When you think of Seattle's happening food neighborhoods, you're likely to skip right over Wallingford, and with good cause. The dining scene here is the antithesis of trendy. Even Wallingford's few higher-end places still maintain a homey atmosphere, the prime example being Maria Hines's Tilth, the neighborhood's special-occasion restaurant, located in a classic Seattle craftsman house.

Wallingford's strength is well-established, mid- to bargain-priced restaurants that cater primarily to customers who live within walking distance, including University of Washington students wandering over from the adjacent U District. (For the purposes of this list, Wallingford cedes the 'hood borderland along Stone Way, south of 40th Street, to Fremont, and with it the hotspots Joule, The Whale Wins, and Manolin.)

You may not find much that's cutting edge, but if you're looking for a satisfying meal, especially after a visit to the waterfront at the neighborhood's famous Gas Works Park, you can't do much better than a cruise down 45th Street, Wallingford's main commercial strip. A few blocks west of I-5 you encounter fast-food institutions Dick's and Ezell's, along with first-rate Mexican, Mediterranean, and Thai bargains. Diverse cuisines reign on 45th Street: along the 15-block stretch there are eight Japanese restaurants, five Thai, four Mexican, and two Vietnamese, as well as Afghani, Trinidadian, Turkish, Irish, Indian, and Italian. It's a surprising and satisfying scene.

Note: Map points are listed geographically and are not ranked by preference. What's your favorite restaurant in Wallingford? Show it some love in the comments, send an email, or start a forum thread in its honor.