A handful of delicious, affordable pleasures

The Fieldston in Marshfield offers "Clean Out the Kitchen" Sundays and "Italian Night."

We may all be toughing out a tight economy, but that doesn't mean cash-strapped diners need forgo a good meal out. Plenty of fine local restaurants are vying with one another to lure customers through offerings that satisfy the palate as well as the pocketbook. The following are a few examples:

Asian C
48 Whiting St. (Route 53), Hingham
781-740-0688
Lunch buffet served 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

How do I love the all-you-can-eat, not-your-typical lunch buffet at Asian C? Let me count the ways. First, it features Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Second, everything is steaming hot and fresh, no small feat for a serve-yourself buffet. Third, it's classy and comfortable. And, last but not least, it's all yours for a mere $8.95.

Go for lunch and skip dinner at home. You won't need it after feasting on an array of raw and cooked sushi, made fresh on the spot by two talented and white-jacketed chefs, and on such tasty Chinese favorites as Salt and Pepper Double Delight, which featured spicy fried shrimp and squid; the tangy General Gau's Chicken; melt-in-your-mouth beef and mushrooms; crisp-tender stir-fried veggies; lo mein; fried rice; egg-drop or hot-and-sour soup; spring rolls; and much more.

As if that weren't enough, the buffet also offers sliced oranges, along with cantaloupe and honeydew melon, individual tossed salads, and desserts. Service is super-friendly, too. After dining there recently, my overzealous husband apologized for making something of a mess of his placemat. Smiling, our server quickly put him at ease with: "That's OK. You're a good boy."

Sun Tavern
500 Congress St. (Route 14), Duxbury
781-837-4100
Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 5 to 10 p.m. Friday; 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday; Sunday brunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday

The Sun Tavern in Duxbury serves more expensive meals in its dining room, but for real bargains, head to the quaint pub. The Colonial-era former farmhouse, which is rumored to harbor ghosts, is a lovely setting in which to relax and enjoy one of bartender Patty's memorable Blueberry Cosmos while dining on Chicken Miguel ($13) - butternut squash ravioli and pan-seared chicken tenderloins in a maple brandy and sage cream sauce - or the fresh haddock, chips, and cole slaw ($13) (veggies are happily substituted for fries on request).

On a recent visit, I sampled the lobster mac and truffle cheese ($14), a wonderful gourmet twist on the good old macaroni and cheese staple. The sauce is light enough not to overpower the succulent lobster, and the entire concoction is baked for crispness. We also ordered the Texas meatloaf ($13) - a huge slab of bacon-wrapped meatloaf topped with barbecue sauce and served with an equally gigantic pile of mashed potatoes and a side of squash. Both comfort foods, along with the nearby blazing fireplace, took the chill off a frosty evening. Salads, burgers, pizzas, and a variety of appetizers are also offered in this lovely antique setting. The restaurant is run by John and Laurie Cowden, who most recently operated the Jared Coffin House on Nantucket.

The Fieldston
882 Ocean St. (Route 139), Marshfield
781-834-2909
Open 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday

Chef and owner Jan Perrin of The Fieldston, a real seaside treasure, is on a mission to fight inflation. As a matter of fact, in his frequent e-mails to those on his mailing list, he states: "Even with gas and food prices soaring, my first priority is to prepare the freshest, most creative and delicious food I can; my second priority is to sell it at the best value you will find anywhere."

He does a great job following through on that promise, too, with "Clean Out the Kitchen" Sundays, during which every gourmet delight on the menu is between $9.95 and $12.95. But there is a catch. There are only a limited number of appetizers and entrees - indicated by numbers next to each menu item - and when they're gone, they're gone. So get there early for first dibs on the succulent swordfish or rack of lamb.

Perrin also offers "Italian night" on Wednesdays, with all things Italian, including baby octopus scampi style, veal or chicken Parmesan, lemon salmon fettuccine, and lobster ravioli, for under $10.95. In a nutshell, The Fieldstone, housed in a renovated former boathouse, offers quality dining and an upscale, intimate decor at bargain-basement prices.

Joe's American Bar & Grill
2087 Washington St. (Route 53), Hanover (and other locations)
781-878-1234
Brunch served 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday

Joe's is a chain of restaurants featuring traditional American fare. But what draws our cheap side there on Saturdays and Sundays is a brunch that includes a choice of a mimosa, champagne, bloody Mary, screwdriver, or beer with entrees or omelettes. In other words, if you feel so inclined, you can have your pancake and morning eye-opener, too, at a very reasonable price.

Menu items run the gamut from the traditional three eggs any style served with bacon, ham, or sausage ($10.99) to the more-opulent prime-rib hash with two poached eggs topped with tomato-chive hollandaise ($12.99) or the filet mignon benedict ($16.99). One thing's for certain, you won't go away hungry. All entrees are served with a basket of assorted breads, and egg dishes come with home fries and fresh fruit. We love the Hanover location for its antique building with wide-pine floors and enormous wood beams, and for its comfy vibe.

Roobar
10 Cordage Park (Route 3A), Plymouth
508-746-4300

The always-pleasing Roobar has an incredible "early-bird," three-course menu featuring appetizer or salad, entree, and dessert served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. What we like about it is that we don't quite feel like old fogeys dining at 6:30 on a Friday night - that, and the fact that we are enjoying gourmet meals at a dirt-cheap price of $19.95. At $15, it's even cheaper if you go with the entree only.

We eat here often and haven't met a menu item we haven't liked. The early-bird menu offers many of the same items found on the regular menu. Our server told us that the portions are smaller, but it's hard to tell. On a recent visit, we wound up taking a lot of food home, as always. We started with baby field greens with sherry mustard vinaigrette and the Caesar salads, both ample enough to make for an entire meal paired with Roobar's scrumptious foccacia bread. But we didn't stop there, naturally. The shrimp, scallops, and Prince Edward Island mussels with chorizo sausage, bell peppers, and mustard over angel-hair pasta drew raves for freshness and flavor, as did the surf and turf - a 6-ounce, dry-aged sirloin steak with shrimp, garlic whipped potatoes, sauteed Swiss chard, and tomato and sweet onion chutney.

You won't have room for it, but don't miss dessert. The spiced pumpkin creme brulee was rich, creamy, and decadently delicious. I'm a chocolate lover, so don't even get me started on the delectable flourless chocolate torte with raspberry coulis and Chantilly cream.