Side Order: Memorial Day Version 3.2...just a little too late....

My memorial weekend ended at approximately 10:45pm last night as me and mr. uni arrived to our dank DC abode. As HT, LT and TAFKALC mentioned yesterday, much food and libations were consumed the entire weekend. Although my efforts to completely end my mini-vacay on a food bang were thwarted. It first began with my efforts to get a triple meat extravaganza breakfast sandwich at the BK...it was 5 minutes after 11am when I finally made it after returning our keg (MikeySunshine- you can only appreciate which particular Brew Thru we went too...mr. uni almost drove into it on purpose just to try and re-live the moment!) anyways...no meat sandwich. We then opted to hit the beach for a few more hours of sun and fun before heading off...we stayed a little too late and opted to not stop off at one of my favorite dive bars further down the outerbanks that have the BEST crab balls EVER (and I know, I know...I said crab balls). Alas...9:58pm...just outside of the Arlington, VA area on 395...my craving for Five Guys is making my stomach do flip flops...I franticly call 411 and get the # for the closest blessed burger joint...they close at 10pm. I have no complaints from the weekend by any means, I was fed well and drank even better. But I have made an executive decision to delay my typical day after de-tox routine and get my fill on most, if not all, of what I had hoped for yesterday.

Oooh...yesterday wasn't a complete food wash, I did get a cappuccino heath bar blizzard at the DQ...I love Parker Posey and will perhaps rent "Waiting for Guffman" tonight to watch while I eat one or possibly two Five Guys burgers with a bag full of greasy fries.

I'm not really sure what the point of this Side Order post is (Jo- if you thought the first one was random...I suppose this one may leave you even more perplexed). What can I say folks?? I just got home from the beach totally relaxed, craving all sorts of crap food and NOT wanting to get back into my "daily rountine". Sooo...pick a topic...talk amongst yourselves.

WFL? - 5/31/2006

Jo this double or duo post is for you only because I respect your efforts to maintain some sort of control in this chaotic world we live in.

WFL mo fo's???!

FYI - I will put up a new calendar for June if this is something that the people would like to continue...

Side Order: Memorial Day Recap

I hope everyone had a happy, healthy and hopefully filling long weekend. And a special OWFL shout out to any of you who celebrated the sacrifice of a fallen soldier in your family or circle of friends.

Today's post is actually an extension of sweet miu's post from yesterday which went ignored because most of us were out enjoying the day off instead of sitting in front of our computer screens (poor silly miu).

So in essence use this "side order" post to tell us how you spent your Memorial Day weekend. Did you visit a fallen soldier's resting place? Did you visit the 'rents or grand 'rents? Were you on a motorcycle ride with Viet Nam veterans? Were you in Disney World? Did you sing karaoke in the Outer Banks? Did you bang a tambourine? Did you gorge yourself on BBQ and feel like you've eaten "a bag of rocks"? Did you do all of the above?

But most importantly (to us)...WHAT DID YOU EAT???????

So please share your Memorial Day weekend menu and activities with us so we can get the BBQ out of our system and begin our summer dieting. The Czar needs sixpack abs in time for Bonnaroo!

Oh and in an effort to get back on the two post track (yeah I know it's a losing battle) go over HERE and tell us about that other thing...

WFL 5/30/06???

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it's tough, but at least try to keep this post about your lunch choice of the day. Please? Do it for the troops.

Tell us how you are you starting out this abbreviated work week...WhatsForLunch?!?

BBQ Bloat

I feel like i have eaten a bag of rocks and this effing holiday weekend isn't even over yet. anyone eat anything good??

I COME FOR THE SERVICE

So i have this little noodle place by my crib called Zen Noodles. Now they don't have the greatest food by any means but they are soooooooooooooo nice and fast and amazingly friendly that i go back for more and more and more. If they didn't have an ounce of respect for me as a customer, i would never even think of going back again. The food's just not that good.

do you guys have places you go for lunch that really is about supporting nice hardworking people rather than the food itself? Is this stupid on my part because it's really just about the food?

Are you guys even around today?? Hello?


