Lunch on the go...

A busy week leading up to the trip to MO this week, so probably hit and miss publication

A couple of lunches (I notice that retirement seems to elevate lunch chances) lately, probably worth commenting on. The first was at Coffee Quarter in the ever changing milieu of the dining scene in San Souci. Their update is that they now offer beer and wine, which can’t hurt anybody. I am not sure if the menu has been revamped as well, but there is a lunch and dinner side of the same sheet of paper. Dinner centers on “tapas”, and also offers pizzas, sushi (?!), crab sliders, a pork loin with apple slaw, and other “little plates”, along with sandwiches and salads. We used the Luncheon side, which offers at least 13 sandwiches (dubbed “gourmet”) along with salads and those pizzas. I know they used to feature Boar’s Head products, and I assume they still do, although I noticed that the description of the “ovengold turkey breast” sandwich claimed it was home baked. Hmmmm —how’s that work? Anyway, I ordered a Reuben (and a Dogfish Head ale), while my companion had some soup of the day and the Hummus with Tabbouleh salad. In true coffee house fashion, the existence of your order is signaled by calling out your name: “Bill!!” and you go pick it up at the counter. My Reuben was nicely put together, with what looked a whole lot like BH corned beef, on rye along with the cheese and kraut. The soup was reported as very good, but the Hummus was the best dish. Creamy Hummus with pita points, and the green tabbouleh made a for very nice light luncheon dish, nicely paired with the soup. The beer was cold and good. The day we were there, it was fairly busy, but there were no delays in service. Another option for the ever popular lunch.

My second lunch was with MFO at Panera, the occasion mostly engendered by wanting to further investigate the demons that seem tohave infested my laptop causing random and whimsical connections to the internet. I could not connect at CQ, and wanted to try another network, and reports are that Panera’s is robust. Since there are 4 order takers, those unfamiliar with the drill at Panera are almost immediately confronted with somebody wanting to take your order. The “menu” consists of large board posted behind them so you have to look up and try to figure out where the hell the sandwiches and salads and luncheon “stuff” are. MFO cleverly avoided the awkward gawking by ordering a “new” barbeque chopped chicken salad advertised on a board as we walked in. I, on the other hand was wallowing around in the “Café”; “Panini”; and “Signature” sandwiches, trying to figure out what the difference was. There is also “hand tossed signature” and “hand tossed café” salads. What’s up with that? Why can’t there be just sandwiches and salads. Leave the adjectives out please. Who cares? In fairness, I must report that soups are just soups. Not “slow simmered” or anything, but they’re probably working on that. Anyway I panicked into the Asiago Roast Beef (which is signature, by the way), described as: “Oven-roasted beef, smoked cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions & creamy horseradish sauce, on our Asiago Cheese Demi”. Okay fine. We chose drinks and chips, and now exhausted by the ordeal, shuffle down the line, Soup Nazi style with paper in hand to the receiving end. By the time we selected our table our number was being called, amazingly fast service. Always taking data, I noticed that the numbers are seemingly random. Our 4361 was called after 1545, and the next one was 3617. Maybe a scheme I am not aware of. Anyway, the fast food, was, well, fast. My sandwich looked hastily put together, and the “smoked cheddar” was in the form of a velveeta like square, lopping out both sides. The red onions were not particularly sliced, rather in long strands. The “oven roasted” beef looked again like luncheon meat. But, it did have some taste. The bread was fine and crunchy. I looked, but didn’t see any signature anyplace. MFO’s salad was a pile of greens, with some “roasted corn” scattered about, some of that chopped chicken and a squirt bottle application of BBQ sauce atop. Portions were rather large. I did see one of those hollowed out bread bowls of soup go by. Sheesh. I guess people still eat those things. Anyway, if you want in and out, processed, there you go food, visit. Probably fairly consistent. Oh, I was able to hook to their net. Go figure. Demons asleep and not

DFD