Shawn:10/31/08

Too busy... Wendys spicy chicken

Chris: 10/31/2008

Kuh-iller lunch today from Holyland up there on Central Ave. The place was bustling with buffet eaters, but I couldn't dig on that scene today. Got alotta work to do & lunch is cut short as a result. So I ordered my falafel sammie w/ hot sauce (& extra hot sauce) to go, and munched it in the car while driving & while sitting in the parking lot at work listening to the radio. The falafel here is just about the best there is (yes, I've had Mamoun's), and with ample hot sauce it only gets better. Yum.

Chris: 10/30/2008

We got a wicked case of indian summer goin' ahn over here, which means that, for a limited time only, eating in the out-of-doors makes sense (to the non-crazy). It's hard to imagine a better place to take advantage of this exciting scenario than the Red Stag Supperclub. The place is amazing all-around (food/drink/decor-wise) & for me & mine, its a truly untapped resource for eating and hanging. The lunch menu is truly sublime, but for this lunching extravaganza I went with a special o' the day: their philly cheese steak. And I must say - this may be the elusive (no joke). The meat is local & was tasty beyond compare, and the plethora of seasoned peppers and onions only added to the utter flavor explosion. This thing weighed about 4 lbs & I ate it all. On the side was a miniature arugula salad (yum) & a side of "chip," which is one giant homemade potato chip.
I'm pretty sure this meal gives me the edge for all-time. Sick or not, Shawn, ucanttouchthis.

Shawn: 10/30/08

O'Charlies - Kickin Chicken Sandwich - Usually I pass when I see O'Charlies is being ordered, but today I figured, its free - why not. There wasnt much to decide upon - their menu is notoriously disgusting - but this ended up being not so bad. I've got alot of work to do, plus Im sick.. Just look at that drizzle on the sandwich. Awesome. Chris sucks.

Shawn: 10/29/08

Larry's Giant Subs - The Ultimate + a hot dog. A bizarre meal, yes, but they asked if I wanted chips, and there was a BEAUTIFUL picture of a hot dog, and I said "No thanks, but give me that hot dawggg". It was awesome. Work is INSANE. Im exhausted. Chris blowz.

Chris: 10/29/2008

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK!!! Cuz this ain't one... I'm on lifeline duty again today, with the understanding that TODAY IS THE DAY AAAIIIIIEEEEEE!!!!!! So again lunch happened in a flash, at the one place within walking distance of the office: Nordeast Eatery. I ordered their weird variation on a cuban sandwich that tastes more like a BBQ pulled pork jam (inna South Cak-o-lak style) than a traditional Cub'. It was tasty. The pork was succulent, the mustard was zesty & the ham slice a dream. This grey foto makes me pine an iPhone or something else that was manufactured within the past 5 years, since the actual sight of this thing was colorful, & almost exuberant. May the best lunch win (mine).

Shawn: 10/28/08

Publix - Turkey sub, baked lays, diet Pepsi. Chris - Just becasue your a life-line for someone on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire doesnt mean you win...today you lose. Hit up Publix and ate at home today, a rare occasion. When I lived in Knoxville, I would DREAM of Publix subs - they are amaaaaazing. Truly awesome. I win. (*Other notable foods from Publix - chicken fingers, bananna pudding, spinich dip, macorroni salad)

Chris: 10/28/2008

Today's lunch is non-existant. Not exactly literally, but at the same time it sorta is, because my friend Heidi is a contestant on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and I'm a lineline for her (!!). As a lifeline, I have to be at the beckoning call of my "line" for the next several hours, which means no lunch. So lunch just happened in a matter of minutes, thanks to the lovelies at the Taco Bell drive-thru around the corner from work. I got my usual jam: two bean burritos (no onions). It tasted like, well, Taco Bell, and totally served the purpose of getting food in me.

I know I've had a poor showing this week, Chris fans, so look for an extra special comeback edition of Lunch Battle tomorrow. CIAO!

Chris: 10/27/2008

The astute Daily Lunch Battle fan may notice a striking similarity between this photo of my lunch today, purchased/consumed at Snap Pizza, and that of my lunch from way back on September 25. That's because it's the smae photo!!!!! I left my cell phone (w/ camera) at home today, due to a discombobulating morning, and lo & behold wasn't able to photograph my lunch. Thought that the best way to get around this issue would be to revisit something from a past lunch, so here we are. I got the Snap Pizza lunch spec: two slices & a soda. And as usual, it was pretty delish.