WFL????

fried foods

i think i almost died and went to heaven this past week. i had the tastiest treats ever invented. that's right folks, in the heart of texas there is a little hole in the wall place called dirty martin's. just take a look at this heart stopping menu. the hamburgers really need to be praised...i had the DH special with bacon. man: burger with LTO between some texas toast.

but what dirty martin's has that really deserves special mention are what i like to call "little spears of heaven": DEEP FRIED PICKLES.

this leads me to a general question. there's a saying in texas (and probably in most parts of the US) that everything tastes better fried. do you think that this is true?

i've had fried twinkies, snicker bars, pickles, tomatoes, zucchini, shrimp, ice cream...all of these items sure were tasty. have you ever had a situation where you ate something fried and it just wasn't good? do tell.

and also, let us know WFL?

Lunch CPR

what do you do when you see a friend/coworker/loved one eating somehing absolutely inappropraite for lunch...or worse, skipping lunch all together on a regular basis???

do you intervene or do you just let it slide??

is it your business?? do you put on your OWFL cape (i know y'all got em) and leap to the rescue?? or do you go about you business with a little chuckle that says "he's gonna regret that in about 40 minutes"??

what would you do?? and while your at it, WFL??????

Party Eats

Well, I had a party on Friday night & it was a rousing success or something like that. Plenty of peeps, plenty of eats, apparently just enough beer (I think there were like 5 left in the cooler - phew!). So I had a friend down for the weekend from NY & I think if he hadn't been there I would have just passed out & in the morning gone "Damn, all that food's been sitting out all night. I can't eat it now" & into the trash it would go. Instead, trying to impress, I said "we have to put all this food away!" So now I have enough snack-type food for an army stuffed in my fridge. I know I said I was going to have some weird sandwiches this week (tapenade-hummus, artichoke dip-hummus, tuna skewer-hummus), but I was too lazy to get around to that yesterday and today we have an office meeting with what I know is going to be regrettable pizza (Domino's has really taken a nose-dive recently - not that it was ever that great, but it's especially crappy lately - and the only reason I know is because of these work lunches). Sigh. For dinner last I did have some leftovers, but not as much as I would have if I'd had bread (for one thing, I would made little mini-muffulattas with the leftover salami, cheese & tapenade). So what's your favorite leftover food, y'all? Do I dare try to eat the tuna skewers (I haven't yet . . .)? Should I bring any leftover hummus down to the beach or will people be too skeeved over its being a week old? And more importantly, WFL?? (got it right this time.)

WFL? Lunedì, 22/5/2006

Che cosa è per pranzo?

Forse un panino?

What Shouldn't You Have for Lunch?

So I was watching TV last night and there was this one commercial that got me salivating...it was for KFC...they have some new Hot Bowl with layers of mashed potatoes, corn, fried chicken pieces and then topped with melted cheddar cheese. I don't know why I'm drawn to it because it actually didn't look very appealing on the commercial and I know that it will make me feel like arse after eating it...BUT I WANT IT!! (FYI Jo- it is only $3.99 so it could very well fit your budget this week!)

We always discuss what we are having for lunch, but what are the things that you want but really don't want to admit that you want them...is it the crawfish etouffee from Popeyes? The McRib sandwich with the painted on rib-look-a-likes? Lobster Bites from Long John Silvers? The triple meat breakfast sandwich from BK? The 1/2 pound beef and potato burrito from Taco Bell??

What are the things that you want...but you know you shouldn't get...and of course WFL?

WFL? Jeudi, 18/5/06

I will again be going for a bargain lunch of sub-$5.
Probably a bean burrito from the vendor at 17th and L.
What about you kids?

And to you DC folk, a friend's band Mr. BigGuns will be playing at Clarendon Grill Friday night.
I will be going before I head to a soiree at a tortoise friend's place later in the evening.
I can't vouch for the band as I've never heard them, but I can vouch for the fact that the drinks will be flowing and the bassist is a friend.

Come on out and the first round is on me.

Clarendon Grill
1101 N. Highland St. Arlington VA, 22201
703-524-7455

Is it ok to post?

I guess after yesterday, nobody wants to put up a post for fear of taking somebody's else's turn. I checked the schedule and nobody was signed up for today, and my tummy be rumblin' so I have to know what' s for lunch out there?

