Cherish your neighborhood restaurant

Requirements for a great neighborhood restaurant might include that when there's no food in your kitchen, you'd rather eat there than order a pizza.

Other qualifications could include that its food is delicious, uncomplicated and lovingly prepared, you feel welcome whether you're in jeans or black tie, and your children aren't treated like aliens.

Understandably, it's the first place you recommend to other people.

The foregoing qualities are cited in Bon Appetit magazine's September issue, the ninth annual restaurant issue. To find examples, editors scoured the United States, polled family and friends, and consulted food experts.

Among 200 neighborhood restaurants and their recipes featured in the magazine are Macaluso's of Kansas City, Mo., and Old Mexico Grill in Santa Fe, N.M.

Macaluso's offers its devotees what's described as "serious Italian cooking."

From chef Scott Warren comes the following hearty pasta that would make an easy entree for a dinner party:

Penne With Chicken, Shiitake Mushrooms and Capers

7 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

1 1/2 pounds fresh shiitake mushrooms, stem trimmed, caps thickly sliced

1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

All-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons drained capers

1 pound penne pasta

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Add garlic and rosemary; saute 30 seconds. Add mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until mushrooms are soft and brown, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl with onion.

Toss chicken in large bowl with enough flour to coat; shake off excess. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups broth, wine and capers. Bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add mushroom-onion mixture and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Add pasta to chicken mixture and toss over medium heat until heated through, adding more broth if necessary to moisten. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Makes 6 servings.

The Old Mexico Grill in Santa Fe serves both classics like mole and carne asada, as well as regional specialties. Pipian, an earthy, pureed seed sauce that is traditional in Mexican cuisine, is part of the following dish from the restaurant -- serve it with rice to soak up the sauce.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Pipian Sauce

One 1- to 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2-inch-thick medallions

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 onion, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/4 cup peanuts (1 1/2 ounces)

cup sesame seeds (1 1/2 ounces)

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups water

12 ounces tomatillos (see note), husked

2 teaspoons coarsely chopped seeded jalapeno chili

1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves

1 1/2 cups torn romaine lettuce leaves

1 1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth

3 radishes, trimmed, chopped

Place pork between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Pound to 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sesame seeds and garlic. Saute until seeds are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

Place 4 cups water, tomatillos and jalapeno in small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until tomatillos are soft and olive-green in color, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Transfer tomatillos, jalapeno, reserved 1/4 cup liquid, cilantro, lettuce, broth, radishes and seed mixture to blender. Blend sauce until smooth, stopping occasionally to push down ingredients.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sauce; cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Divide among 4 plates. Stir sauce over medium heat until heated through. Spoon sauce over pork.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: Tomatillos are green, tomato-like vegetables with paper-thin husks. Available at Latin American markets and some supermarkets.