After a long weekend of debauch- ery, I’m lucky to roll out of bed by noon on Sunday, so you can imagine this Hungry Gaucho’s delight at finding a mouth-water- ing midday meal to cure a pounding head and churning stomach. Cody’s Café is a bit off the beaten track for those in I.V., but well worth the jaunt down to Hollister.

The family-friendly restaurant was promisingly full when I arrived, but despite the crowd, I was seated right away. At once I was served a generous basket of warm French rolls to munch on while I perused the menu, which offered a wide variety of salads, sandwiches and burgers. I finally decided on a warm bowl of black bean soup and Pete’s Chicken Ciabatta sandwich.

The soup was rich and creamy with a perfect blend of spices, garnished with green onion and melted cheese. My sand- wich, accompanied by a generous pile of fluffy, golden steak fries, was served on a toasted Ciabatta bun with a zesty chipotle mayonnaise sauce, lettuce, tomato, avocado and crispy bacon. The lightly seasoned grilled chicken breast complemented the chipotle wonderfully. The added bacon and tomato morphed the sandwich into a flawless cross between a grilled chicken sandwich and traditional BLT.

The meal was delicious and fairly priced

for the quality and size — I managed to fill up on bread, soup, a sandwich and fries for just under $11.00. With great food and excellent service, both speedy and friendly, Cody’s Café was the perfect hangover cure.