Evolving Lunch

Much like any successful ecosystem, OWFL has itself started evolving. Yes, esoterrorism and comedy abound, but those are just signs of vast amounts of energy and thus create chaos at times as it expands the system, therefore allowing space for that energy.

I say lunch is an evolving process for all of us. Therefore our tastes, the buds that contain them, and our need for good conversation starters all need to evolve a bit.

Now, let me digress in saying I love the side-order idea. I think it would be great if something cool happened during lunch, or if its late enough "Second Lunch" could be another mid-day post.

So, we don't all have to wear hats and grow flavor savors, but like all good scientists we must write down what we examine .... so WFL?

Monday Lunch options 5/15/06

Is there anything that gets you going on Monday? Any eateries have Monday specials in your area. Any bars have free wings for happy hour on Monday?

What Lunch do you choose to start off the work week?

Weekend Post

I'm home in the 'burgh, and lunch was pierogies and sour cream. I love the food here!

What's everyone eating this weekend?????

(I'm so effin' bored)

sick day eats

hi all,

the frustrating part of being sick is that you usually cannot taste what it is that you are eating. i've been battling a nasty cold for the past day or two, and now i'm back at the office wondering what i can eat for lunch that isn't just going to taste like nothing.

so, my question is what should one eat when they are feeling under the weather? and of course tell us WFL in your neck of the woods.

WFL 5/11/2006 Rainy day

So it looks like rain in much of the country today. Can't go outside, humidity is up, it's just a bummer when it rains.

What's for lunch on this kind of day? What can you get without going outside? What isn't ruined by a little water? What makes you feel better about being all cooped up?

Discuss and enjoy.

Side Order: 5/10/2006 "Let's Roll"

Before the Bush administration's PR team made up the dramatic story about heroes taking over a terrorist piloted plane in PA to cover up the fact that an F-16 was ordered to shoot it down, the phrase "Let's Roll" held special meaning for me.

I used to work in Downtown DC with my homie Whippy. We actually worked at one of the best places to work in the city, acording to a magizine article. Around Lunchtime, one of us would place a call to the other and all that needed to be said was "Let's roll". This meant it is time for a game. Often the game was foosball in the CEO's office, sometimes the game was Halo 2 on the x-box in the cafe', but the best lunchtime game of all time was... well, we never gave it a name that stuck. For today's purposes, we'll call it Traffic Roll.

The equipment needed for Traffic Roll is cheap and easy to find. 1 pack of Peanut m&ms. The game is played by sorting out all of the different colors in the pack of candy and choosing sides. I often got red and yellow, Whippy got brown and green. The Superdome for this game was always K Street. To play, you take turns rolling your pieces into the road and you keep score depending on the variant you are playing. The goal is to roll your M&Ms to a spot on the street where they will either get crushed first or last longest. It's a lot of fun to be in the street a block from the White House throwing candy at motorists and laughing and having a good time. After we ran out of game pieces, we would go to an eatery and enjoy lunch.

For me, using my lunch hour for adult recess is more important than getting nourishment. I have to make the most of my time away from my computer or I'll never make it through the day. How about you? What games do you play at lunch? What do you do away from your desk to get through the afternoon? What is your fortress of solitude between 8:00 and 5:00?

Please let us know. And for lunch suggestions, advice and discussions, don't forget to check today's WFL discussion board.

WFL 5/10/2006

What, Oh what, is for lunch today?

Discuss here, and stay tuned for a "Side Order" Later this morning.

What Yinz Eatin'?

Let's see how this goes.

WFL?

OWFL "SIDE ORDER" SCHEDULE AND EXPLANATION

*THE "EATING CLUB" POST HAS BEEN RENAMED THE "SIDE ORDER" POST*
(5-10-06)

It time for another trial month folks. We are going to give the "Two Post" strategy a whirl.
Here is how we intend it to work.

