There's nothing like the year's biggest snowfall to bring on a hankering for homemade chili. But instead of pulling out the dutch oven, we headed to Jimmy D's East Coast Cafe.

Chili is a staple at this tidy restaurant on Leestown Road, open since October. Two spoonsful of chili confirmed that it was made by a cook who knows how to marry hamburger, tomatoes and beans.

Homemade soups---a special one prepared each day---are a good warm up to Jimmy D's long list of hot and cold sandwiches. On the hot side, the meatball grinder we tried was the star.

Owner Jimmy Duggan, who must have packed a file of family recipes when he migrated south from Boston, confirmed that the meatball recipe is his grandmother's.

"My grandma would roll over in her grave if I used frozen meatballs," said the ebullient and ever-present owner.

The sandwich was generous in size, and the fresh, firm meatballs were enlivened by an equally homemade tomato sauce and melted provolone cheese. However, there wasn't much spice, so diners who want more flavor might opt for the sausage with peppers and onions.

On a return visit, a turkey club was everything this stacked sandwich should be. The meat was not the slippery sort often served at delis, but the kind served at family Thanksgiving dinners; the bacon was thick, sweet and fried to a nice chew; the tomato was surprisingly nice given the season.

One of the best things about Jimmy D's is that there's plenty to try. Four grilled paninis cover the bases: turkey, barbecued roast beef, tuna melt and veggie. Reubens come in corned beef, pastrami and turkey formats.

The Turkey Terrific grinder is Thanksgiving on a roll, with turkey, homemade dressing, cranberry sauce and mayo.

For the less sandwich inclined, there are three salads---a chef, crispy chicken and chicken Caesar. Breakfast is also served-biscuits, gravy, bagels, cream cheese, egg and cheese burritos---again a menu that seems to cover several bases.

Those who ever patronized the former pizzeria that occupied Jimmy D's will be pleasantly surprised by the makeover that took Duggan 10 months.

Murals on one wall cover all the local businesses you'd find along a Main Street, from Shaggy's Barbershop to a bank. There's a salute to family and friends in the smaller narrow seating area, with black and white photos.

A couple are good for a chuckle---the tiny grandma atop a dining room table, about to give her taller husband a kiss; the half dozen young men, gathered around a bar table that holds about two dozen beer bottles.

Those searching for authenticity and in a deli and the accompanying deli-style food will feel right at home at Jimmy D's.