Comfort Food Haven: Dave & Ray's Downtown Diner.

Back in my TV days, BJ Sams would sometimes go fetch breakfast after the show. And when he was fetching it for me, he'd usually come back with a box of cheese omelet, biscuits and cream gravy, just for me. That box would come from Dave and Ray's Downtown Diner.

There's been a restaurant in that spot on Capitol Avenue for decades... though apparently at one point it housed a car dealership. It's been owned by several different people -- the ones that own it now have owned it for eight years, and they're still serving up one of the best understated and affordable lunches in the downtown area.

I've been a fan for a long time, but somehow or another I'd never taken Grav there, so one surprisingly bright February afternoon we headed over to grab a quick lunch. We walk in, and Grav just has no idea what to do -- a real fish-or-cut-bait moment of whether to choose something off the menu or get it at the buffet. However, others coming through the door had no hesitation, and he soon found himself loading up a plate's worth of pork butt on a bun, fried chicken and home fries.

Me? I walked in hungry and when I was asked if I wanted one of the big burgers from the back, I was all about that.

Grav filled his plate, I passed over a $20 and sat down with my iced tea, and I caught him up on my day as he ate. He commented on the nice spicy slug of heat in the barbecue sauce for the oven-roasted pork butt, but when he turned to the chicken he was absolutely silent except for the sound of teeth pulling meat off bones.

Dave and Ray's fried chicken is masterfully simple -- thin battered, nicely salt-and-pepper marinated fresh chicken that was just juicy enough. They serve fried chicken every day, but you never see it on anyone's top list of chicken places -- not even mine. That's something I really need to remedy.

So, out comes my burger, brought by the proprietress right to the table with onion rings (chips or fries are also options) and vegetation on the side. This big bunned burger was about a third of an inch thick, pepper-dusted and topped with grilled onions.

Of course, it was cooked through, so no pink (I hadn't requested it) and it was adhered to its sesame seed-studded top with American cheese, but it was substantial. I tossed on the shredded lettuce, pickles and tomato slice for the entire experience, took a bite and felt the satisfaction of a delicious afternoon decision made.

Our lunch wasn't long -- we were in the place about thirty minutes, including a heated discussion over snow geese, dogs and golf courses -- but it was good and Grav went back for seconds on that fried chicken -- one leg of which was as long as a turkey leg. Sometimes lunch doesn't have to be fancy -- tasty and filling will do the trick, and when you're looking for that comfort food ideal, Dave and Ray's tackles it perfectly.

You'll find Dave and Ray's Downtown Diner at 824 W Capitol in downtown Little Rock. Call (501) 372-8816 -- or better yet, check out the Facebook page.

A Stop In at Atkinson's Blue Diamond Cafe in Morrilton.

Wes Holden suggested I check out Morrilton's Blue Diamond Drive-In, and since I was headed that general direction I decided to take him up on it. Good suggestion, Wes.

The menu contains a lot of what you might expect from a drive-in -- lots of burgers, hot dogs, fries.  But it also contains things like Pat's Patty Meltdown -- a patty melt with a heaping pile of grilled onions instead of bread -- and The Shaner, a club sandwich that apparently rivals The Stoby for its three meats, two cheeses, and all the fixings.  I went for the daily special and more... on the jump.

The cafe offers a special each day for $6.49 -- a main dish, choice of two sides, and bread (a roll or cornbread). Wednesday's was Hamburger Steak. I chose the creamed potatoes and the macaroni and tomatoes... and enjoyed a comforting and delicious Arkansas meal. The caramelized onions in the gravy made the burger steak and potatoes pretty darn good, and the cornbread was just slightly sweet. And it has been ages since I had macaroni and tomatoes -- it's been far too long since I've had this Arkansas dish of stewed tomatoes and spices with pasta.

But the real treat was dessert. I had just about settled on the Strawberry Shortcake (after all, Blue Diamond is also an ice cream parlor) when the waitress mentioned that two sorts of pie were also available. She talked me into it (she, and the compounded days of rainy weather that called for a warming of the soul). That thick slice of chocolate meringue pie was a decadent yet filling dive into the easy chair of the taste buds for me -- a rich and firm chocolate custard that wasn't too sweet topped by a buttery meringue that clung to its custard counterpart like a good meringue should. The homemade pastry crust was also welcomed.

You'll find Atkinson's Blue Diamond Cafe and Ice Cream Parlor off the Highway 95 exit in Morrilton -- past the Pizza Hut on the left. And if you want to know what the daily special is, check out their Facebook page.

Lunchland: Bobby's Country Cookin'.

There’s something to be said about comfort food… something that draws in lines of folks that stretch around a packed restaurant before noon on a weekday. That’s what I found when I dropped by Bobby’s Country Cooking Friday -- a line that was backed up to the door at 11am.