Paper Moon Diner   

For comfort food with a California twist, Papermoon Diner is a fun, visually overwhelming Hopkins-area hangout. This popular eatery is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and serves everything from burgers to salmon. You can eat-in or carry-out, although eating in is half the fun. Pez dispensers, Cupie dolls, action hero figures, decorated mannequins and various retro toys fill every nook and cranny of the restaurant. The manager's favorite menu item is Mom's Meat Loaf -- homemade meat loaf baked fresh each day paired with Papermoon's delicious garlic mashed potatoes. Breakfast items are incredible -- the sunflower toast could be a meal unto itself. The menu is very diverse -- quesadillas, vegetarian dishes, burgers, omelets, soups and pastas.You'll find the clientele is a blend of people -- the luncheon crowd mixes corporate downtown with art institute creatives. The dinner crowd combines Center Stage theatergoers with punk rockers. Traffic is steady through dinnertime, but if there is a wait, it's never more than 10-15 minutes. Large parties can call ahead for reservations. Parking is plentiful, either at street meters or on Papermoon's lots. Day parking is available on a small lot adjacent to the building on Cresmont; after 5PM parking is available across the street. -- Laura Maguire