American Girl Inc   

Cakes, cookies, some lemonade, a pretty doll perched at the table's edge. Little girls' tea parties have long been held at home (with the help of a card table, some plastic dishes and a few toys), but restaurants? Those are the province of grown-ups, where adults gather to eat very seriously. A child can join that scene now and then, of course, but dolls aren't typically invited and the whimsy is not on the menu. But whimsy is dished up in big dollops, and dolls and little girls are the guests of honor, at American Girl Cafe. Located in the huge American Girl Place at The Grove -- a store where fans of the popular book series can buy dolls based on the books' characters, browse outfits for their dolls, take their dolls to the on-site hair salon, have a portrait snapped with their dolls and watch their dolls come alive at the second-floor theater -- the Cafe is all about girly-cute yumminess. From its pinky-hued parlor-like look to the totally too-cute items on the menu (think Flower-Power Pancakes, Chocolate Mousse Flowerpot and a bevy of kid-cool treats named after the American Girl characters), the cafe caters to children first. Parent-pleasing dishes like salmon and chicken salad also are available, should mom or dad want to forgo the sugary stuff, and there are several seatings a day, starting with breakfast and ending with dinner (with lunch and a special afternoon tea in-between).