Cuisine: Chef/owner Gillian Clark tries her hand at a little bit of everything—Southern, American comfort, Mediterranean, even hand-rolled pasta—and the results are smashing more often than not.

Mood: Vintage kitchen tables and chairs, crockery, and tchotchkes.

Best for: Neighborhood folks and those in search of satisfying home cooking with flair. The low-key dining room is also a haven for singles.

Best dishes: Warm goat-cheese fritters; chicken-and-biscuit baked casserole; not so little Lil’ Chicken Cordon Bleu, Clark’s inspired take on the classic—a fried breast wrapped around thick baked ham and Swiss; crisp fried pork chop with rosti potatoes; meatloaf gone luxe with black-truffle gravy and potatoes au gratin; perfectly roasted chicken with mashed potatoes; the best pineapple upside-down cake and sweet-potato pie we’ve had in a long time.

Insider tips: No reservations means strategizing if you don’t want to wait—showing up at 10:45 for brunch and avoiding the 6:30-to-8 dinner rush on weekends. Food is cooked to order, so the fried chicken is going to take a while—Clark and co-owner Robin Smith are pretty much it in the kitchen. The waitstaff may be similarly burdened: Service has been short at times. Note the menu instructions—they really do want kids to stay seated.

Service: **½ (two and a half stars)