Shawn: 10/27/08

Cahalls - Muffuletta, Zapps Chips, Coke Zero, & a pickle. A great lunch. The drug rep today was a former member of the Philadelphia Eagles, and he was telling us all these awesome stories about the 1993 Philidelphia Phillies, who are one of the alltime greatest teams (see Lenny Dykstra, John Krukk, etc). Lots of fun, but I had to eat and run. Busy week. Expect some weak lunches. Chris sux

Shawn 10/26/08

Margaritaville - club sandwich. Chris sucks

Chris: 10/26/2008

That photo of yesterday's lunch, taken outside, might now be an extinct breed. Why? Cuz today we got our first snow. It wasn't much, but it was / is there, and I know that with snowy winter comes gloomy sky & probably lame-o pix. Anyway, after a long talk this afternoon with my southern grandma, I felt like I had no other choice but to eat some BBQ. Since its Sunday, all of the legit / good BBQ houses are closed, leaving me only with the chain Famous Dave's. Whatevz, it's still pretty good. I ordered a pulled BBQ chicken sammie (it comes topped w/ pepper jack cheese) w/ a side of Famous Fries. Try not to get too dizzy staring at that checkerboard bonanza...

Shawn: 10/25/08

Southern Cafe - oyster po'boy n fries. Sooooo good.

Chris: 10/25/2008

Its a beautiful Saturday in Saint Paul - the sun is shining, the birds are migrating, and the farmer's market is ragin'. So it's at the farmer's market where today's battle wages on, and thanks to the geniuses behind Romocky Bratz (their use of z), this battle will surely shift in my favor (oh wait, I'm already winning...). Romocky Bratz are filled with piping hot cheddar cheese & surrounded by a slightly snappy skin. Mr. Romocky himself grills these things to perfection, tosses 'em on a bun & tops them with whatever (mustard only for me, though you can get it 'dragged thru the garden' if you please). Its hard to NOT buy a brat(z) when down at the market. Buying one usually means less money/interest for things like, um, veggies or flowers, but it's all OK when you feel that first snap in your teeth and first gush o' cheese & flavor on your tastebuds. Shawn loses.

Shawn: 10/24/08

Due to our Friday half-day, I got to eat at a sit down restaurant(with plates) for a change....so the choice was simple....OLD MEXICO!! Katherine once again got the nachos, buy this time I decided to go with the chicken tacos. God this restaurant rules ! I also tried the cheese dip too, and it was quite awesome. Corona lite - YUmmmm

Chris: 10/24/2008

Today I tried out the third Mexican joint on the block of Central Ave across from my bank. The others were pretty divided awesome-wise, so I was really pulling for this place, San Pablito, to tip the scales in the positive. The staff spoke very little englais, but made up for it with the biggest smiles imaginable. I ordered a chicken burrito platter, and can say without a doubt that this is the hottest thing I've ever consumed (and I'm not exactly a spice wuss, either). Still it was totally tasty, fairly inexpensive, and very fast. Had to buy a diet coke from the vending machine back at work to cut the heat index, but that's just fine. A great place. A great block for eating.

Shawn: 10/23/08

RED LOBSTER - SEAFOOD CAESAR SALAD. Im not gonna lie, this was pretty dang gross. I didnt take a picture, so I appologize for the stock photo. I could have left work and challanged chris, but the free food always keeps me in the building. Plus, those cheese bisciuts are killer.

Chris: 10/23/2008

My last few lunches have been on the greasy side, and my last few dinners have consisted of popcorn and diet coke (thanks to screenings of Citizen Kane and Alphaville the past few nights), so I thought I'd attempt to get more in balance with a healthier lunch today. I think I succeeded with this, a chicken caesar salad from urban Harvest, just around the corner from work. There was a little too much dressing for my tastes, but geez, this was tasty. I think I ate it in about 5 minutes. Totally radical. Now I gotta jam a meeting...PEACE!!

Chris: 10/22/2008

Work decided to buy pizza for us all today, which always rules. Even better, I convinced everyone to not go with the normal joints, but instead to try Crescent Moon Bakery on Central. I've been eyeing this place on a weekly basis; it's right across from the bank, and looks intriguing. So we got the Afghani pizza, which they also call "football pizza" (it's shaped that way). Totally amazing! We got one with veggies (spinach, tomato, onion, garlic) & one with meats (ground beef & pepp), and both were monster jamz. Each pizza also included a spicy pepper/mint(?)/garlic chutney sauce-ish thing to drizzle on top (that's the green stuff pictured on a slice). The whole office agrees: totally yummy.

Shawn: 10/22/08

Today a drug rep brought in THE RED ELEPHANT, one of the non-chain restaurant in Lynn Haven. I got the veggie wrap with a side of steamed veggies. Veggies and styrofoam. Minute maid lite. It was nice.

