Sometimes, you don't want neon walls, trendy ingredients, a $12 frittata or a line out the door that looks like a flashback of the people you saw at the bar last night. Sometimes, you just want to duck into a place with gingham and country tchotchkes and friendly waitresses who call you "hon," a place you could mistake for a roadside family restaurant up north — or your grandmother's kitchen. At the Hilton Road Café, among the formica booths and rooster decor, you'll find unpretentious comfort food that will satisfy your cravings for traditional diner fare. The reasonably priced menu …

  As many intrepid foodies know, strip malls can be unlikely hiding places for some of suburbia's best affordable cuisine. Their unassuming façades often give way to surprisingly cozy or unique interiors, where it's easy to forget the parking lot and traffic just outside. Sandwiched among a tanning salon, a doughnut shop and a Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth office in a strip mall on East Nine Mile, Christine's Cuisine is just such a place — a friendly neighborhood joint that will satisfy greasy-spoon lovers, salad-eaters, carnivores and vegetarians alike. Christine's …

It's a familiar scene played out around 6 p.m. in households everywhere: the great debate over What To Do For Dinner. You don't feel like cooking. You're tired of all your usual dining spots. You want to feel a little pampered, but don't want to spend an arm and a leg. Luckily for Ferndale residents, there's a little place tucked away on Woodward Heights that will fill the bill nicely. Pete's Broadway Café, also known simply as "Pete's Place," is one of those rare restaurants that manages to combine charming atmosphere, top-notch service, hearty, comforting dishes and wallet-friendly prices. …