Inside eating out. (Living in Mexico).

There is something funky, fun and indescribable about Zeco Caffe, with its mix of influences: part euro cafe, part gourmet food store, part warehouse loft, part Martha Stewart-meets-the-Swiss-Family-Robinson. It's a rustic tree-house restaurant whose large windows overlook bright, primary-colored billboards on a busy Mexican street I have passed this place in taxis for the last year (they opened in October 2000) but had never stepped inside, and for some reason thought it was some hip, too-cool cafe for the 22-year-old junior set with more atmosphere than substance. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's both homey and gourmet, laid back and tasteful, with organic eggs and natural guayaba chutney for sale downstairs and hearty European and nouveau Mexican comfort food upstairs. The restaurant's meter-tall menus are a bit ungainly-but fun-and the prices are reasonable. I'm glad I discovered Zeco, not only because we had a good meal there, but because the exotic contents of the jars downstairs made me f antasize about taking cooking classes and having fabulous dinner parties.

Our group started with the champinones empanizados, or breaded mushrooms, served with an almond parmesan cheese sauce, and the shrimp, mushroom and palmitos appetizer which was topped with a lemon vinaigrette. Both were fresh, tasty and not too filling, leaving us plenty of room for some hearty main courses.

The huitlacoche pizza and pan noruego (smoked salmon sandwich) were the definite favorites of the evening. Of course, I am partial to anything with huitlacoche on or in it, so I may be biased, but the crispy, flat style crust and light toppings made it one of the best pizzas I've had in Mexico. The vegetarian pizza is also good, although a bit heavier. The salmon sandwich avoided the greasy, cream cheese-overdose fate that so many other restaurants bestow on this dish.

Another cool thing about Zeco: They serve fondue. One brave member of our party, who we dubbed Emperor Nero for the evening, ordered a decadent, two-person fondue (the suizo tradicional) and managed to have no trouble finishing it off (with a little help from the rest of us). As we dined, he told us a charming story about how, according to French cartoon strip Asterix and Obelix, ancient Romans used to have fondue orgies in what is today Switzerland, and the soldiers would use their swords to stick giant pieces of bread into cauldrons of boiling cheese. It seems they'd have contests in which the unlucky diner whose piece of bread fell off into the cheese was tied up and thrown into a river.

If you're more meat and potatoes than cheese-laden decadence, don't worry. The filete de res al vino con cebollitas (steak filet in a red wine sauce, accompanied by French onions and other veggies) is delicious, tender and juicy.

For dessert: strawberries in a rich, not too sweet chocolate sauce, and a heavenly slice of flan. Did I mention something about dinner parties? I've changed my mind: I'll keep the gourmet jar of chipotles in vinaigrette in my kitchen for show and take my guests out to Zeco Caffe.

Avenida Revolucion 1465

Colonia Tlacopac, San Angel

Mexico City

Monday to Saturday, 7:30 am. to 1 a.m.

Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tels.: (5)661-0772, (5)661-2209