Mo's Midtown Restaurant

"Mo's is proudest of its home fries, and they are cause for admiration. Cut into extra large hunks and seasoned with brio, they are kept warm in a huge heap on the griddle in the dining room open-kitchen. Whenever the grill man finishes an omelet or an order of eggs, he takes his spatula and heaps a pile of these hefty potatoes alongside.  Good as the hash browns are, it's pancakes that are our siren song. Mo's makes several kinds, including apple-walnut, blueberry, chocolate chip and strawberry-raspberry. The unfilled and unfancy buttermilk cakes are the ones we like best. Made of whole wheat flour and with a faint sweetness reminiscent of cinnamon, they are thick and tender and featherweight, fairly levitated off the grill in irregular shapes and piled willy nilly (by ones, twos, or threes) on a plate. Not handsome pancakes, but memorable ones, they are true breakfast comfort food.  Mo's reputation is as a breakfast place, but there's lunch, too: hamburgers and sandwiches (with hash browns available midday, too) and homemade soup. It's a cozy little spot, inconspicuously located in a cluster of stores near Farmington Avenue. Seating is in several booths along a wall, at a handful of tables up front, and at the counter with a view of the grill. Service is attentive and efficient, but not ultra-fast. Everything is cooked to order -- expertly."