Cuisine: Generously portioned Modern American cooking from a husband-and-wife team (Brian Bennington handles savories, Cindy Bennington sweets) that sometimes bends toward the straightforward and comforting (a steak dinner) but is almost always served with flair and wit—a pork chop, the menu notes, is napped with “yummy sauce.” The many thoughtful touches—from Guggenheim rolls at the start to simple but sublime desserts and fresh-baked muffins the staff sends you home with—linger in memory long after you’ve left.

Mood: Neither the exterior—a strip mall in Severna Park—nor the open, off-white interior has much to recommend it, but the dining room at night has a buzz, animated as it is by smiling, toasting, laughing Baltimoreans and suburban Washingtonians who know they’ve turned up a gem in the unlikeliest of settings.

Best for: Diners who prize value and comfort over trendiness, foodies tired of going into DC for an adventurous meal.

Best dishes: A luscious slab of foie gras atop a ripe, caramelized peach; a fan of rosy-hued duck breast with baked root-vegetable terrine and caramelized apple; a rectangular filet of salmon painted with Cabernet sauce to resemble a barbecue spare rib, with bacon-fortified purée of potatoes and leeks; a pearlescent halibut with fried coins of potato in a sweet, creamy corn sauce; “breakfast” at Cynthia’s, its Prosecco sabayon drenched hollandaise-style over a fresh sponge cake topped with peaches; lemon “cannoli” with sour-cream ice cream and fresh fruit.

Insider tips: The Benningtons don’t practice portion control—appetizers are the size of entrées, and entrées are almost certain to yield leftovers. Consider splitting a first course and saving some calories for the end of the meal: It’s at dessert that the restaurant really soars—every one of Cindy Bennington’s desserts hits the mark. And look to the weekly wine special, a bottle priced much lower than the usual restaurant markup of three times the retail cost.