I’ve found myself eating more lunches out lately, both for work and for pleasure. Of course, I want to choose something healthy & satisfying, and that has been pretty easy.
Last week was lunch at Le Pain Quotidien. My choices were made more difficult not by the lack of great salads, but by too many good choices. I settled on a cup of the gazpacho and the Quinoa, Chickpea & Arugula salad. Filled me up and tasted great.
Lunch with friends at Barcelona Wine Bar seemed like it would be more challenging. I don’t think of it as a particularly healthy place, but we were all pleasantly surprised. The waiter helped us make our choices, understanding that we didn’t want to feel overloaded afterwards (and that one of us eats gluten-free). The end result was a feast of tapas:
• mixed olives
• chickpea puree with raw vegetables (in addition to the gluten-containing chips)
• sautéed calamari (a la plancha) rather than the crispy (deep-fried) calamari offered on the menu
• salad with grilled tuna
• herbed goat cheese with wild mushrooms
It was no problem at all for the restaurant to make the changes we asked.
The next time you eat out, ask for your food to be prepared exactly as you want it, especially if you have specific dietary concerns. The staff at a good restaurant will try to accommodate you. They may not always be able to, but they should at least try or make another suggestion. If they won’t, take your business to a restaurant that understands why they’re in business: to feed happy customers.
Tags: eating out
