Snyder's Willow Grove, Hammonds Ferry Road, (410) 789-1149. This is a fine, old Baltimore restaurant that cooks with respect for traditional methods, serves with a touch of hominess and generally lets you relax. Just off the Beltway in Anne Arundel County, Snyder's has been in business more than 50 years. We " found it a great place for dining with children; the menu is varied, the service friendly and the pace not too slow for young diners. They especially liked the complimentary sharp cheese and crackers and the rich cream of crab soup. $$moderate. (Last visited 9/91.)

LYNN WILLIAMS Gypsy's Cafe, 1103 Hollins St., (410) 625-9310. If we all got together to describe the neighborhood restaurant of our dreams, the consensus would sound a lot like Gypsy's Cafe. It's ravishing but relaxing, its employees are artistic-looking but actually nice, and there's parking right outside. The menu -- including sandwiches, salads, pastas and inventive brochettes -- is as simple as they come, and as fresh as Hollins Market (which is right across the street) can provide. $inexpensive. (Last visited 11/91.)

JANICE BAKER Union Hotel, 1282 Susquehanna Road, Port Deposit, (410) 378-3503. The Union Hotel antedates the presidency of George Washington, looks like an overgrown log cabin and isn't a hotel -- it's a restaurant. Inside, a collection of old domestic articles -- candlestick molds, butter churns, jugs, -- brings home the candle-lit rooms' authenticity. Everything we sampled tasted intelligently prepared: clam chowder, spinach ricotta pie, warm homemade bread, rabbit, sambuca shrimp and scallops, and modest, pleasant desserts. $$$expensive. (Last visited 10/91.)