Suburban dining has a somewhat shaky reputation, not just in Pittsburgh. National chains dominate the market, and independent restaurants tend to fall into one of two categories: destination restaurants far too expensive for most diners to consider going to for anything but a very special occasion; and mediocre restaurants that hang on by picking a location with so little competition.

This general absence of bountiful dining options only makes exceptional areas stand out all the more -- areas such as Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon. As you traverse the blocks from Academy Avenue to Castle Shannon Boulevard, it is impossible not to be struck by the sheer number of restaurants, cafes and bakeries. What is particularly impressive about this stretch of road is not just quantity, but quality, affordability and diversity. Whether you're looking for breakfast, lunch or dinner, an afternoon snack, treats for a larger group or the perfect gift for your foodie friend, Washington Road has the answer.

CC's Homemade Foods -- The name says it all. This charming diner offers such well-prepared classics as chicken and dumplings soup (cup, $2.75; bowl, $4.25) and homemade haluski (cup, $2.95; bowl, $4.75), but also serves breakfast all day. Try an Aunt Martha ($4.95), which comes with one egg, one potato pancake with sour cream or applesauce, two slices of bacon and toast. If you're feeling particularly ravenous, consider the Lucy ($7.25) -- two eggs, baked ham, a buttermilk pancake, toast and home fries or a potato pancake. CC's is the kind of place that makes you want to become a regular.

If you want to linger over a cup of coffee, you have quite a few options. Uptown Coffee, a cozy, American-style cafe, is a great spot to read the newspaper or meet a friend. There are lamps at every table, plenty of space and free wireless Internet access. A good cafe au lait and cafe mocha came in tall glass mugs, along with an excellent freshly baked chocolate chip cookie and a gooey pecan bar. Uptown coffee also serves fresh-squeezed lemonade, a wide variety of teas, sandwiches, and whole pies and cakes.

Washington Road is also the home of Aldo Coffee, an excellent coffeehouse that goes to great lengths to make the highest-quality espresso and coffee drinks, with a focus on traditional Italian beverages. Aldo baristas have shown their skills in regional competitions and employee Belle Battista is the Specialty Coffee Association of America's 2008 Mid-Atlantic Barista champion.

Feel a bit peckish? No need to leave the cafe. A small kitchen produces creative but Italianate panini, daily soups and either a quiche or a frittata daily. Try the Prosciutto Fico ($6.43) with locally cured prosciutto from Parma Sausage Co., ricotta cheese and a house-made fig/almond pesto. Maybe later in the summer you'll see fresh tomatoes, but this early in the season, their clever "caprese" panini makes use of oven-roasted tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil, garlic aioli and balsamic reduction ($5.06). Aldo also sells Italian cookies, cannoli, muffins and more.

If you need to pick up a large number of sweet treats, you might want to head over to the Potomac Bakery, where the hardest decision to make is what not to take home. There are dozens of kinds of cookies, cakes and other sweets to choose from, including excellent Mexican wedding cookies (35 cents) and sticky-sweet Hamentashen (65 cents).

There are at least a half-dozen more options for dinner, or for a more substantial lunch, but two restaurants really stand out for their unique menus, quality ingredients and attractive settings. Diners at Il Pizzaiolo can choose from three spaces: A light, airy dining room with bright yellow walls and a view of the pizzaiollo (pizza-maker) at the wood-burning oven; a beautiful courtyard with potted flowers and plants; or the sleek, stylish upstairs wine bar with cozy armchairs around a fireplace, and a long, narrow dining room.

Try the Antipasto Napoli ($12), an incredibly beautiful platter, with its heaps of slippery roasted red and yellow peppers, thin slices of fried zucchini; spicy, firm carrots, sauteed rapini, long-stemmed artichoke hearts, green beans and a sumptuous concoction of eggplant and tomato called a funghetto. Il Pizzaiolo's most notable dish is probably the DOC Pizza Margherita. DOC, or Denominazione di Origine Controllata, signifies that a product meets certain standards for an authentic, traditional Italian dish. This pizza is incredibly delicious, absolutely bursting with flavor. The classic linguine alle vongole ($18) demonstrates that a simple dish is only as good as its ingredients -- fortunately these were fantastic. The linguine was perfectly al dente, accompanied by the happy marriage of olive oil, white wine, and the briney sweetness of perfectly cooked clams.

For a more glamorous atmosphere, and to sample Chef Jessica Gibson's elegant, ingredient-driven American bistro food, step next door to Bistro 19. Simple classic elegance reigns in this dining room where light and space are amplified by the soaring windows, the sparkling tin ceiling and the silver shimmer of the elaborate back wall. Sleek black leather and a cool, tranquil color scheme complete the effect.

The menu is versatile enough to suit a casual dinner or a very special meal, with dishes such as the Bistro Burger with red-wine-braised mushrooms, gruyere, lettuce, tomato, pesto mayo and hand-cut fries ($12) alongside a Pennsylvania Cheese Plate with Riesling apricot gelee, duck liver pate, pecans and flatbread crackers ($9) and a Wooden Nickel Farm Bison Ribeye with red wine shallot marmalade, butter braised cabbage pierogies, asparagus and stilton butter ($34).

From the corner diner to the modern American bistro, Washington Road dining establishments represent all of the best elements of Pittsburgh's growing and thriving dining scene.