Lunch Week lunches, second course
No doubt, a highly sought after table.
As promised, here's the second course of Lunch Week lunch photos. Don't miss the first course.
The photo above is Bennett and Sebastien enjoying lunch at their own impromptu bistro on the Empire State Plaza. From Sebastien's account:
On the menu? I brought a bottle of Sauvignon blanc and what I had cooked the night before: steamed cod and cauliflower, lemon and chives, guacamole and watercress. I picked up a couple of sweets at Crisan. Had to. Bennett packed... whatever he had until he decided my food looked better, so I shared :) And two cookies. Can't go wrong with that.
Many more lunch pics after the jump.
Again, thanks to everyone who sent along a pic! We'll announce the winners of the giveaway next week.
Slacker
Let met class the place up a little with my homemade PB&J, tortilla chips, and Stewarts Mountain Brew Beer Ice!
Matt
I feel like this is sort of show and tell. Here is what I had for lunch today. Brown rice with marinated pressed tofu, steamed with bok choy. I also had a boned, skinned chicken breast with thai eggplants in a spicy sauce.
CAPow!
Steak burrito bowl with guac and black beans from chipotle in Clifton Park
Zoe N in Albany
Jess Fink
Wednesday is egg salad day at Francesca's in Troy! Francesca makes some of the most delicious sandwiches I have ever tasted. Simple, fresh ingredients and she somehow always remembers ALL of her customer's names! I can honestly say it's the best sandwich and soup shop around. (Thursday is Chili day and that is fantastic as well!)
In general I think Troy is some kind of lunch time mecca, there are so many amazing places within just blocks of each other. Not to go on and on about lunch, but these are my favorites:
The Placid baker: delicious and cheap Gourmet sanwiches and goodies
Albaraki: falafel and fantastic Lebanese food
Arnet's: classic diner food, only open for lunch!
Spillin the Beans: great coffee and awesome burgers
Manory's: also diner food but they make the best pancakes around
I love NY pizza: because everyone loves I loves.
Shalimar: still the best Indian lunch buffet
First choice Jamaican: the best jerk chicken I have ever had anywhere, the lunch buffet is great too
Badass Burrito: They make a mean vegetarian quesadilla too
Bagel heaven: the best bagel I have had off of long island, not too hard not too soft, just right.
anyway, sorry to prattle on! I like lunch!
M from Troy
Pancho's in Albany - Los Tres Amigos: One spinach cream burrito, one cheese enchilada and one bean taco.
Karen
A typical desk lunch today. It is the chicken ceasar from Dale Miller to go. I also picked up some wasabi peas.
Laura Northrup
minestrone and tiny garlic toasts
@gps03
Lunbox special #2 tuna. Roll & chicken teriyaki from Ichiban: Miso soup, Rice, Chiken teriyaki, Tuna roll, Crab rangoon, Orange wedge, Shreded cabbage typ thing.
Jackers
Budget lunch
Cassie
Marcie
I walk home for lunch on days I'm too lazy to make a sandwich the night before or in the morning. Today I enjoyed a homemade turkey sandwich with grapes. Instead of going for the turkey, my cat, Katie, was more interested in investigating the grapes.
Lunch: turkey sandwich with mayo, red onion, dill pickle, and provolone cheese on a rye sandwich thin. Grapes on the side. At home.
Richard R
Today I had a Gourmet Chicken Burrito from Chipotle in Latham. I customized my burrito with rice, lettuce, cheese and medium salsa. Always awesome. Always tasty.
Kate
Dominican Mofungo and Fresh-squeeze Papaya juice from "Caribbean Breeze" on Western Ave near Lark St.
Stef
Black bean soup and salad bar salad from Choices Cafe, aka the Albany Medical Center cafeteria. Choices is convenient if you work at the hospital or one of their nearby satellite offices, but were I to win the gift card I would not be redeeming it here.
