Capsule review: When co-owners Brock and Natalie Obee called it quits in June 2007 after 11 great years, server Jill Wilson stepped in and bought the place lock, stock and recipe. Cafe 128, version 2.0, is still a swell just-under-the-radar charmer. Chef Ian Pierce is a master of the restaurant's signature dish, slowly braised pork baby back ribs. Other highlights: fork-tender beef tenderloin in an exceptional red wine demi-glace; pan-roasted chicken served with creamy polenta and a robust bacon-rosemary pan sauce; tender cod cakes with energetic Thai flavors, and zesty harissa-glazed shrimp.

Capsule review: Walk into the lobby of the Country Inn & Suites for an eerie sense of déjà vu: Is this Indianapolis? Rockford, Ill.? Oconomowoc, Wis.? That’s what happens at these chain hotels, as they all look exactly like one another. So it's a pleasant surprise to encounter the entirely unexpected Whitney Bistro & Onyx Bar. The bar just might be the coziest place to nurse a Lemon Drop in the 952 area code, and the lovely dining room could pass for the greenhouse at the palatial residence. Chef Adam Levitt takes his cues from his convention-defying surroundings. Starters ($6 to $13) include flatbreads topped with smoked salmon and the complementary flavors of caramelized onions and roasted garlic, nicely grilled shrimp paired with guacamole, skewers of tender beef, and crispy wontons stuffed with chicken and sweet green onions. Entrees (most under $20) include a half-dozen sandwiches, a handful of salads, four pastas, beef tenderloin medallions paired with wilted spinach, juicy burgers and a pork loin with sweet potato hash. Service is perky and fast.

Capsule review: Daron Close and chef Chris Whalen, formerly of Campiello and other D'Amico properties, have struck out on their own to open a small suburban restaurant. Acqua features a non-trendy menu of specials and entrees that unlocks the flavors lurking deep inside ingredients, whether it's a succulent, slow-braised pork shank or oven-roasted cauliflower. While I quibbled with a perfunctory thin-crust pizza and a few over-salted dishes, this place does a great job balancing the unexpected with the standard.

Capsule review: An honest-to-god neighborhood bar and grill offering a long menu of burgers, from basics (cheeseburgers, California burgers) to exotic (black bean with lettuce and salsa, cheese with sauerkraut, turkey with tomatoes and mayo), grilled chicken, fish and chips and a dozen deep-fried bar snacks.