What Makes For a Lavish -- Or Lamentable -- Lunch?

Hey Everyone,

In past threads, our fearless CC posters blasted through breakfast, so it seems only suitable to move on to lunch!

This thread is inspired by my latest attempt at a health reboot, along with thinking about my history of lunches past. For several years, I worked at a place right next to a mini fast food mecca, which, as you can imagine, was not good for my cholesterol -- or my wallet.

I later graduated to packed lunches consisting of crackers and raw vegetables, and when I worked nights, I often wouldn't really stop to eat, but rather gulped down protein shakes (made with water, since I didn't have access to a fridge for milk) and dry cereal (that I could grab spoonfuls of) while still working.

I was also thinking of social situations -- visiting or staying with someone, traveling, etc. -- in which I had to pretend to eat things I personally didn't find palatable (unknown creatures with tentacles, for example) but did so for the sake of politeness.

I'm a simple girl. A lavish lunch to me is a good old-fashioned burger or ham and cheese sandwich with a heaping helping of chips or fries on the side. Not the healthiest, I know... But just. so. dog. gone. yummy!

How about the rest of you?

* What would YOU consider a lavish -- or lamentable -- lunch? (Salads, pizza, sandwiches, a casserole, some kind of specialized entree, BBQ, bento box, etc.?)

* What does your typical lunch look like on a typical (work) day?

* Do you splurge on something a little fancier on the weekends or on your day off?

* Have you been in situations where you didn't really have a choice, but just had to eat what was put in front of you (even if you didn't like it?) How did you handle it?

I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's ideas!

I'm always down for pizza.

I have fallen into a habit of eating some of my father's homemade nut butter (cashew, almond, peanut) spread a bite at a time on some pepperidge farm "swirl" bread. Whatever swirl I have on hand at the time - cinnamon raisin, french toast, it's all the same swirl with different flavoring.

For lunch nothing beats a good inch and a half thick of shaved deli turkey, with a bit of stoneground mustard, on sourdough bread.

EVERYTHING beats a fast "food" burger.

Nowadays, as I work from home, lunch is typically home-cooked dinner leftovers or some other homecooked meal made earlier. When I was working in person, it was mixed of homecooked meals, going to the building cafeteria which has hot/cold bars and sandwiches, or going to Potbelly sandwiches nearby. Once in awhile I would go to a food court nearby. I bought lunch about half the time. A lavish lunch would be a lunch with a coworker at a fancier sandwich/salad place like Pret A Manger or Cosi. I find them overpriced so I would only go there with someone if we want to go to a "different" place and somewhere to chat.

I don't like cold/room temperature food but would eat them if there is no other option, which is why I bring my own lunch and microwave or go to places where they heat the sandwiches. I don't go for pizza and salads often.

Bring your own microwave? Like, a travel model that can run from a car's cigarette lighter?

No, the microwave at work.

Lol, good thing you clarified that -- Lynx was obviously ready to hop online and buy one.

I find it strange that I'm the only person that noticed seoulsearch casually mentioned how she saved the universe by defeating and then eating cthulhu. I thank you for your service.

Alas, I appreciate your gratitude, but unfortunately, it's undue.

I couldn't go near the things, let alone try them.

I was at a luncheon for adoptees like myself, with what was considered a lavish buffet of native delicacies in our honor. These people had worked so hard to give us what was seen as the best -- I truly felt terrible for not being able to bring myself to try even a tiny bite of many of the items presented.

I mean, I took one look -- and realized that whatever I was looking at had miniature "suction cups" showing through the fried batter -- and I just couldn't.





Let's just say, I subsisted almost solely on plain rice during that time.

Understandable. Someone else took one for the team and devoured the evil squid on your behalf. It was quite smart of you to pass that challenge onto another hero. For all you knew, it could have been poisonous.

Speaking of lavish meals, I think the most lavish meal I ever had was a $45 pizza from an awesome Italian restaurant. Who knew that pizza made from scratch was way better than from a chain? The crust wasn't even stuffed with cheese and it was still amazing!

Wow, I can't even imagine a $45 pizza but purely from scratch definitely sounds amazing!!!

Yeah their food is awesome. Their ravioli is so good that it should be illegal. The meatballs are blasphemous though. I ordered them once and it turned out they were half pork so that sucked lol. They were also topped with a cold slice of marinara for some reason. You don't mix cold cheese and hot meat! it's a rule!

You were supposed to wait until it melted.

Impossible!

Impossible to melt or wait?

Yes. lol

If you make a dinner thread, Seoul, you may have to differentiate between supper and dinner,
as they have very distinctive meanings for some. My dad worked swing shifts, and if he was
home at noon, it was dinner and not lunch, and then the six o'clock meal was supper, whereas
if he was home for the evening meal, the noon meal was lunch and then we had dinner at six.

I usually call my first meal lunch and second dinner. I'm incapable of having a normal sleep schedule so I never know what time of the day I'll go to sleep or wake up. Breakfast is a rarity because I'm usually too tired to eat for a few hours after waking up. For some unknown reason I despise eating while tired.