Tasty Dishes, Friendly Service: It's Easy to See Why Diners are Bowled Over

is the type of neighborhood restaurant that aims to please, with a selection of well-prepared dishes that are healthy and easy to like.

Open for lunch and dinner, as well as Sunday brunch, Bowled offers up comfort foods that are always a little more interesting than what many other places are serving.

The atmosphere is super-friendly, easygoing. At Bowled, diners feel like their at a friend's house for dinner.

The Bowled name comes from the restaurant's signature meals-in-a-bowl, which include takes on Italian, Asian and Mexican favorites.

There's Cioppino (Italian seafood stew), Asian shrimp and vegetables, fajita, spicy Thai, chicken piccata and vegan. They range is cost from $7.99 to $9.99 at lunch and up to $14.95 at dinner.

The bowls come filled with steaming hot chicken or fish, vegetables and broth or sauce over rice. They are usually filling enough for a complete meal.

Besides the bowls, there's a standard menu of salads, pasta and sandwiches at lunch. Dinner features entrees like pan-seared Atlantic salmon ($16.95), Barolo-braised beef short ribs ($16.95) and seared tuna ($16.25). Homemade desserts include creme brulee ($6), peach cobbler a la mode ($5.75), and a dark chocolate flourless torte ($6).

There's a bar serving beer and wine, but this isn't the type of place where folks sit for hours and drink. There's no TV. But expect some interesting selections of music on the stereo. Recently at lunch, we were feted with an '80s selection that included Michael Jackson.

The focus at Bowled is on the food and the relaxed, friendly service. We were there one night when both servers apparently called in sick, so the owner himself waited on all the tables with no problem.

Bowled. 3451 4th St. N (727-895-2685 or www.bowledrestaurant.com).