WE know a frequent Italian visitor to these shores, a singer, who visits Meil’s for lunch or dinner whenever he’s in the area. He loves the food and the homey, unpretentious, all-American atmosphere. Anyone who has traveled in Italy would understand why. Meil’s is the domestic equivalent of that trattoria you discover in a little town where the welcome is warm, the service friendly, the servings generous, and the food reflects the character of the region.

   In this case, of course, the little town is Stockton and the menu features meatloaf, chicken pot pie, potato pancakes, as well as country-smoked ham with baked beans and cornbread. Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings is available every day of the year — except Thanksgiving and Christmas, when the restaurant is closed. Since American cuisine draws on the heritage of many countries, also on offer are dishes such as Parma prosciutto with goat cheese salad, mussels provençal, and peanut shrimp with satay sauce. And every day, on top of serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the kitchen turns out eight (!) kinds of cookies, which attract bicycle riders passing by on the canal tow path.

   This abundance, which the menu describes accurately as “comfort food extraordinaire,” appears from a small kitchen in a former gas station on Bridge Street. Meil’s is cash only, BYO and has 12 to 14 tables, with a short lunch counter up front. The principal dining area is decorated with Americana: a colorful quilt shares wall space with original, framed paintings and a large display of cast-iron baking pans blackened by use. The walls are wainscoted, and oil cloth covers the tables. Food is served on old-fashioned china with familiar patterns. The cover of the menu features high school graduation pictures of the staff. (Those who haven’t graduated yet are represented by their baby pictures.) The music on the sound system is American standards — Louis Armstrong’s rendition of the 1943 hit “I’ll Be Seeing You” (in all the old familiar places) was playing as our appetizers were served.

   Don’t get the idea that Meil’s is stuck in the past. On each table is a card announcing a new menu feature: the Economic Stimulus Package. Recognizing the current crisis, it offers three courses for $15: soup or salad, a slightly smaller version of one of Meil’s most popular entrées — Thanksgiving dinner, crab cake, meatloaf platter, or chicken pot pie with buttermilk biscuit — followed by dessert.

   The all-American dishes among our selections seemed to have been made with a surer hand than the more exotic entries on the menu. Corn fritters ($9.50) featured yellow and white kernels in medium-weight batter, the kernels tasting as close to fresh-picked corn as one could hope for on a January night. A dollop of sweet raspberry mayonnaise incongruously accompanied the fritters, the only possible rationale being its equally cheerful association with summer. Our server recommended mussels marinara ($9) as a good appetizer to share among four — a huge portion in tomato sauce. Though plump and tender, the mussels either lacked flavor or were overwhelmed by the sauce, which was thicker than the cooking broth generally served with mussels. Nonetheless, the large order quickly disappeared.

   The Economic Stimulus Package began with a salad of mixed greens, red onions, carrots, mushrooms and small tomatoes, with a piquant, creamy dressing. The chicken pot pie ($15.50 on the regular menu) that followed was outstanding. Served in a bowl, this crustless, Pennsylvania Dutch version of the dish includes broad noodles. The pie was brightened by carrots and parsley, the chicken was juicy and tender, and the gravy creamy. The biscuit was a treat, buttery, light and flaky.

   Tilapia ($16), a special that evening, had a crisp crust of horseradish and pecans. Inside the crust, the fish was moist and mild. A delightfully bracing lemon-caper-dill sauce complemented the fish and the crust. As our two sides, we’d ordered steamed fresh broccoli, which was brilliant green, and saffron rice, which was pale and offered only a hint of saffron’s perfume or flavor. Grilled pork loin ($20) was a bit dry but paired nicely with pear chutney. The half roast chicken ($18.50) was served with a dill-scented stuffing that proved moist but under-salted. The green beans, like the broccoli, were fresh, tasty and al dente.

   One of the many fresh-made points of pride at Meil’s are the desserts. They include Mrs. Marshall’s chocolate layer cake, warm apple crisp with custard sauce, cinnamon raisin bread custard, a fresh fruit bowl, chocolate pot de crème, carrot cake with cream cheese icing, pumpkin custard or cookies from the bakery. Meil’s even makes its own marshmallows to add to your hot chocolate.

   A snickerdoodle was a fitting finale to the Economic Stimulus Package. Almost as big as the plate on which it was served, the cookie was crisp, sprinkled with sugar and redolent of cinnamon. We could write a sonnet about the pot de crème ($7), but suffice to say the fudge-dense chocolate is smooth without the stickiness of fudge and is topped by a layer of silky whipped cream. Accompanied by well-prepared decaffeinated espressos, the sweets were an admirable finale to an enjoyable evening.