For cheap food, conveniently located right in front of the Chicago Blue Line stop, you can't go wrong with D'Agostino's no-frill Italian basics. The bright dining room is clean, whether you sit at the bar or at one of the tables, where you can take your pick from a predictable menu of pizza, pasta and sandwiches, most costing less than $10.

Specials attract diners looking for an economical meal with an inexpensive drink to wash it down. Slightly smaller than D'Agostino's Wrigleyville location, the Ogden offshoot doesn't have as much character as its sister on Addison, but it's more family, less frat. The outdoor tables offer a relaxing area to kick back and enjoy a beer in the fresh air. While you're out there, be sure to wave to the hipsters across the street on the sidewalk at Matchbox: They're probably paying twice as much for their drinks.

Centerstage Reviewer: Aimee Hall