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Employee Leanna Gallegos looks out into the dining area at the Sideboard in Danville, Calif. on Friday, December 19, 2008. (Dean Coppola/Staff)

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Several bites into a poached egg, I still hadn't received my hot chocolate.

I was a whisper away from approaching the counter when it finally arrived. The steaming mug was rimmed in graham cracker crumbs with giant homemade marshmallows floating atop a swirl of dark chocolate. One sip of that dessert in a cup and all was forgiven.

That's the remarkable thing about Sideboard in Danville. It doesn't fit neatly into the dining-experience package, but the moment you sample the food and specialty drinks, you're grateful owners Ford and Erin Andrews decided to gamble on different.

Magic of the moment

Located in the old Danville Hotel, Sideboard flashes quaint even before you walk past mosaic-tiled patio tables and step through the door.

The place was packed during two visits, for dinner and for breakfast.

Stockings lined a rafter, nutcrackers filled a long shelf behind the counter. Lights, garland and other holiday décor set a festive mood. Even the food and hot drinks were served in mix-and-match holiday dishes.

The décor felt homey against the backdrop of gray-brown wainscoting, walls painted in mocha, wood floors and soft pendant lights.

Sideboard does a masterful job of capturing the moment. Whether breakfast, lunch or dinner, you immediately feel as if you have entered a cozy coffeehouse copied from a quiet corner in Europe. Sinking into a comfortable

The Andrewses have designed the restaurant to be a neighborhood coffeehouse and kitchen. At any time of the day, you will find Ford roaming the small dining room or Erin popping out of the kitchen.

Stopping at my table, Erin took one look at my half-finished hot chocolate and tsked softly, "Oh, they forgot..."

She disappeared and returned a moment later with a miniature candy cane, which she draped over the mug's rim. Honestly, the hot chocolate didn't need any extra sprucing, but that attention to detail was appreciated.

Help yourself

Sideboard bucks traditional table service for counter service, most often found in fast food restaurants or English and Irish pubs. The Andrews have classed up the approach so that you feel neither rushed nor impersonalized.

The young woman behind the cash register took her time to describe each dish we inquired about. Ford cleared a just vacated table so we wouldn't have to sit at the counter.

Despite a limited wine list, we were pleasantly surprised by the generous serving of B.R. Cohn Chardonnay ($10 a glass), which was buttery and nicely chilled.

The roadhouse prawns ($8.75) arrived wrapped in pancetta and stuffed with goat cheese, spinach and walnuts. The accompanying lemon aioli tasted fresh and not too oily.

The Andrewses have placed an emphasis on using organic, natural and local ingredients, which is why some days the menu will feature a few revisions.

My husband ordered a chicken salad sandwich ($9.75) brimming with chunks of apple, walnuts, scallions and currants that gave it a rich, sweet flavor. But what had me helping myself were the homemade organic potato chips that were thin, crisp and finely seasoned.

I opted for the spagatini ($12.75) with a spicy Italian sausage that was a tad too mild, crisp asparagus, sweet cherry tomatoes and a melted goat cheese infused in every bite. I would definitely order it again.

Come again

The portion sizes were ideal, enough so we didn't feel guilty about ordering dessert. Definitely save room for their bread pudding ($6.75), served with a berry filling, vanilla ice cream and chocolate and caramel sauce.

It was over dessert that we learned breakfast is the real can't-miss at Sideboard. So, two days later I returned with a co-worker.

Again, the place was full, strangers sharing tables, some patrons sitting on the patio despite the brisk weather. We started at a small table near the door but quickly moved to a rustic wood table farther back to escape the cold. It remained drafty, enough so that I never took off my sweater.

I had come for the French toast with sauteed bananas and maple whipped cream, only to discover later that this and the Huevos Rancheros are served only on the weekends. The afternoon/dinner menu is printed daily to reflect menu changes; considering these breakfast items are a weekend-only offering, the same should be done with the morning menu. It would save customers from having to make a new and hasty choice at the cash register.

Our selections were mainly good ones. The breakfast pudding ($5.75) tasted like a souffle with a crisp topping. The poached egg on levain toast ($4.75) was surprisingly filling. The streusel on the coffee cake ($2.75) burst with cinnamon and brown sugar. Only the shirred eggs in prosciutto di parma cup ($5.75) proved to be a miss — way too salty, overpowering the eggs.

But by then, I had the hot chocolate, and the shirred egg was quickly forgotten as I spooned out the melted marshmallows.

Reach Ann Tatko-Peterson at atatko@bayareanewsgroup.com.