1. Every weekday there will be a WFL? post. This post will be where we announce our lunch plans and discuss them with others. This is also where all discussions about lunch ideas and advice will take place. This post can be put up by any of the "contributors" who have the ability to write posts. The WFL post will be the consistent everyday post of the blog and need not be more than a few sentences or a paragraph. Whoever writes it is encouraged to be creative in asking the question (add in some topical reference or whatever) but the point is to ASK THE QUESTION, "What's For Lunch?". Again the daily post can be written by any of the "contributors" but if 11:00 EST has passed and a post is not yet up, please take the initiative to do so.

2. The second post will be the "Side Order" post (name subject to change). This post will be more reflective of the individualized posts that contributors have been writing in recent times. While it is encouraged that these posts have some relation to food and lunch, it is within these posts where the discussions may move onto tangents that have very little or nothing to do with what we are eating today. The "Side Order" posts will be written by "contributors" based upon days they sign up for on Unicorn's OWFL Calendar . On days that people do not sign up to make this post, (unless someone decides to at the last minute,) the WFL post will stand alone.

The idea behind this two post strategy is to maintain the mission of OWFL by having fruitful lunch centered dicussion, and to also reflect and respect the evolution of this blog from it's original intent, to the social and creative destination that it has become. We will try this out for one month (May 9th - June 9th) and then make a decision as to how to proceed.

We understand that the above two guidelines leave alot up to your personal interpretation, that is not by accident, it is intended that we use this trial month to see how this experiment can work in order to decide how best to move forward.

We hope that all the contributors of OWFL and all our new vistiors will participate fully in this exciting new endeavor.

What's For Lunch?

I've mentioned it before, but I'm going to take this opportunity to make my feelings explicit.

The Original What's For Lunch is losing its way.

While the posters over the last few weeks are to be commended for their creativity in linking lunch to other topics, and have generated interesting, informative and fun discussions, we have strayed from our purpose. "What's For Lunch?" has become secondary to other topics, and again, we're left without a place to go for lunch counsel and discussion.

I discussed my concerns with TheCzar this weekend, and he called from an undisclosed location with an idea that I think incorporates the best of both worlds, including The Schedule.

Every day, there will be two posts. The first will be a simple "What's For Lunch?" This will be the spot to tell us what you're having, ask for (and provide) counsel, debate the merits of mustard v. mayo etc. The Czar and I can work out who will be responsible for putting up this post, as it needn't say more than those three little letters. (uh, and for LT - those letters are W-F-L)

The second will be the post to discuss topics that are loosely lunch related (lunch boxes, cool lunches, lunch songs, lunch dances, lunch movies, lunch esoterrorism - what have you), and this is the post that you will be signing up for on Uni's fantastic schedule. This way, we can accomodate the needs of the OWFLers AND remain a fun, loose, sociable community.

Use this post to discuss, and if this is something that folks are generally in favor of, we will start tomorrow. Either way, be sure to sign up for your day(s). Also, please tell us, what's in your brown bag today? Or, for those who need a more literal question: What's for lunch?

Lunch Discipline

I am the lunch girl in my office. My office is fairly small and we enjoy each other's company and almost always eat lunch together. Usually I start the lunch talk at about 12:00 by announcing that I am hungry, then I begin walking around to everyone else's offices and asking what they feel like for lunch. After half an hour or so of relaying everyone's desires and cravings we decide on a place. I then take everyone's orders, collect money and then either call in the order to be delivered or if it is close enough I will walk and pick up our lovely lunch. We then sit around for at least an hour and eat and talk and relax, and then another 10 - 15 minutes talking about how much we ate and getting fresh cups of coffee to take back to our desks with us.

The extended lunch process, the fatty and highly caloric but oh so yummy foods that we eat [lots of hot dogs and fries and RC] combined with sitting behind a computer for hours each day has increased my waistline [and my arms, and my butt and my thighs ...] in the almost year that I have worked at my place of employment. I cannot be fat. I just can't. So, I have had to introduce a little discipline into my life, particularly when it comes to lunch. One dog instead of two, no fries, diet pop instead of regular [YES! It's true HT!] a salad instead of an Italian Beef. Time to trim the fat, tighten the belt and impose some order and discipline. I've already dropped some weight and combined with a rigorous workout regimen I am seeing muscle definition where there used to just be flab. I've also noticed that I don't feel so sluggish in the afternoon, not so many heart burn attacks, and well, not as much gas, either.

