The sudden change that overtook Jackie's face startled us into a brief laugh. One moment, her features were serene; the next, her eyes widened, her face flushed and her mouth formed a gleeful grin.

The transformation occurred when our server set down a plate of chocolate volcano cake with a scoop of chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream in the middle.

Lunch pals Tom, Missy and I agreed that Jackie's joy was warranted when we tasted the dessert. And tastes were all we three got ("Here, Jackie, move it closer to you..." ), but we compensated by demolishing wedges of excellent cherry and Key lime pies. We were at the well-decorated Cheffery's: An American Bistro, among the nonstop lunchtime crowd that apparently hadn't heard that it was a weekday in a recessionary economy.

"Jackie and I came by on a Thursday night for dinner but couldn't get near the place," said Tom, who lives just down the street. Since Cheffery's opened in August 2007, it's become clear that word of mouth has taken it from neighborhood diner to dining destination.

"Casual comfort food with a gourmet twist" is the bistro's motto. "We wanted it to be a place where people in the community could get together and chat, relax, have a meal and a glass of wine," said Jeffrey Gordy on the phone Monday. He's co-owner with executive chef Mark DuGrenier. "But it gets crazy, crazy busy."

Gordy is a local guy who "grew up making bread pudding as a kid, and going with my mom and dad to the Pheasant Club for garlic steak sandwiches.

"We know half (our customers) on a first-name basis, and know many of their idiosyncracies," he added. "(For example) the judge likes his chair to face east when he comes in by himself. When he comes in with a group, his chair has to face south."

Gordy described the menu items as "the kind of food Mom used to cook, the dishes you grew up eating, but with a twist." He and DuGrenier also run an award-winning catering company, Refer-a-Chef.

Cheffery's lunch menu is heavy on sandwiches (French dip, Reuben, garlic steak, chicken; $8.99 to $14), while dinner expands to include pasta, pork loin, jambalaya, salmon, chicken cordon bleu, pot roast and steak ($9.99 to $16.99).

We began with cups of three soups: densely flavored French onion, velvety potato bacon and a real surprise – watery, fishy-tasting "cioppino" cluttered with segments of imitation crab leg (surimi). Sorry, but Mom wouldn't have been seen in the same room with fake seafood.

We segued to a plate of very good fish 'n' chips with tartar sauce that actually had some substance, complemented by squirts of piquant malt vinegar; a meatloaf sandwich with slices of well-textured meatloaf that were cut too thin for the price (was it tarragon trying to dominate?); and a crunchy, very tasty soft-shell crab sandwich,the star of the table.

It's not easy to find soft-shell crabs at restaurants around town. If you're a fan, also visit Ocean King, 6035 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento (916-422-8353), which serves the crabs two ways.

We also tasted a daily special – beef stroganoff – and went along with the inclusion of fettucini at the exclusion of the more traditional egg noodles. The braised beef chunks were tender enough, and the sour cream helped the brown sauce. But one ingredient usually employed in the Russian dish was nowhere to be found – mushrooms. My own mom, at least, would not have been happy.