Jennathehun
I am a librarian who works in suburbia and found myself indulging far too often in the plentiful chain food options afforded to me near work. When my little container garden started teeming with veggies, I resolved to work a week without going out, and to start using the fruits and veggies of my labor. Today's lunch is a tempeh and kale stir fry, with green beans, cauliflower and broccoli (I only grew the kale, everything else was frozen). The pasta is rice pasta and I tossed it all with garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and a bit of apple cider vinegar. I always make sure to brown the tempeh first before putting the veggies in, so it is a bit crunchy.
Uncommon Grounds
Here is what we at UG SS call "lunch" ->Everything bagel toasted, buttered, cucumbers, sprouts, bacon, turkey, mayo, cheddar, ham, dijon, swiss, roast beef, russian, provolone, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers, herb garlic schmear.
Total estimated cost: $12.90
Weight: 1.57 lbs.
Ned
Honey Goat Cheese Pizza from Creo with a glass of Hennepin.
Liz
It's your basic soup and salad. The soup is chicken and rice (half eaten) and the salad is from the salad bar and includes turkey, kalamata olives, feta cheese, red peppers, pickle spears, cauliflower, and Italian dressing. Fresh brewed ice tea to drink and a fruit cup for dessert. This is from the cafeteria at my office. It's heavily subsidized by my company (I pay $2.00/wk) but is also closing on June 30th after 24 years. In addition to soup and salad they have a deli section and hot meal everyday. We are going to miss the food but even more so the people.
Jess
Wednesday's lunch: the infamous al-baraki garlic paste, gluten-free pretzels and local strawberries.
Not pictured: The several pieces of Trident that followed.
Erik M
Baja fish tacos with a side of chips and guacamole from Bros.
Andy
So, here is my lunch from wednesday. My wife has been busy with a conference, so I didn't have a home made lunch. :) I had a Gyro from the Greek Truck, around the park behind the capitol. On my way to get some Sugar Snap peas, and Cherries for dessert at the farmers market! :) The best camera is the one you have with you, so, I used my very nearly vintage 2Mpix point and shoot :)
I am andy, and I approve this message
Daniel B
An ungodly burrito from Moe's.In an attempt to get a decent specimen from Moe's I had a lengthy and candid conversation with two off duty employees.
This is what we came up with: Pulled pork, a bit of rice, pinto beans, their special queso sauce, guac, salsa & sauteed mushrooms.
Verdict: If this is the best they've got, I am done with this place forever.
10th Ward Council Member, Leah Golby (Albany)
10th ward lunch at Curry House. Buffet lunch.Here's what's in it-
Clockwise: starting w/ the rice: basmati rice, chana saag(chickpeas and spinach), tandoori chicken, another chickpea dish- forgot the name, vegetable korma (a yummy, not spicy-hot, creamy dish)
Kelly Kramer
We had the BEST lunch at work yesterday, I can't believe I almost forgot to send my pic over. We decided on a breakfast-for-lunch themed potluck- best idea ever! Pictured on my plate below: cheesy egg and biscuit casserole, apple cinnamon French toast, homemade granola bars (from me!), Swedish meatballs with ligonberry jam (I think I gobbled up the meatballs before I took this shot), apple coffee cake, and baked Brie and spinach omlet. I definitely suggest to do something like this in any office, we had a ton of fun, and were fueled up for the rest of the day!
Brian K
Brisling sardines, an avocado, and a baggie of balsamic vinegar.
AOA Greg
The falafel sandwich special at Layla Pizza and Falafel on New Scotland in Albany (falafel sandwich, fries, can of soda). The falafel is pretty good here -- make sure you get the pickles in the sandwich. And there was some good World Cup talk with the owner.
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Comments
I don't know if Brian K's lunch would pass the unwritten code of workplace lunch ethics, as it includes both vinegar and fish.
... said KB on Jun 18, 2010 at 2:53 PM | link
Marcie, I have that Power Puff Girls plate! And these lunches all look awesome!
... said KatherineSass on Jun 18, 2010 at 3:09 PM | link
I'm so sick of seeing Daniel B complain about everything everywhere that I've lost my appetite.