It's funny, imposing discipline and structure to something as enjoyable and as freeing as lunch doesn't seem like it would make it better, but it does. And I think it also segues quite well into an analysis and discussion of the controversial OWFL posting schedule. There have been some very vocal anti-schedulers and a pair of very vocal pro-schedulers, and then a whole bunch who seemed undecided. Today is the last day of the trial schedule. I encourage all the contributors of the OWFL to go back and review the posts we have had and the ensuing discussions since the schedule was instituted. Then go back and review the month or two prior to the schedule. I think you will clearly see that the posts and discussions that we have had since the schedule have been hands down the best we have had to date. People seem to take more time to create a thoughtful and entertaining post when they know they have a responsibility to uphold. We have also had the greatest diversity of voices, and the daily post was not dominated by three or so members.

Discipline, order, structure are not what we necessarily think of when we think about lunch, but they have most definitely helped foster a better and more enriching OWFL. I think the time has come to institute the schedule as a regular component of the OWFL, but alas we are not a dictatorship [and even if we were, I wouldn't be the dictator] so the future of the blog is in all our hands.

Discuss.

Oh yeah, what's for lunch on this beautiful FRIDAY!?

How The Cool Kids Lunch

When I was in 2nd grade, Fruit Rollups came out, (or at least I became aware of their existence) and they were the hottest lunchbox item since Twinkies™. First of all, the good Fruit Rollups were the big round ones that were sold singly at the store in plastic wrap, not those mass-produced rectangular ones in the box (they made a whole roll at once and sliced them up into sheets! Horrors!). Now the cool way to eat Fruit Rollups was to tear off a piece and wrap it around your thumb & suck your thumb until it was gone, then repeat. Sometimes, if you were in a daring mood, you could tear it into about 3 pieces and wrap each around your thumb, one on top of the other, until your thumb looked like something out of a Tom & Jerry cartoon, where you just got whacked with a hammer. (This was especially true if you had cherry flavour.) So this is how all the cool kids ate their fruit rollups. (side note: I can't believe the teachers didn't stop us, because lord knows we never washed our hands.) And then one day, we just . . . stopped. The coolness of sucking your thumb had waned. So did anyone else do this? Was it a regional thing? Was it a local district thing? Only my school? My classroom? Am I possibly remembering it wrong and I was the only one who ever did this? These are the things that keep me awake at night.

So what were the lunch fads when you were in 2nd grade? French fries on your burger? Pull a Ramona Quimby and crack your hard-boiled egg on your head with one swift knock, not a bunch of little ones (anyone remember that??)? Suck your Fruit Rollup-ensconced thumb? Wax nostalgic about those days when your biggest worry was how to 'eat cool'.

And WTF??

Lunch: Broke-ass College Style

For all of us, there was a certain coming of age in the lunch world. For many, college was a time to break free of parental control and live your life on your own for the first time ever. It was also the first time a lot of people had to take control of their own lunching destiny. While my Mom cut me off from her packed-lunch deal at a tender age of 11 (causing immeasurable trauma but also forcing me into lunch real-world), I had friends, who up until showing up at school that first day, had never once asked themselves “What’s for lunch?” Momma was sending them off to school with a lunch bag packed with yummy goodies right up until high school graduation day. A seemingly sweet prospect, but soon that Dylan song where he sings about “having to scrounge your next meeeaaalllll……” takes on new meaning.

Things change when you’re on your own. Of course there were cafeterias and the freshman 15, but at some point the gravy train ran out and people had to start making their own lunch choices. Suddenly, people had to think about what to consume. There was a plethora of college grub on the cheap, ranging from ginormous subs to the old standby, pizza. But unless you were a trust-fund baby, chances are you couldn’t afford a restaurant lunch everyday and had to improvise.

So regale us with your stories of the lunches you came up with, your low points, your specialties, and your hookups with that dude at Taco Hell (as in hooked up with extra taco sauce).

