RESTAURANT REVIEW:

My closet was depressing me, and though clothes shopping ranks right up there with attending a pan flute and steel drum concert, it was time to update my wardrobe.

This meant wandering around South Coast Plaza, looking at stores that were as intimidating to me as a dark alley in New York City.

I was in the midst of this ordeal when hunger struck. Since it was noon, and I was looking for any excuse to take a break, I began to look around for a suitable establishment.

My first choice was Wolfgang Puck Café, but they aren’t going to reopen until August, so I was forced to make another choice.

As I was reading the list of restaurants nothing jumped out at me, but Café Nordstrom did look intriguing so I ambled on over that way.

It might have been my hunger clouding my cognitive thought, but I found it difficult to locate the café, which is on the third floor.

The sign was a bit innocuous, but one of the sales people pointed me in the right direction.

I liked the cafeteria style. The line starts at a stack of plastic trays and a menu, though it is not really necessary.

The restaurant cooks all of the items it offers and puts them on display, including the day’s specials.

This is extremely helpful. I got a sense of exactly what the dish was going to look like and how big it was going to be.

I was so hungry, I didn’t make it past the two specials, which were at the front of the line. The first special sounded good, but it looked even better. It was a crab lump with angel hair pasta, and it was fantastic. The lump of Dungeness crab was mixed with the delicate pasta and cherry tomatoes, spinach, pesto, garlic and white wine.

This was a dish that was perfect for lunch, but would also make a great early dinner. It was light, and I thought unbelievably priced at $10.50.

I am starting a letter-writing campaign to the chef, begging him to make this a regular menu item.

Most of the items I saw on the menu seemed reasonable for the price. The most expensive item was an herb roasted salmon for $11.95, but the piece of fish was generous. I have seen much smaller cuts of the same fish for $18 at other restaurants.

The biggest seller on the menu, according to Derek Beck, one of the restaurant’s managers, is the California Panini. It is roasted turkey on the crispy country bread with avocado, tomato, Swiss cheese and a garlic aioli.

I would probably forgo that for the honey-roasted ham and apple sandwich. It is ham, sharp cheddar, roasted apples, arugula, whole grain mustard aioli on a multigrain ciabatta.

The sandwich I picked for this day was another of the specials. It was a chicken ciabatta. The chicken breast was roasted and marinated in garlic. Mixed with the meat were red and yellow bell peppers, provolone cheese, sprouts, hickory smoked bacon and a lemon caper aioli.

The specials at the restaurant change about every three days, according to Beck. They add to an impressive menu that includes salads, sandwiches, paninis, pizzas and pasta dishes.

Indoor and outdoor seating is available, and the dining room is expansive. The outdoor patio has metal tables and chairs and is covered by patio umbrellas.

The most important aspect of the restaurant is the service. Though this is technically a cafeteria, servers are attentive and professional, bringing meals to the table in 15 minutes or less.

This meal made the ordeal of shopping much more pleasant and might even get me to the stores more often.

ADDRESS: 3333 Bristol St., Suite 7000, Costa Mesa

PHONE: (714) 850-2510549-8300

CUISINE: French/American

SPECIALTY DISH: California panini, though menu changes every few days

ALCOHOL SERVED: beer and wine

DRESS: casual

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Yes, children’s menu with six items

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, MasterCard, Visa

RATING***

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.