Let's hope, for the sake of our respective neighborhoods, that there's always a place like Sauganash Restaurant to patron, the old reliable joint to fall-back on when nothing else seems appetizing. While the diner atmosphere comes almost pre-packaged (waitresses roaming around with coffee pots, tacky pictures of flowers on the wall), there also exists some friendly community vibes like regular customers who drop by every day to read the paper, waitresses that compliment you for a unique order, and a fat, bulky clunker of a television hanging from the ceiling (in total defiance of the flat-screen TV fad).

The menu is packed with usual American diner cuisine, and what else would you really be looking for in a place like this? For breakfast options, how about "silver dollar pancakes" (remember those?), light and fluffy and a nostalgic treat – here you can inhale 12 for $4.45. Omelets span from ham and cheese to broccoli, cost around the $5-$7 range and are served with toast and American fries. Patty melts, burgers and even fried shrimp with cocktail sauce ($12.55) squeeze onto a hefty lunch/dinner menu; all solid, down-home meals without any artistic interpretation screwing it up. For dessert, tiramisu, cheesecake, and an assortment of pies tempt from a display case entitled "Les Desserts."

The food (especially the quickly refilled coffee) does the job, but the restaurant's best asset may also be its inviting neighborhood quirkiness. For example, when this reviewer walked in, there was a birthday party that took up one of the dining rooms, complete with a cake, candles, presents, and an old lady (presumably the birthday girl) reading each card and exclaiming, "well, thank you, Doris!" It made the walk to the bathroom – and the overall experience – a bit more delightful.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: Andy Seifert