EAST. Awash in color, thanks to suspended kites and vibrant artwork, this delightful cafe maintains a faithful following that it cultivated early on. Serving three meals a day, Mariah is affordable enough to frequent regularly, and since you order at the counter, it has a pleasant sense of casualness. Breakfast delivers bacon and eggs, tasty burritos, and stuffed omelets, along with great French toast and a customer favorite, sweet potato pancakes adorned with sour cream and maple syrup. Baked items are great to-go items, and lunch brings on gourmet sandwiches, soups, and salads. At dinner, pastas and seafoods are popular.

EAST. Clean-lined Western style mixes with a warehouse setting in this warm, rustic restaurant. Glowing with light and patinated woods, Eldorado transports patrons to the Southwest of days gone by. Even the menu is infused with Mexican and Spanish influences. It features grilled lamb loin with lime cream sauce, blackened catfish, chicken-fried steak with pasilla chile gravy, and lobster, crab, and shrimp enchiladas. Fresh fish, fajitas, and chalupas also make appearances, and an extensive tequila menu keeps with the theme as well. Sunday brunch and outdoor dining, too.

MONTICELLO. This estimable restaurant, set in a small rural town outside of Madison, offers the perfect excuse for a getaway from city life. The charming place, adorned with creative textiles, is an oasis of culinary pleasures, spearheaded by chef-owner "Wave" Kasprzak. Nominally American, the menu pulls in flavors and trends from other cultures, especially the Southwest, and creativity is paramount. Try, for example, spice-rubbed pork tenderloin, a slow-roasted chicken enchilada, and pan-seared halibut with mango-coconut curry sauce. Beef, seafood, and veal also appear, depending on what's in season, and you can never go wrong with the decadent sticky toffee pudding.