I know Ramen will be a consistent theme here, but feel free to go beyond that and also discuss the side effects. For example, Mrs. Watchdog ate grade E style Ramen noodles in college for several months until her hair literally began falling out, and then she had to find new alternatives.

Beyond Ramen, here are a couple college lunches I remember:

A roommate who grated up a block of cheddar cheese into a bowl, and proceeded to eat the whole block of shredded cheese bite by bite. (yes, he ate a whole block of cheese)

Another (even grosser) roommate who was so low-budget that he would go to a bar and finish the parts of buffalo wings that people hadn’t finished (ugh!).

My own: microwaved tortilla shell, dipped in ranch dressing.


So tell us how you first made it on your own, what are you proud of? What shames you to this day? What creative or low-budget ways did your friends and roommates indulge? And of course, oh the so much wiser and more mature luncher, WFL?

Don't Forget that May 6th is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!!!

Click me for details!!

the BAD lunchdate...

Exerpt from an email I recently received:

"it was by far the worst lunch-date i have ever been on. we went to The Cantina because while not my favorite place, it was half way between our offices, and i cannot believe a guy this attractive has gotten this far in life with those table matters. not only did he have both arms on the table and hover like i was going to steal something, he had stuff on his chin, spoke with his mouth full, ate the food that he dropped in his lap, and the worst part was that he actually picked food off of my plate without asking. who does that? it was totally disgusting, i wouldn't be surprised if he didn't wash his hands in the bathroom."

So lets hear it, what was the worst lunch-time table manners you have witnessed?? Was it a co-worker? a date? a friend? YOURSELF???

Personally I am guilty of post-lunch flossing at my desk which aggrivates the hell out of "the boss". What are your nasty lunch-time habits??

And don't forget WFL???

You won't claim her, but she's always there, and you keep going back...

First a few items of bidness: I have to give big ups and kudos to all my WFL compadres (and non-WFLfriends) who made it through the long slog of drinks to the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra Show on Friday night. As far as I can't remember a great time was had by all and everyone ended the night more sober (soberer?) than your beloved lunchczar (except maybe for peep, who while he wasn't there, seems to have been overserved wherever he was). I do know for sure that HaterTot, Unicorn, LizTurtle and Watchdog did make it to the show (and HT, LT and I attempted to stay out later). I think all who attended will back me up that it was a boombastic time.

Second, as decided at the OWFL Conference, this is the last week of the trial schedule. Throughout the week I ask that you join in an open discussion of the schedule on the OWFL schedule post. Please share your opinions about the schedule and on how you think we should proceed on that post and that post only. I hope we can have a fruitful debate on what may be the most important issue dealing with day to day operations of the blog. Every OWFLer's opinion matters so speak up. This includes our "non-contributor" friends, we want to know what you think. Remember today is the beginning of the last week of the schedule, but it ain't over yet. Expect some heartwarming, life affirming, bowel moving posts from MIU, WATCHDOG, LIZTURTLE and THE JADE as the week goes on.

And on to the topic of the day:

As much as we see ourselves as high class lunchers we all know that the dirty mistress of fast food still tempts us. Maybe it a last minute lunch choice, maybe you're beat down and need that surefire greasy hangover cure, maybe you just can't make up your mind between the prociutto and fresh mozz on ciabatta and the wilted dandelion salad with pine nuts and goat cheese and need an easy alternative. Or maybe it's the other reason....you actually like it. I admit it, as fancy pants or specialized as I might try to imagine my lunching, I know that a Wendy's Double with cheese will do the trick 99% of the time. I may feel like ass afterwards, but the sweet nectar of Dave's burgers (RIP Dave) are my old standby. Just like I know, that as much as it may horrify the missus, I can walk into a McDonald's anywhere in America and walk out with a 20 piece of mcnuggets and a smile on my face.

So I say to you my fellow lunchers, it's confession time. Tell us the fast food that you love. The one that you keep going home to. The one that you know, in your heart of hearts, will always be there for you when the shit hits the fan. In Laredo, TX, Joppatowne, MD or Sault Ste. Marie, MI, if there's fast food and you need to eat, this will be what you order.

Tell us about that fast food lunch that you treat like a booty call, and also tell us, of course...WFL?