I must admit to having a nostalgic spot for homey Spanish restaurants.

F Map A homey restaurant and German beer garden serving sauerbraten and other traditional goodies.

Bania has a spacious central room decorated in marble and murals, a homey Russian restaurant and a 25-seat steam bath that its two owners say is heated by 10 tons of red-hot rock.

Palm Korea, 13440 Palm Drive, (760) 329-2277, is a homey little restaurant where the grilled eel, one of the tastiest and most expensive entrees, costs $15.

Its tree-lined streets are complemented by Colonial antique shops, homey little restaurants and stores selling locally produced craft items.

Nick Diangelo, described as a "homey Italian-American restaurant featuring the styles of the 1950's with elements of the 1990's," is scheduled to open next month.

It sounds like a time warp, but in reality it is a homey Colombian restaurant, conveniently situated on a quiet street just a block from the Post Road.

(He, on the other hand, is so modest that he worries that too much praise will ruin the cozy, homey little restaurant that is the real love of his life.)

Or try Kuna (1324 U Street Northwest; 202-797-7908), a homey Italian restaurant focusing on pastas.

Among the taquerías, taverns, groceries and tamale shops, a popular place is Torres Taco Haven, a big, yet homey restaurant that is packed for weekend breakfast.