FOODS

RIB-STICKING CLASSICS MEET GLOBAL FLAVORS IN THESE ULTIMATE COZY-DINING DISHES.

BY AMY TRAVERSO PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK FLEMING

(1) PAD KEMAO AT LONG GRAIN (2) CHICKEN AND WAFFLES AT THE GRAZING ROOM IN THE COLBY HILL INN

(3) THE HOLY DONUT

(4) MISO RAMEN AT GANKO ITTETSU RAMEN

(5) IRISH SODA BREAD FRENCH TOAST AT O’ROURKE’S DINER

(6) THE WHITE HORSE TAVERN

(7) POUTINE AT WORTHY KITCHEN

Irish Soda Bread French Toast

O’Rourke’s Diner Middletown, CT

To make his signature French toast, Brian O’Rourke begins by baking the bread—specifically, fragrant Irish soda bread studded with raisins and toasted caraway seeds. After being soaked in custard, griddled, and served with homemade jam and clotted cream, these slices are a multinational delight. 860-346-6101; orourkesmiddletown.com

Braised Short Rib With Truffled Wild Mushroom Risotto

Metro Bis Simsbury, CT

If any cut of meat qualifies as comfort food, it’s the humble short rib. Rich and meaty, it cooks down to melting tenderness after a long braise or lowtemperature roast. Pair it with a tangy braising sauce and you have, well, a ribsticker. In the hands of chefowner Chris Prosperi, the ribs—and the mushroomrich risotto with which they’re served—achieve perfect texture and intensity, the stuff of next-day nostalgia. 860-651-1908; metrobis.com

Miso Ramen

Ganko Ittetsu Ramen Brookline, MA

The cure for whatever ails us can be found in this bowl of long-simmered broth, braised pork belly, minced pork, and noodles with a lashing of miso and a softcooked egg. There are layers on layers of flavor here, with garnishes of sesame, scallion, and sweet corn. No wonder the line snakes out the door on weekends (plus, the space itself is small— only 10 tables). If you can, arrive on a weekday before the doors open at 11:30. But even if there’s a line,