the golden age of lunch

 
For those who love food, a new job brings along with it the exciting prospect of scoping out lunch places in the area. A go-to lunch place is as crucial to food enthusiasts as a comfortable office space, a boss that treats you well, or even a job itself.

My last job before I moved out west was in downtown Silver Spring. In those days I went out to eat almost every day, so a solid, diverse rotation was imperative. Fortunately there was a decent number of options in the area. The chain fare at Chipotle, Chick-Fil-A, Baja Fresh was rounded out by more unique places like Eggspectations, Thai market, Negril, and Mi Rancho. Whole Foods was good for a soup on a cold day. And the quirky place we called our own was the Indian buffet that opened below a few months before I left. You'd be correct in asssuming that I squeezed in a lot of full meals there while I had the chance.

I never fully appreciated it while I was there, but those were the golden days of lunch. Now that I'm no longer enjoying free boarding and home cooked meals on the house, the days of going out to lunch 4-5 days a week are over. I still plan to allow myself 2.5 days a week on average, the other days I make sandwiches from meat and cheese from the Italian deli - I can't lower myself to eating prepackaged supermarket lunch meat at this point.

So having been here about a month I've started to piece together a rotation. I work on Ventura Blvd, which is pretty much the Rockville Pike of the valley. At this point, a few legit contenders have emerged:

1. The Pita Kitchen

My number one seed right now - I make sure to hit this place every week. Its an unassuming Middle Eastern joint on Ventura and Van Nuys hidden by a newstand, but popular, and for good reason. The lamb shawarma is good enough that I haven't even tried the kebab yet because I can't talk myself out of the shawarma. And the service is lightning fast. I predict a long and meaningful relationship with Pita Kitchen. Another bonus is that its probably the healthiest of my current options, since the pitas have actual vegetables.

2. The Infield

The Infield is one of those concepts that makes you upset because you lived so much of your life without it. In this case, it is an outdoor hot dog stand on Ventura that plays sports radio, has a token seating section composed of real stadium bleachers and seats, and offers great daily deals like 2 dodger dogs, fries, and a drink for $5. And of course the dogs are good - how could they NOT be good at a place like I just described? I go here for a grease fix, enjoy the weather, and take in some Lakers talk.

3. In & Out Burger

Yes, there is an In&Out within walking distance of my office. The other day I walked in after a frantic morning/afternoon where I wasn't able to go out for food until 3 pm. I ordered a 4X4 animal style and wolfed that sucker down in about 30 seconds. If I could put into words the feeling I got from setting my sights on that 4-patty monster after hours of anticipation, I'd be doing this for a living.

4.???

So far I haven't been blown away by any of the other options. I'd heard good things about Poquito Mas, but I wasn't that impressed. There is a Taco Bell across the street, a Subway down the street, and a somewhat overpriced Japanese grill close by. I group all of these into the wild card category - only options in the event that my mainstays get overplayed. Of course there are other places I haven't tried, and another gem may emerge. Time will tell. Time will tell.