Though it's as American as apple pie, this neighborhood grill adds a bit of umphh to its menu. Appetizers like the homemade kettle chips come smothered in bleu cheese bechamel and topped with fresh bleu cheese and Tabasco (take that, French onion dip!), and the typical cheese dip wows as aged beer cheese with smoked Jalapeno.

Comfort-food dishes like sliced maple cured pork tenderloin with raspberry barbecue sauce and Mama Lou's meatloaf of fresh chuck and veal do indeed comfort. The enormous Wrightwood salad, with its crispy greens, sliced grilled chicken, tomatoes, tart craisins, avocado, corn, almonds and fresh goat cheese, rules as the menu's most popular item. Side your $9-$25 entree with fresh seasonal vegetables, killer wild rice and scrumptious garlic mashed potatoes, skins included, but save room for the signature dessert: a to-die-for seven-inch chocolate chip cookie served hot in a cast iron skillet topped with ice cream and caramel and fudge sauces. It's enough for several diners!

Beyond fresh-squeezed OJ, the weekend brunch menu offers some interesting dishes, most notably Big Mike's Irish Breakfast (both oatmeal and fresh fruit pancakes served with maple butter).

Dunlays' full bar is open "as business dictates," with drinks ranging from $4 beers to $9 martinis. Check for daily specials, such as Mondays' half-price glasses of wine and Wednesdays' half-price burgers and fries. And check out the lunch menu, which is now served six days a week (no Monday). Dunlays will also validate parking for guests using the Children's Memorial Hospital garage.

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: Colin Douglas