Pete's Grill   

With cheerful window boxes and tidy black awnings, Pete's Grille is certainly the most charming spot on this somewhat scruffy five-way intersection in Waverly. Inside, a wooden counter lined with black stools stretches the length of the narrow building and leaves no room for tables, making it counter service and carry out only. The lack of tables makes for a chummier atmosphere, where conversations can skip down the row of stools from staff to patrons and back. Open just for breakfast and lunch, the morning meal is where Pete's truly shines. The most beloved breakfast item is the blueberry pancake. That's right, not "pancakes," because just one of these thick, dinner plate-size treats is enough for most of us. And since breakfast is the most important meal when you're harboring Olympic dreams (think Wheaties), swimmer Michael Phelps has been known to load up here. However, for him one blueberry pancake -- however enormous -- is definitely not enough. -- Laureen Miles Brunelli