Andrew / August 10, 2007 10:07 AM

(Priviously, lunch in the Loop.)

avant/chicago / August 10, 2007 10:22 AM

Harold's Chicken Shack

skafiend / August 10, 2007 10:26 AM

The gym. I stopped going to lunch after the Subway turkey subs and McDonald's salads with bacon and meat and thousand island dressing and Chipotle started to catch up with me. So now I go to "lunch" at the gym, work out for about an hour-plus and have lost about 20 pounds.

K2 / August 10, 2007 10:39 AM

Pasta Palazzo at 1966 N. Halstead. (Halstead & Armitage)

The best sandwiches and salads with friendly service. Pasta is really good too, but it makes me too sleepy to go back to work. Beware though, it's cash only!

Michele / August 10, 2007 10:40 AM

Gaylord for all you can eat Indian buffet. So good.

joshua / August 10, 2007 10:42 AM

Quartino's!
$6 pick two half sandwich/soup/salad
generous portions with a great patio

Mike / August 10, 2007 10:42 AM

Beer Bistro on W. Madison (?). Try the fish tacos and have a few beers. Guarantee nap time at work later in the day but it's worth it.

Appleby / August 10, 2007 10:56 AM

Usually I eat lunch at home. When I have to go downtown, I eat at:
BomBon Cafe
170 W. Washington St.
or
Hannah's Bretzel
180 W. Washington St.
or
Three J's lunch truck
which offers jerk chicken, catfish, and terrific greens and rice and beans. They're usually on the north side of the loop.

I once ate at a nice, really old-style diner inside an office bulding on LaSalle (good open-faced sandwiches, as I recall). But I've never been able to find that place again. Did I just dream it, or has anybody else been there?

If I'm near the Newberry, then it's usually BomBon Americano or the deli at Treasure Island. Sometimes I can catch Three J's truck up there, or the Bolat truck (both occasionally park on either the east or west side of Washington) Park).

Andrew / August 10, 2007 10:57 AM

Spacca Napoli for me. Or Costello's.

Spence / August 10, 2007 11:10 AM

L'Appetito. Best sandwiches in town. Also, there italian sausage chili is wicked.

Jill / August 10, 2007 11:23 AM

I'm also trying to lose a bunch of weight, so lately Lean Cuisine has been the place to go. However, I do like Pockets (build-your-own salad!) and Venice Cafe. Hannah's Bretzel is a big treat, mostly because it's a hike from work, but oooohhhhh, is their Black Forest ham on pretzel bread tasty!!

mike / August 10, 2007 11:28 AM

Hot Doug's

I can't wait to live closer to that joint. Just another couple weeks.

leah / August 10, 2007 11:29 AM

Hannah's Bretzel is a dream & the tamales at BomBon are a treat!

I reeeeeally enjoy Frontera upstairs at Field's/Macy's. $$ but wonderful tamales there, too.

India House for the buffet!

Yum, when's lonch!?

Carrie / August 10, 2007 11:54 AM

I really like Tuesday pasta day at Bank of America. So much food, so much garlic, so good.

I like the salad bar at Chase Bank, the one where you put your veggies in a bowl, hand it to the guy and he mixes it for you. It's a huge, heavy salad, for $6.60. If I were to make it at a regular salad bar, it'd probably be a $10 salad.

Hannah's is a treat b/c it's so expensive and I have issues with just cutting off the heel of the bread to make it a half sandwich. If they bake the bread there, why not just bake it smaller? It's a waste! Still tasty though.

Oh, Haifa is good, too, but they run out of eggplant often. The falafel is a good back-up though.

YUM I am extra hungry now.

Shylo / August 10, 2007 11:55 AM

Jaffa Bagel for bad ass falafel.

pete / August 10, 2007 12:47 PM

hot dougs. in fact, i'm eating it now.

rachael / August 10, 2007 1:23 PM

Graziano's
901 W Randolph St

Delish subs - $4.50 to $5.50 for a fresh made huuuge sub. They've got five or six sandwiches, including a veggie w/ eggplant and cheese and other fixins. Everything is sliced fresh while you wait and they use D'Amato's bread. Plus the owner and his family are just the nicest people you ever met. SO GOOD!

Sol / August 10, 2007 1:23 PM

Pita Inn for the best falafel in the entire world.

2nding Costello's, Huey's veg dogs are awesome, and Rollin' To Go makes great sandwiches, as long as you go early or late because it sucks to go there during actual lunch times.

skee bop / August 10, 2007 2:47 PM

I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying the relatively new Tokyo Lunchbox place on the corner of Jackson and Wabash.

The sushi options were totally lacking on this side of the loop prior to their arrival, and, it's super close to work!

Kevin / August 10, 2007 3:01 PM

I just ate 2 chili dogs and an order of cheese fries from J Dawgs on State. I wouldn't recommend it if you're on a health kick, but those were some tasty chili dogs. Also you can't beat "cheese" that has been heated up in the styrofoam container that they serve it in.

Pete / August 10, 2007 3:19 PM

Ditto on Hannah's Bretzel. Absolutely phenomenal sandwiches (and mostly organic!) plus the amazing wall of premium chocolate bars.

t / August 10, 2007 3:29 PM

Appleby,

Regarding the restaurant on LaSalle:

Courtway Restaurant
29 S Lasalle
Chicago, IL 60603-1507
http://www.courtwayrestaurant.com/

It's pretty darn cool and stuck in a time warp. Don't tell nobody about it.

nico / August 10, 2007 3:36 PM

aloha eats/grill in lincoln park. hands down.

