Paradise lounge on the strip. Expense it, bad boy!

Fretting over Gapification can be such a bore! From time to time I crave a kind of honest to goodness urban sprawl that has grown comfortable with itself, one that dares to celebrate to excess.

When I get this urge to drive to Reno or L.A., I don't. Instead, I head down Hwy 280 about 40 miles to Cupertino and pull off onto the De Anza strip. Located next to such Silicon Valley behemoths as Apple Sun and IBM is a place highly recommended for its complete disregard for modern, No Cal sensibilities. It's a place that, for reasons unclear, calls itself the Peppermill.

Sure, it may look like Cocoa's on the outside, but within the coffee-shop with a Kon Tiki-esque exterior lies something most extraordinary. It's a Warsaw Diskotek circa 1989 but without the teenage strippers. It's a Nirvana of Neon with a display case full of Certs, cocktail waitresses brimming over their sequined v-necks. It's cherry trees hiding hushed tête-à-têtes in sunken lounges.

Paradise.

But you must be hungry, darling? Care for a breaded chicken strip with a pina colada dip? Or perhaps an artichoke bottom fried to perfection? Here, let bring you a drink. How about a strawberry daiquiri topped with whipped cream? Or, let me guess, a scorpion pour deux! Now you're headed for a heart-attack. And what could be a more apt setting for the summation of your existence?

There you are, in the fireplace lounge, a semicircle of strangers surrounds you. In the middle, a lukewarm tub, whose gurgling waters beckon you to dunk your toes. But wait! There's a fire burning in the center of it all.

Mezmerizing.

Here comes another round.

And you'd never guess it's 2:00 in the afternoon.

Besides Cupertino, the Peppermill chain is located in these fine getaway locales: Daly City, Sacramento, Citrus Heights, Concord, Fresno, Santa Clara, and of course, Reno!

Open till 12:30 on weekdays and 2:30 on weekends. For reservations in the fireplace lounge call: (408) 996 7750. Address 10690 N. De Anza Blvd. No URL.

zales@pigdog.org