The Delmar Loop is odd.

It’s one of those places that you visit knowing your trip will inevitably be a complete grab bag of an experience.
You never know quite how to prepare yourself for it.

If the St. Louis weather patterns weren’t enough to throw you off-guard, take into account the unpredictable nature of the area itself. Will I look like an idiot if I go inside Iron Age Tattoo and look through their books, giggling at the prospect of having a naked lady on my arm? Will my staring bother the tall, lanky man reciting a biblical monologue outside of St. Louis Bubble Tea Company?

Will Rag-O-Rama ever have those sweet vintage Pumas in my size?

Will my friends ever talk to me again after I unknowingly lead the line through an apparent drug deal?

The questions are endless.

For all the queries surrounding the Loop, however, there are always two certainties: You will be entertained, and you will be well fed.

Be it spicy Thai at one of the many authentic restaurants or a classic American cheeseburger at Blueberry Hill, you will not leave the Loop hungry. In the case of the small Chinese Noodle Caf?, located at 6138 Delmar Blvd., you will not leave the Loop disappointed either.

The restaurant is small-intimate enough to be classified as cozy-yet just large enough to avoid any claustrophobia issues.

The modern setup mixes booths with tables, stools with chairs and commemorative plaques with an adorable sushi cartoon drawing. Though kitschy, the Caf? avoids crossing the thin line to tacky, which can be a difficult feat to master.

The left corner table upon entering the Chinese Noodle Caf? is the one to secure for your eating pleasure.

Though a bit crowded, the small stools provide an intimate eating environment. They’re similar to the tiny, plastic chairs you coveted as a child during shopping trips to the dollar store, only far classier. Not to mention, the area is partially lit by an American flag, Lite-Brite style. The twilight’s last gleaming, indeed.

Considering the low prices-nearly everything under $9-the food served may not be classified as gourmet. The quality was much better than most cheap Chinese restaurants.

You can’t go wrong with the basics: broccoli beef and garlic chicken are just two of the choice meal options on the menu. It is the epitome of one’s Chinese food comfort-zone, providing all of the food needed for a one-night, stress-induced, comfort-food-needing binge.

One of the best aspects of the Caf? is the service. Proudly pointing out the plaque naming the Caf? one of St. Louis’ most college-friendly eateries, our servers constantly refilled our drinks, asked how we were doing and answered any requests or questions we had.

If the atmosphere, prices and service were not enough, our waitress threw an extra pound and a half of rice into our to-go boxes, proving that one meal really can set you up for weeks, even semesters, on end.

A friendly goodbye and a couple of well-wishes later, and you are back in the Loop. Back to the random enocounters, the unpredictiable weather and the questions of what lies ahead. Things are so much easier to handle on a full stomach.

And honestly, what is there that goes better with an overacted, impromptu biblical monologue than leftover sweet and sour chicken?

Nothing. That’s what.