Tommy's Restaurant, Middletown

Tommy's Restaurant isn't choosy when it comes to comfort foods. For more than 30 years, the neighborhood eatery's menu has best been described as "eclectic," thanks to the many varieties of homestyle cooking on display. Italian flavors feature prominently. Tommy's chefs make pizza dough daily and load the pies with the same mozzarella you'll find atop hand-breaded slices of eggplant parmigiana. Such decidedly non-Italian dishes as burgers, fried baby-back ribs tossed in buffalo sauce, and spanakopita help round out the menu.

Much like the food, the dining area at Tommy's Restaurant exudes a casual, homespun charm. The main dining room's cozy booths sit opposite the lounge section's scattered tables and bar seating. Outdoors, a deck allows guests to enjoy a meal out in the sun or in the pouring rain, if they prefer.