Spook / August 10, 2007 4:26 PM

Well since The Ska man brought it up first, I hit the
gym as well for lunch four days a week. Because I just lift weights, I don't really sweat and it’s such a stress release

It makes sense. think about the time you could save not having to work out after work or on weekends.

I just eat lunch while I'm working at my desk.

BenjaminCannon / August 10, 2007 4:28 PM

Andrew...Spacca for lunch? Color me jealous!

Oh, and eating Hot Dougs on any day besides Saturday is in some way sacreligious to me. But I so envy you anyhow.

Me, I love Roti on Monroe and Riverside. Wow.

holden / August 10, 2007 4:52 PM

I loved the working out over lunch and then eating at your desk when i was kicking it in the cubicle enviro.
I love the Whole Foods salad bar, usually paired with a Clif Bar mid-afternoon.
Or when in Des Moines, Pablo's for a king of lunch burritos!

Oh, and good call on Quartino's. Just went there for the first time and I loved it!!

skafiend / August 10, 2007 4:56 PM

Just wondering though... doesn't eating some of that stuff make you real sleepy at work? That's another reason I had to stop eating lunch. I'd feel like crashing like a mutha afterwards. I mean, 2 chili dogs and fries, big ass sub sandwiches, an all you can eat Indian buffet? I'd snore my way right to the unemployment line. Not being judgemental on what you eat, but how do you stay awake after that?

angie / August 10, 2007 6:14 PM

chicago bagel authority on armitage. mmmmmmmmm. steamed sandwiches.

C-Note / August 10, 2007 10:29 PM

The little pavilion in front of Sidley's new building at Dearborn & Madison - I don't eat lunch so much - just go there and chill and listen to music. Music is better than food.

michele / August 11, 2007 7:58 AM

@ Skafiend,
I take a mid-afternoon walk down to Sip coffeehouse for a caffiene jolt. Always helps after the indian buffet.

Lizzy / August 11, 2007 8:05 AM

I like Cold Comfort in Wicker Park for lunch. There isn't anything in the Loop that excites me at lunchtime--at least not that I can afford for lunch more than once in a while!

Joe / August 11, 2007 9:34 AM

Jerry's Sandwich's (im so glad they opened one up on Division!) Enough sandwich options you can eat all year and never have the same thing.

If by chance I'm anywhere near Evanston there is a spot near the Noyes el called Al's Deli, best sandwich ever.

Brian / August 11, 2007 12:38 PM

I work from home, so if it’s not a quick sammich at my desk, then usually it's a neighborhood joint for me (Southwest Side). Gilmart has good take-out Polish fare, or if I’m in the mood for Mexican, there’s Burrito Grandé. A beef sandwich from Bacci’s is a nice change (they’re gigantic!). The Big Baby special down at Jackie’s (mmm grilled onions) can't be beat for good n’ cheap. Or if I’m in the mood to travel a bit, there's a fairly new Potbelly’s on Harlem & 57th.

And people think food is scarce south of Roosevelt. Pshaw!

winediva / August 11, 2007 6:50 PM

I'm a work from home person too - but I occasionally duck out to Hot Dougs (no lines at 2pm on a Tues!) or Jury's for a giant burger.

Carlotta / August 11, 2007 11:20 PM

Delmonico Deli in Illinois Center. (I understand they have another location in the Loop.)

$5.49/lb for lots of good food -- they claim to have 70 items. If you're on an Atkins diet you'd be in heaven: roast turkey, roast chicken, roast pork, roast beef, usually baked fish of some kind.

That's in addition to 3-4 different types of sushi, lots of prepared salad options, baked tofu, fried fish, even kimchee!

billy / August 12, 2007 4:38 PM

The basement of the prudential center has a decent, middle of the road sushi option. 2 rolls and a cup of miso for $7.50.

Its tasty, filling but not heavy. I generally need a snack around 3. (I eat at 11.)

A bit pricey, but hell, I'd pay that much at Chipotle!

Dave / August 13, 2007 1:09 AM

I'm a big fan of Rajun Cajun, 1459 E. 53rd St., although swinging by one of the Flat Top Grill locations or Klay Oven is swell too.

Doyle / August 13, 2007 8:52 AM

Shane's Deli in Wheaton.

Not in the city, I know, but if you ever find yourself stranded out in jesusland, those guys make a hell of a sandwich.

editorkid / August 13, 2007 9:28 AM

I see your L'Appetito and raise you Fox & Obel. I work at the opposite end of the Mile from L'Appetito (not for the Trib but not far from it) and deadlines don't always permit such an excursion, but I get there as much as I can. F&O's a bit of a hike as well but worth it just for their soda selection; sometimes I'll just be happy with one of their baguettes and some cheese. (A baguette, cheese, and soda. This country is so annoying.)

Regardless of its source, lunch anywhere but at one's desk is not welcome within our company's culture, unfortunately. So stretching it out with the longest walk possible is a good thing.

Oh, and if you're ever around Harvard Square, go to Darwin's. There's one on Mt. Auburn St. past the post office and one on Cambridge St. across from Cambridge Rindge and Latin. I regret that it's about the only place I wanted to go to this past weekend in the neighborhood but couldn't.