Toups South* (#351, 11/7/16)
Toup’s tried to add a variation on Oretha Castle Haley. No dice.
Turkey and the Wolf (#348, 9/14/16)
This is a cool little Irish Channel spot on Jackson Avenue. Decent space to sit and eat, but a very limited menu. I had the chicken fried steak sandwich and it was solid.
Stacks Grilled Cheese & Bar* (#347, 9/2/16)
Not really worth going here for lunch. I tried the Stacks’ Melt (burger, cheese, onion rings) and it was decent, but at lunch time, there was absolutely nobody there. It is just a hotel bar in the lobby of the Embassy Suites, so very sterile and boring. The bartender was mostly annoyed that customers came in and I was quite concerned about the food quality, but it turned out okay. Atmosphere is what ruins this place – and it wasn’t cheap.
Cafe Henri* (#346, 8/10/16)
I was very impressed with this spot for lunch – though if I had been in a hurry it may have been an issue. I ordered the burger and fries and after a little bit, my waiter came out with fries. He told me that they had overcooked my burger and they were making another one. I’m not sure how overcooked it might have been, but I have to give them credit for re-doing it, and for admitting that was the issue.
When the burger did arrive, it was excellent. I’d recommend it as a upscale casual place with friendly service and good atmosphere.
Esses Foods* (#344, 6/24/16)
This place was outstanding. I was a little concerned with the prices on the pasta, but I wanted to try it. I went for a large because smaller sizes never fill me up. Well, the price was explained. The large serving of pasta with shrimp was easily enough for two meals (and probably another snack). I went in for lunch and it took about 10 minutes to get my meal, so I had plenty of time to fit it in on a normal lunch hour.
It’s also a very cool place as part of the Dryades Market, so fun to check that out. You can order your food at Esses, then wander around the market for a bit before coming back to eat – the pasta is also packaged well for to-go and you can buy pre-made pasta dishes. You can’t go wrong with these things!
One odd thing…drinks. The Esses Foods corner had some drinks and I should have just had something from there. I wandered around and around and couldn’t find a great selection of soft drinks to have with lunch, so pick one from the Esses counter (or do a better job of searching than I did).