GRANDVIEW. Cap City Diner is primarily a lunch and dinner spot, but on Sundays, the extensive brunch selection draws big crowds. From eggs Benedict and oatmeal Brûlée to salads, meats, and Cap City's gourmet sandwiches, this brunch will satisfy any palate. But make sure you don't fill up before you have a chance to sample the 24K carrot cake or the Big Cup O' Chocolate - a mug of warm, double chocolate lava cake topped#13;#10;with triple vanilla bean ice cream.

DOWNTOWN. This is the best lunchtime deli in Columbus, but breakfast (available until 10:30 on weekdays and 2pm on Sundays) is also a treat. Fresh-brewed coffee, sticky buns hot from the oven, cheese blintzes with preserves, hearty breads and bagels, and smoked fish breakfasts beckon people to stop in. Relax in the dining area and then browse the extensive, informative retail store for oils, preserves, cheese, and other staples.

Chef and owner Matthew Litzinger honed his skills at the Culinary Institute of America and presents classic French cooking with trademark attention to detail and presentation. On the menu, you'll find such appetizers as escargot and pate alongside entrees of pan-seared grouper, beef tournedos, pheasant and sweetbreads. Desserts range from the decadent bittersweet chocolate dessert similar to a denser mousse and served with coffee sauce, to a spa-like poached pear in gewurztraminer, honey and cardamon, served with Grand Marnier flavored nonfat yogurt.

GERMAN VILLAGE. One of the top draws in charming German Village, Lindey's serves steak and pasta dishes in an elegant atmosphere with views of tree-lined cobblestone streets. Start with calamari and shrimp fritto misto and follow with veal saltimbocca, mushroom risotto, or extra-thick New York strip with garlic mashed potatoes. An extensive wine list and an ever-changing selection of classic desserts such as bananas Foster round out the menu.

For formal dining in Columbus, the top choice is the Refectory, named to the Columbus Dispatch Best Fine Dining list yearly since 1982. In this refurbished, 19th-century country church, French chef Richard Blondin, who studied with Paul Bocuse, presents superb classic and contemporary French cuisine with flawless service and a well-stocked wine cellar that recently received the Wine Spectator Award for Outstanding Wine Cellars. Begin with pheasant terrine or escargot, proceed to duck magret or beef onglet, and top it off with black forest torte or one of the signature crème brulées.