I think the idea of "food as convenience" whilst buying items at a mall — as a marketing concept — began to blossom with Americans in big fashion because of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and the "Food Court" sequences that played a big role in the plot. Everyone remembers Phoebe Cates' character and Jennifer Jason Leigh's character coolly admiring the stereo salesman's derriere, or the wise Judge Reinhold's All American Burger guru refusing to sell any fries before their time!

The Food Court idea, I believe, is that no one would voluntarily go to a mall to specifically eat at Food Court — and then turn around and leave. But if you're there and hungry ...

Well, if you're me, Food Court — at least the one at Crystal Mall in Waterford — has the only nearby Charley's Philly Steaks franchise. A few times each month, I head to Crystal, order from Charley, sit down in the official Food Court communal dining area, feast, and read my book.

The thing is, while it's enjoyable, Charley's isn't by any stretch of the imagination the finest cheesesteak you're going to get in the area. Philly's in Norwich and the A1-sauce marinated cheesesteaks at Illiano's, just to name two possibilities, are decidedly superior. But the Charley's version, with a nice supply of lean beef, steamed slices of white American cheese, and toppings of grilled onions, green peppers and mushrooms, can please me.

More importantly, Charley's also sports several variations of subs that you don't always see on menus, all of which are prepared in front of you on the hot griddle. (Across the board prices for sandwiches, in small, medium and large sizes, range from $4.69 to $9.49.)

I'm particularly fond of the Chicken California model, which comprises diced strips of white meat, Provolone and ranch dressing. Add some banana peppers and the aforementioned pickles, and this is a damned fun thing to eat. Other chicken variations are also available, including Chicken Buffalo (the sauce is not particularly spicy or memorably piquant) and Chicken Teriyaki (which throws a nice curve by using Swiss cheese to compliment the sweetness of the titular sauce). It's often a flip-a-coin deal for me when considering which chicken sammich to go for.

There are also variations on the Philly cheesesteaks: Bacon 3 Cheese (with provolone, Swiss and white American), BBQ Cheddar Steak (augmented by grilled and crisped onions and a mediocre barbecue sauce), and Pepperoni Steak (onions, green peppers and provolone). The latter is good, although, ultimately, the spice of the the pepperoni overwhelms the steak. I've actually considered ordering this and telling them to double the pepperoni and forget the steak.

Also available is an Italian Deluxe, which fuses turkey, ham and pepperoni along with provolone and Italian dressing. This had some enviable torque and I've had more than one — although the turkey is suffocated by everything else. It's the culinary equivalent of a vocabulary contest between Bill Maher, Christopher Hitchens and Sean "Turkey" Hannity .

Oh! And don't forget the Veggie Delight — yes, I'm a big enough loser that I made my vegetarian wife, Eileen, go with me once — is actually pretty damned good and features grilled mushrooms, onions and green peppers with provolone, Swiss and white American cheese. For a meat-heavy establishment to even offer a veggie option impressed Eileen, and that it wasn't the usual frozen patty of indiscernible origin was even better. The veggies were nicely grilled — not limp, but not raw — and ladled into one of the Charley's fresh buns, which are sufficiently sturdy that they can almost handle the juicy mess. A nice employee gave her a fork and said the sandwich had a history of getting messy. Much appreciated.

Speaking of employees, I recognize most of them by sight now. They're so nice it's almost spooky — as though Ward and June Cleaver raised a whole huge family of kids with the goal that they'd all work at Charley's in Crystal Mall. They always remember to tell you that the fries are very hot. And as for fries, they are billed as "natural cut" (whatever that means) and are always fresh. A batch with cheddar sauce, ranch dressing and bacon crumbles is a nice addenedum to the sub.

One final word. Charley's has fruit-flavored lemonades with strawberry, peach and blueberry options. They're not pre-mixed, either. The fresh lemonade was flavored, as per our choice, by ACTUAL blueberries, and it was fantastic. Eileen chased the blueberries around with her straw, and when the drink was done, used a spoon to get the remaining berries.

I'm not suggesting that anyone out there is enough of a Rick-sized goofball that he or she would actually make a trip just to eat at Charley's. But, if you find yourself at Crystal Mall to buy some New Orleans Saints gear before the season kicks off, give it a try.

Charley's Philly Steaks

Cuisine: Philly cheesesteaks and variations including chicken versions, Italian and veggie

Service: Almost eerily nice and helpful Young Folks. Hey, I worked at an ice cream parlor in high school, and I was nowhere NEAR this pleasant.

Atmosphere: It's in the Food Court at a mall. Depending on your worldview, the people watching is pretty great, or you might want to stab yourself in the temple with plastic cutlery.

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun.

Prices: $4.69-$9.49 sandwiches; combo meals including fries and drink $2.89-$3.89 more

Handicapped access: Very easy

Reservations: N/A

Credit cards: All majors