Gourmet & Healthy in Mechanicsville

Modest white booths glow with golden sconce light at the base of a red-brick wall. A few feet away, crisp tablecloths fold over the edges of black wooden tables, whose accompanying wooden chairs look as though they belong to a home in the country.

All aspects of The Peacock's Pantry display a marriage of familiarity and refinement. The menu presents comforting American and European classics with contemporary, gourmet twists, such as honey-lime-glazed chicken, panko-crusted crab cakes, and bacon-wrapped petite beef filet mignon. The small-plate selection allows diners to enhance meals with the excitement of a game of hot potato, and the dessert selection includes specialties such as Kahlua chocolate mousse and maple-and-pecan-baked brie.