... said Donald on Jun 18, 2010 at 3:15 PM | link
@Donald I want to cheers you. I'm a huge fan of the blog rant, but he just comes of more whiny than anything else.
... said Lola on Jun 18, 2010 at 3:30 PM | link
What a couple of cool and quirky guys! I wish I were just like them! Don't you?! So cool! And quirky!
... said dbs on Jun 18, 2010 at 3:34 PM | link
Kate, that mofungo looks great. I had that for the first time in Florida last month and need to get it here. I never heard of that place, I need to check it out. Is it very good.
... said Sue on Jun 18, 2010 at 3:53 PM | link
What a swell looking bunch of lunches! Jess reminds me I need to get some paste. Stat.
... said Albany Jane on Jun 18, 2010 at 3:58 PM | link
i think no matter who wins, we should all buy Jacker's a real lunch
... said patrick on Jun 18, 2010 at 4:00 PM | link
I agree with you Donald and Lola. Seriously...why the negativity Daniel B?
Hey Sebastien and Bennett...is that violating open container laws? LOL
... said Irina on Jun 18, 2010 at 4:03 PM | link
Well, haters gonna hate.
'Fess up, everybody-- are your lunches normally so awesome? Was it just for the AOA show & tell? Mine are more like Jackers', but Dr Pepper instead of the energy drink and, uh, a Cup Noodle instead of the Parliaments. You dig caffeine & nicotine, I dig aspartame & sodium.
... said Sarah M. on Jun 18, 2010 at 4:10 PM | link
Great call on the Hennepin, Ned!
... said rae on Jun 18, 2010 at 4:36 PM | link
@Sarah M.: I work on Lark Street, so I eat way too much, haha. I probably do the breakfast thing about once a week, Legends, Bombers, El Loco, El Mariachi, Sukothai, Amazing Wok, Justin's....the list goes on and on.
... said Summer on Jun 18, 2010 at 4:44 PM | link
@Sarah: Yes :) Not always on the ESP though :) I can only speak for myself, but I stopped buying prepared/processed lunch in February. I cook all my meals. I dropped about 35 pounds that way in 3 months. That was really needed.
... said -S on Jun 18, 2010 at 4:49 PM | link
@Summer: Jealous! One of the perils of reading All Over Albany when one lives in Bennington.
@-S: Yeah, but you're French! Everybody knows y'all are good at cookin' & lovin'. I can barely work the microwave.
Maybe when I start working from home this fall I can start trying to learn to make actual food... that's a blog in itself.
... said Sarah M. on Jun 18, 2010 at 5:10 PM | link
@Sarah: I *suck* at cooking. And the lovin' I'm sure. I also suck at wine and cheese. Yet I'm French. I suck at many many things. I'll probably post about it in more details at some point, but when you reach "a certain age" (that's me), you really need to take your health seriously, so that's what I did. I was really starting to feel like crap. I'm not gonna lie, I wanted the plan to be laid out for me, I didn't want to question myself, I actually didn't even want to have too many choices in front of me. I did some homework, and as much as I hate those late commercials, I started P90X. The nutrition plan is a no-brainer, it's easy, it tastes good, I'm happy with it, and no, it's not boring (I can still go to Crisan). It worked, mostly because I was eating and cooking "wrong" before. Obviously the workout plan is... not trivial. Both require a very big commitment, but it's no rocket science, it just plain did the trick for me. I also bought "Gourmet Nutrition" by John Berardi.
... said -S on Jun 18, 2010 at 7:18 PM | link
@Greg I love Layla's!
... said ned on Jun 18, 2010 at 9:29 PM | link
@sarah m - all you need is a microwave sometimes. It might be sacrilege to some, but used correctly it's an awesome tool. I even made tempura in one once! My lunch was awesome, but not out of the ordinary. I'm more of a "what do we have in the fridge and what can I do to it" kind of eater.
Dan should continue with his fussiness. We have become a culture who hates griping in any fashion, but I think he has legitimate gripes. Besides, squeaky wheel gets the grease right? If his griping gets me better pizza, or coffee, or burritos or something I say go for it. I'm certainly not going to be the avid complainer he is.
