Save this homey eatery for a rainy day. The menu, larded with such comforts as meatloaf and pork chops, mashed potatoes, and cornbread, is just the thing to chase away the blues. A hunter-green-and-white motif pulls in diners from several generations. Service is not always what it should be, and occasionally a dish doesn't quite work. But most of the standards, including burgers, hot turkey sandwiches, and a raft of offbeat entrée salads, are reliable. And don't be fooled by the '40s atmosphere--the place has a respectable wine list.

Calvert Grille, 3110 Mount Vernon Ave.; 703-836-8425. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch. Dinner until midnight Friday.