Big room, small menu, fun drinks and inventive timely treats (caramel apples at Halloween, decorate-your-own cookies at Christmas) make this a culinary playground.

Luna Park has been mobbed by casually hip diners since it opened in 2003, and for good reason: The food and service are excellent, and the prices are reasonable. The menu is standard comfort food (except for the fried trout, to be avoided), but a few unique items charm:

A goat-cheese fondue appetizer is served with apple slices and coarse bread, and make-your-own-s'mores—graham crackers served with ramekins of melted marshmallows and chocolate—end meals on a fun note. Even the drinks are interactive: The You're a Pepper Too! lets amateur mixologists concoct brews of varying potency with a bottle of original recipe Dr. Pepper, Absolut Vanilla and organic vanilla syrup. Casual businessmen, first-daters and well-dressed ne'er-do-wells alike seem to appreciate these offerings over long, lazy lunches—especially from the booths surrounding the floor, some of which feature curtains that can be pulled closed. They're worth a reservation or a wait at the bar.

On "Starving Artist Mondays," a special menu offers an appetizer (goat cheese fondue or Caesar salad), entree (chicken, mac and cheese or rigatoni) and dessert (s'mores or apple pie) for $18; beer is $2, wine is $6. Artists can enter headshots or business cards into a raffle with prizes like $100 worth of headshots or a subscription to Backstage West.

New to Luna Park is the Luna Park Mini Bar (see picture), a flight of three miniature cocktails including a Mini Mint Julep (served in a petite version of the traditional metal mug), the Bitty Raspberry Margarita (in a mini 'highball' glass) and a Tini Ice Breaker (served in a mini martini glass).