ulyssesvoyage.com/