Fat Olive’s, or “Fatty’s” as the locals often call it, is consistently one of the best restaurants in town. The food is unabashedly Italian American, but not in an over-the-top way. Think cozy and inviting, like your best friend’s mom’s kitchen. The chicken calzone is not to be missed; they also make a superb New York-style pizza. And there’s a thoughtful selection of craft beer and wine to wash it down with.

If low-key diner fare is what you seek, the Duncan House Diner on the corner of Main Street and Pioneer Drive has the blueberry pancakes and club sandwiches you require. Filled with antiques and knickknacks, the place definitely has a down-home farm-cooking comfort-food vibe. They’re open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch.

Alice’s Champagne Palace has the feel of a gold rush saloon. Rough-cut board walls and corrugated tin feature prominently in the décor. On one level it’s your basic neighborhood watering hole, but if you look closer, the usual pub fare of burgers, ribs, and cheesesteaks is simple stuff done well and provided in ample portions. It’s the kind of food that a bar serves to keep its regular clientele coming back again and again. Try the Reuben — it’ll make you want to move to Homer permanently. The atmosphere is spacious, even when it’s crowded, and the stage up front is a great place to hear local music.

Among Alaska’s better-kept secrets is that there’s a plethora of outstanding Thai restaurants. Vida’s Thai Food on Pioneer Drive started out as a food truck and over the years has grown into an honest-to-goodness restaurant. The menu offers dishes from both northern and southern Thai cooking, with an occasional Vietnamese offering (the pho is definitely worth sampling). Seating is spare and clean, which lets the food take center stage. Vida’s is an institution in Homer, and it gets bonus points for having several vegetarian/vegan options.

Grace Ridge Brewing Company hasn’t been around as long as some of the other players in the Kenai Peninsula’s craft brewing scene, but the beer is outstanding and there’s always a good food truck parked outside their taproom during drinking hours (noon to 8 p.m.). The bar keeps a series of four flagship beers always on tap (The Kayak Beach Blonde and the Sadie Peak IPA are both worthy ales), with a rotating selection of specialty brews. Drop in for a pint while you ponder where to eat, or if perhaps there’s time for another long walk on the beach, or if maybe you need that third cinnamon roll from Two Sisters.

Few things in life compare to a fresh, warm bagel with a good schmear. The Bagel Shop on East End Road puts out some of the very best bagels in the state. Their menu is small — fresh bagels, schmears, and a couple delicious bagel sandwiches. What more does the weary traveler need in the morning? Sometimes less is more.

La Baleine Café on the famous Homer Spit is one of the best lunch spots in town, but they also do a bang-up breakfast. Their rendition of the American classic biscuits and gravy is exceptional, and their eggs Benedict will take you to a place beyond space, time, and breakfast. For lunch they throw down a very good hamburger, but their deli sandwiches will ruin you for franchise or grocery store versions. Local tip: If you’re on the go, both breakfast and lunch sandwiches are offered boxed up for takeaway.

Wasabi’s Bistro on East End Road (just past the junction with Alan Drive) is where, according to their motto, east meets west and winds up somewhere north. They’re the only sushi joint in town, and their menu is extensive, but you can also tie into a half-dozen solid non-sushi entrees. Their vegetables are sourced from local market gardeners, and they often use local seafood. It all adds up to an outstanding dining experience combined with top-shelf artisan cocktails and an impressive sake selection. Wasabi’s is a fine-dining establishment, but this being Alaska, and Homer at that, nobody’s going to turn you away if you show up in jeans and a hoodie. But do make sure to book a table beforehand — they get busy.

The Saltry is without a doubt one of the world’s great dining experiences. It’s located across Kachemak Bay in the tiny settlement of Halibut Cove, so the night out starts aboard the Danny J, a restored antique fishing boat that serves as the restaurant’s ferry. You take a 20-minute cruise across the water and tie up at the dock below the restaurant. The place itself looks a bit like something cobbled together by hippies, Hobbits, and homesteaders out of driftwood, stones, and old cannery planks. It was founded by Marian Beck, the daughter of a former state senator who grew up in Halibut Cove. The seating is all outdoors on an enormous deck, so dress accordingly. Seafood is their specialty, and every item on the menu comes from the local ocean and from the gardens on the island. It’s light, modern, ocean-to-table with bold flavors that are allowed to stand for themselves, and you can wash it down with some of the finest wines and beers available. You can choose to ride the Danny J back to the mainland when you’re finished, or overnight accommodation is available. But make sure you call ahead and book well in advance, or better yet, plan your whole Homer excursion around the experience.