... said matt on Jun 19, 2010 at 5:45 AM | link
Sarah: My lunch usually looks the way it does on the other post -- but I rarely take the time to appreciate its appearance!
... said Rob on Jun 19, 2010 at 5:46 AM | link
Knowing B and -S are photographers, I have to ask: is that photo legit, or is there a little PhotoShop (or whatever program it is photographers use these days) at work there?
SN: Cod's not for me, but I love the flower. Nice touch. :D
... said Kristi on Jun 19, 2010 at 7:48 AM | link
@ned: It's a good addition to that strip of shops, right? A little something different for the neighborhood.
I haven't had the pizza, yet -- but the falafel's been good. And the owners are friendly.
... said Greg on Jun 19, 2010 at 9:27 AM | link
@Kristi: not quite sure what you mean. If you check the blog entry or slideshow, there are more photos from different angles, so no, I didn't paste us in front of the Egg or the plaza, if that's what you mean :) Trust me, it would take way more time to photoshop that photo than to just just bring a table and chairs at the ESP; everyboby ou can do it :)
... said -S on Jun 19, 2010 at 10:37 AM | link
Kristi, it depends on what you're exactly asking is photoshopped.
All of the photos -S and I take have to go through some software before you can put them on the web or print them, it's just a fact of the format we shoot in. And they are usually tweaked to some degree, because that format also doesn't have the adjustments made by the unicorns inside your camera (yes, your digital camera does a lot of work to your photos without you even knowing).
But generally that tweaking is limited to adjusting the exposure, the color temperature, making sure things are as sharp as they need to be, removing digital "noise"... image quality aspects. I speak for myself but I'm pretty sure this applies to -S too, we don't manipulate the actual scene by removing or adding nouns. When we do, it's pretty obvious, like putting a bald eagle on someone's face.
So yes, that photo went through photoshop, but just to make sure the exposure and colors looked "right". We were actually at the plaza and did actually set up a table -- if you follow to his blog, -S has a few more shots.
And no, the wine didn't get opened (that afternoon), so no open container laws were broken :)
... said B on Jun 19, 2010 at 11:08 AM | link
Sorry my lunch photo is so blurry. I was hungry.
My lunch is entirely normal for me. Even use the antique dishes every day.
... said Laura on Jun 19, 2010 at 11:38 AM | link
This was an awesome idea guys... keep 'em coming!
... said Kelly on Jun 19, 2010 at 11:46 AM | link
The negativity comes when the food is just bad. When the food is good, it gets accolades. For the full story behind the burrito, you can click on the link below.
http://bit.ly/MoesBESTburrito
For what it's worth, I had really hoped that it would be delicious, or that there would be something redeeming about it that would change my mind about Moe's.
Trying this burrito had been on my to-do list for well over a month, and lunch week gave me the excuse to pull the trigger. I thought it would be interesting to share.
I would have had nothing to complain about had I been to Capital Q. Love that place. And their pickles.
... said Daniel B. on Jun 19, 2010 at 8:27 PM | link
Alright, everyone, enough calling Daniel "Negative". What he IS, is picky, discriminating and uncompromising. This means that if he thinks something sucks he will say so using strong language. If you check out his blog, you'll find he can be equally strong in praising food that manages to meet his exacting standards.
To imply that he's "Negative" would mean he was constantly just ripping food apart in every review and complaining all the time. This is simply not the case.
Personally, I find him useful for poking the complacent mediocrity that tends to accrue around the capital district. Of course, when you poke mediocrity it DOES tend to get all grumbly...
... said Jesse on Jun 21, 2010 at 9:45 AM | link
@Daniel B.: Doesn't Capital Q make sweet pickles? I really, really wish they would do a dill variety. I just cannot reconcile myself with sweet pickles! However, I agree: everything else there rocks.
... said Summer on Jun 21, 2010 at 11:11 AM | link
I like the shake it looks good i have to try shake next im at brisas!!
... said Rich on Jun 21, 2010 at 12:28 PM | link