Whether you call them country markets or gourmet delis or something else entirely, these locales are havens for foodies around the region. Our dining critics are offering up some of their recommended dishes at these bastions of flavor. 

Oven Roasted Turkey Wrap, Coffee's Country Market, 169 Boston Post Road, Old Lyme

It's not easy to identify ONE item to recommend from the kitchens of Coffee's Country Market in Old Lyme. I love the pasta salads, the salads, and the desserts. The chips selection provides an education in the fine art of flavorful potato crisping, and the store-made guacamole is among the best I've ever consumed. Still, I like a good sandwich recommendation, so I heartily suggest the Oven Roasted Turkey Wrap ($6.95) on the regular deli menu. It's a filling construction in which a whole-wheat wrap holds the always-satisfying combination of excellent roasted turkey breast, provolone cheese (that milder cheese choice matters, trust me), tomatoes, sprouts (which I eschew but to which I award Coffee's points for creativity), and, my favorite part, cranberry-infused mayonnaise, which offers a subtle flavor nuance that brightens up the whole wrap. You'd think a turkey wrap is a turkey wrap, but Coffee's elevates this common menu offering with well-curated ingredients and the store's signature service with a smile.

— Marisa Nadolny

Salmon and Black Rice with Mint, Cilantro and Basil (and more), Haylon's Market, 157 West Main St., Niantic

As we head south from our house to Niantic's Book Barn for our semi-regular Browse-a-thons, it's easy for us to then cruise on another mile or so to Haylon's Market and a few reliable faves such as the Corn Fritter ($1.50, the size of an Olympic medal, with plump corn that pops when chewed, beautifully delicate chives and a bit of jalapeno) and the Parsnip Cake ($2.25, a thick, crisp patty of shredded parsnip and potato; the almost bitter parsnip flavor is tempered by the potato — and an at-home twist of dolloped yellow mustard adds to the fun).

It's always fun to hit the Haylon website, too, and gander at the daily specials. If you happen to see Salmon and Black Rice with Mint, Cilantro and Basil Sauce ($12.50 lb.), don't hesitate. I got a big-enough-for-two serving for $7.02 that included a mellow brick of grilled fish nestled amongst a chewy mound of confit. Pop this in the oven for a few minutes — most folks know not to overcook white fish because it's easy to dry it out — and this alone is a really nice dish.

But microwave the sauce and pour liberally atop the serving, and this is sorcery! This reduction beautifully combines the three distinct and titular flavors, and they all work in concert with the fish and rice. This is five-tool spendor.

— Rick Koster

The "Seawolf," Sandy's Fine Foods Emporium, 15 Post Road, Westerly; crab cake sandwich, Mystic Market, Route 1

Like the late Lou Reed, my perfect day involves going to the park. But the rock icon and I always did diverge on one point: I prefer munching on sandwiches to drinking sangria. And when I do have said sandwiches, I tend to stick to a few favorites found at Sandy's Fine Foods Emporium in Westerly and Mystic Market (typically the Route 1 Mystic location; although, I'm sure any would do).

At Sandy's, I go for the "Seawolf" ($7.50), a refreshing but substantive mayonnaise-based seafood salad made with shrimp, scallops and surimi, topped with tomato and crispy fried onions. It's a perfect mix of flavor, saltiness and crunchy texture (be sure to specify on "crusty" bread; the soft grinder tends to get a bit soggy).

At Mystic Market, I like to freestyle, and the staff is always happy to accommodate. I go with the house-made crab cakes — a balanced mix of meat and breadcrumbs — on toasted ciabatta, with lettuce, tomato and remoulade (fancy word for tartar sauce). Not yet on the menu, I suggest adding this $6.95 item with the modest title "The Alex Nunes." (Sandy's has, though, recently added to the menu a crab cake sandwich made with cheddar, chipotle mayo, lettuce and guacamole.)

It should be said that at both places you can't go wrong with a simple roast beef and Swiss sandwich made with mayonnaise and the standard accouterments. And one last piece of advice: never, ever, forget the kettle-cooked chips.

— Alex Nunes

Penne a la Vodka, Chocolate Mile-High Cheesecake, Ivy's Simply Homemade, 316 Boston Post Road, Waterford

Having been married for over two decades to The Vegetarian Who Walks Among Us (TVWWAU), I've actually come to enjoy some certain dishes that don't have "Pork," "Beef" or "Chicken" in the title — and in particular one of the Spouse's all-time faves. That would be Penne a la Vodka, and the version at Ivy's Simply Homemade ($8.95) is a keeper. Or, rather, a pick-up-and-take-homer.

This is decidedly not just a bowl of penne swimming in soupy pink sauce, as we've come to expect a lot of the time. Rather, Ivy's offers a thick pottage that clings to each piece of perfectly cooked penne like spring rain drops on tender new leaves. Vodka sauces are popular at our house — even those in jars — but this one, thick with flavor-spangled fresh herbs, is on another plane. The Parmesan cheese isn't laid on like cake icing, either, but delicately and effectively applied with a sculptor's touch that holds it all together. Got three meals out of it, and that saved room for the stunning Ivy's Chocolate Mile-High Cheesecake ($7.50) .

A cross-cut view of the dessert would reveal a rich surface frosting with chocolate nuggets, a layer of lucious choco cake, another cushion of frosting, an ore of gooey cream cheese, and a final applique of frosting. Wow.

— Rick Koster