Former Sepia general manager Chris Pappas and the Dawson designer Dan Sheehy teamed up to create possibly the best neighborhood spot in the city: perky room, sweet staff, ridiculously inexpensive, open all day. And Greg Bastien (Tavernita) clearly knows his way around sophisticated comfort food.

The thrillingly compact menu takes all the angst out of ordering. An $8 garden salad overflows with earthly delights, while attractively plated meatloaf comes with nongreasy fingerlings, fennel, smoked tomatoes, and strings of fried onion. If the daily soup is creamy garlic, get it; if the $25 nine-ounce sirloin is on your plate, devour it. Basically, everything at the Winchester tastes homey—but better than anything you can make at home.

Perfect for: Price-conscious eaters