The Whistlestop is a family-friendly, diner-style eatery with a train-themed style of its own, as the name indicates, in tribute to the railroad next to which it is situated. Always open, it's a handy meeting place where both locals and visitors convene in a spacious and spiffy setting for a no-nonsense menu, the strength of which is variety.

Breakfast - Expect the usual, plus lots of omelette combinations and pancakes (buttermilk, blueberry, walnut, apple) at $2.10 - $4.50. A choice of five kinds of French toast is a nice touch.

Lunch - Offerings are by Platter, Sandwich, Italian, Quesadilla and Cowcatcher (hot dog and burger) groupings starting at $2.25, with soup, salad and Sidetracks expanding the possibilities. Kiddy Caboose provides choices for the kids. Dinner - On the front or back of the lunch menu, depending on which meal you're there for, you'll find approximately 25 dinner choices from $6. 75 - $13.95. Standard meat or fish entrees such as Salisbury steak, chicken parmesan and scampi come with soup or salad, potato and vegetable and bread; pasta and stir fry dishes include soup or salad and bread.

A particularly nice feature is the extensive pizza menu, ranging from a single slice or personal pan pizza all the way to a garbage pie ($16.50).

A full-service soda fountain should take care of a sweet tooth if the other desserts don't.

I've had several breakfasts at the Whistlestop since its welcome appearance, my most recent featuring a satisfactory spinach and mushroom omelet. On other occasions, the establishment has been cheerfully noisy and bustling, with reasonable waiting periods for what always proved to be a straight-up, no-frills but competently prepared order. On my last visit, however, I found the wait troublesome. Granted, it was a Saturday morning in season, but my server seemed to disregard the order in which customers arrived and waited an unnecessarily long time before handing me a menu and the customary courteous, "Can I get you a cup of coffee?" I've heard that the trains stop, appropriately enough, at the Whistlestop for the trainmens' coffee break. I'm hopeful that if the wait staff can keep the trains running on time, they can do as much for the road and canoe trade.

This relatively minor protest aside, the Whistlestop is on the fast track to being an appealing, versatile, convenient destination.

Hours: 6:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. daily
Credit Cards: Not accepted, but an ATM is located in the adjoining store
Parking: Ample lot