By ANDY GRAY
    WARREN -- We've talked over the years about doing a story on what foods are craved by folks who have moved away from the Mahoning Valley.
    Some would long for the Hot Dog Shoppe, while others would hanker for the garlicky Uncle Nick's chicken from the Buena Vista Cafe or an Italian specialty from Alberini's or Abruzzi's. And for dessert, plenty would make a run to either Handel's or Katie's Korner for a favorite ice cream flavor.
    If I ever leave Trumbull County, I know where I will stop on my first trip back: The Sunrise Inn.
    That choice would be easy. The hard part would be deciding what to order once I got there.
    I singlehandedly keep a spinach picker employed somewhere for as often as I order the spinach pizza there. All the greens convince me I'm eating something healthy; all the garlic and the blend of cheeses guarantees I'm eating something wonderful.
    Those toppings rest on a crust foundation that's not too thick but plenty sturdy to support whatever covers it. A Sunrise slice always is a firm, righteous V, rather than a droopy point that becomes a slide for all of the toppings to fall into the eater's lap.
    Those slices also make a great bun for the pizzaburger splash, another favorite offering.
    That meat-flecked red sauce splashed on the pizzaburger also enlivens the chicken and eggplant parmigiana dishes and the substantial squares of lasagna.
    Add a garlic-accented fried chicken that rivals Uncle Nick and a large assortment of popular sandwiches and entrees, and it's easy to understand why the Sunrise has been a downtown dining institution since 1929.
    In 2000 the great got even better when former Pesto's owner Mark Canzonetta started cooking at the restaurant. Some of the specialties from his beloved Howland establishment, like the heavenly Italian greens or the decadent Cajun chicken alfredo, started making regular appearances among the old favorites.
    Since then the Sunrise's voluminous menu has been pared down, preserving the best of the old and giving some of Canzonetta's daily specials a permanent spot.
    New personal favorites on the regular menu include a six-cheese macaroni & cheese that is topped with grilled chicken ($8.79) and a variation on the venerable reuben that replaces the rye bread and puts the corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and dressing inside a grilled flour tortilla ($6.99).
    Those who love spicy foods should hope Canzonetta's jalapeno ravioli ($9.99) becomes a regular offering. The jalapeno-flavored pasta is packed with a black bean filling and served with andouille sausage in an amazing cream sauce flavored with roasted red peppers and smoked cheddar.
    And if that didn't pack enough heat, we also sampled crawfish prepared liked buffalo wings with the bits of seafood lightly breaded, deep-fried and coated with a cayenne-pepper intense sauce ($6.99). I liked it, but the breading and sauce overpowered the delicacy of the crawfish. However, I ate the leftovers that night, and the distinctive taste of the crustacean was able to assert itself when it was cold.
    Portions are generous (some of the sandwiches dare the customer to eat them in one sitting) and seldom leave room for dessert, but visitors should splurge occasionally, either by planning on bringing home leftovers or getting dessert to go.
    Canzonetta makes several of the cheesecakes offered, and other desserts are specially prepared for the restaurant. The four-layer carrot cake with its cream cheese frosting is amazing, and the cheesecakes run from the traditional to the more exotic, like a dirty banana cheesecake that blended fruit and mocha flavors.
    The only minor gripe I have about the restaurant is its relatively small non-smoking section, which isn't open at all times. When the food is this good, the only smoke I want comes from the Cajun- and southwestern-influenced dishes on the menu, not the cancerous cloud wafting over from the next booth.