KEVIN KLAUS/ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT

Walking into Ghini's French Caffe feels like the first warm rays of sunshine at the dawn of spring. Yellow walls complement each of the surprisingly counterfeit sunflowers standing tall in a wine bottle vase centered on each table. Customers of all ages scan newspapers or catch up with old friends, giving the airy bistro-style dining room an energetic buzz.

This vibrant ambience (achieved despite the strip mall location at the northeast corner of Prince and Campbell) revved up my expectations and my appetite for lunch. I started out with a well-made breve latte that gave me just the boost I needed to sift through the lengthy breakfast and lunch menu. Ghini's Wilted Spinach Salad ($6.95), with fresh spinach, mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs, bacon and a warm, bacon vinaigrette, stood out among the 10-plus salad choices, ranging from the basic garden salad ($3.75) to the grilled Portobello mushroom and smoked Gouda salad ($7.95). But when it arrived, I started to wonder if all the salads were prepared as light on the dressing and tame on flavor.

My taste buds were relieved when I tried Ghini's signature dish, Eggs Provencale ($5.75). These fried eggs, cooked to order, come with juicy slices of tomatoes, garlic and fresh thyme and are served with buttered toast. The garlic and thyme make the dish sound bold - on the contrary, the seasoning was soft and appropriate for this breakfast-type choice. The eggs stacked on top of the buttered toast with a fresh slice of Ghini's hothouse tomatoes makes for a great open-faced breakfast sandwich.

The meal had jerked me up and down, but the roller coaster ride was only the beginning. After the Eggs Provencale, I tried a sandwich off of Ghini's brand new "De-lites" menu, where nothing on the menu has more than 5 grams of fat or costs more than $7.95. The tomato, basil and feta sandwich ($6.25) that comes on French bread is nothing special. In fact, I had to dissect the sandwich for a sign of feta cheese since my taste buds could not detect any. Much like the spinach salad, the feta sandwich lacked gusto.

But like the best roller coaster rides, the meal ended on a high note because Ghini's shares space with Le Baguette Bakery. After the meal, I waltzed over to the bakery counter where my friendly but neglectful waitress informed me I could choose anything and they would add the bakery items to the tab already started for lunch. For dessert, I tried a mini shortbread cookie in the shape of a teddy bear, sandwiched with chocolate, and a chocolate croissant. The teddy bear reminded me of trips to the bakery as a kid. And the croissants... well, when in a French cafŽ, do like the French!

As I sat at the table surrounded by posters of flowers and well-placed prints, noshing on my desserts, I realized that despite the mediocre service and muted flavors, I would have no problem visiting Ghini's again. The ambience was so refreshing that I never wanted to leave. I stretched my lunch as long as possible, reading through a book on Paris and playing a game of checkers, courtesy of a bookshelf filled with fun books, games and magazines for guests.

Finally the time came to step out of the spring sunshine and back into the unpredictable Tucson winter. Next time, I'll stick to the breve latte, some eggs and (twist my arm) a trip to the bakery.