Chris: 10/21/2008

"Hey student, where's Coffman Union?" After learning last week that there is, in fact, a CHIK-FIL-A IN MINNEAPOLIS (!!!!), it's taken all of my willpower to refrain from trekking over to the University of Minnesota campus for a big ol' bite. Today I trekked. And holy moly it was fantastic. First, I spent some time on my route, finding a really fast way to get to & fro. I scoped out parking & exactly where I'd need to walk to get my Chik-Fil-A fix as quickly as possible. So then it was time to leave, and I busted outta here like a bat outta hell, screaming "carpe diem" and frothing at the mouth. I get in, purchase a small order of nugz & a sammie (sans pickle, of course) & bolt for the courtyard to dine in a bona fide student stylee. The sun almost made me forget that it's 50 degrees today (& windy), but really it set the tone for the beaming smile on my face & warmth in my soul. Fan-tasty-tastic. Shawn loses (as usual).

Shawn: 10/21/08

For the first time at this job, I actually went home for lunch. Low and behold, Katherine went grocery shopping..and I wanted to eat it all. This lunch might seem a bit bizarre, but here's what i had: Campbell's low-fat chicken gumbo soup, Wasa crackers, carrots, celery, black beans (with lime and onions), some bizarre salsa Katherine bought that ruled, and some bizarre guacomole Katherine bought that also ruled. No coke zero. Water. I switched it up. Chris, whatcha got?

Shawn: 10/20/08

What better way to top Sonny's yesterday, than with Sonny's again today. Today I got 1/4 chicken (white) and a baked potato. Cherry Coke Zero. Yeah. Caveman meal.

Chris: 10/20/2008

Had a short lunch today thanks to work & personal errands (post office, bank, gas-o-line fillin'), so I cruised thru the drive thru of Porky's for lunch. The first Porky's (still in operation) opened in the 50s as a drive-in, but I hit the new one, which opened last year and is sorta weirdly futuristic-looking. Ordered a combo #2: a burger w/ cheese, BBQ sauce & fried onions, order of fries, diet coke and a choco chip cookie. Like all of their burgz, this one comes topped with a single onion ring (!), which I think is really a nice touch. All of this got inhaled in the parking lot whilst listening to Talk of the Nation on NPR. Note: the awesome greasy wrapper... Killer lunch brah.

Shawn: 10/19/08

Sonny's - All-U-Can-Eat Ribs. Oh yeah. I got AUCE because it was
cheaper, buy the true price I paid was to my toilet. Still, I can't
lie - it ruled.

Chris: 10/19/2008

Sea Salt is a seasonal seafood eatery near Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis, and with a mere week left of operation, it seemed like a good time to finally try it out. What you see here is a catfish po'boy with the usual fixins. What you don't see, is the bottle of Crystal hot sauce (ask for it by name) that got nearly emptied on top of this joker. Totally delicious. A wonderful day outside, too, which means a lot with the impending freeze...

Shawn: 10/18/08

Old Mexico - Chicken Nachos. Inspired by Nachos Rule Forever, me and Katherine decided to take a chance and go to a restaurant in town we've never been to or heard about - OLD MEXICO. Its located in a Win Dixie shopping center in Lynn Haven, right next to the liquor store. Its small, unassuming, and AMAZING. By far, the best Mexican restaurant we've been to here. Both of us got the chicken nachos, and they were awesome. Great chicken, bomb-ass cheese, awesome toppinzzz. Overall, this ruled. One thing I have to ask chris - HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU GET FOR LUNCH EVERYDAY? My weekly lunch schedule is usually weak due to time constraints, but CHRIS ! Geezeee! Anyways, I declare myself the weekend winner.

Chris: 10/18/2008

With the morning devoted to packing up stuff for the post office & various errands, my afternoon was ready to be filled with some lunch. In the midst of errands I stopped off at Seward Cafe for a bite. And as always, it was yummy. I ordered the "super red bean earth," which is hashbrowns topped with tomatoes (red), onions & cheese (super), and pinto beans (...bean) with delicious toast on the side. This place is collectively owned/run, and all the food is local, etc etc. A pretty singular establishment around here. Got some coffee (they were out of iced tea) and water to go with it. A few hours later, I'm still stuffed from this thing. Total yum-yum.

Shawn: 10/17/08

Hungry Howies - various slices. The classic work lunch. This could go
either way...

Chris: 10/17/2008

Say it ain't so! Yes, for the second time this week I hit an Indian buffet for lunch. Today's lunch isn't from my norm (India Palace), but rather from Nalapak, a vegetarian South/North Indian restaurant in (sorta) nearby Columbia Heights, MN. This was my first time there & it was pretty much totally tight. Pictured is some mint chutney, gobi manchurian, vegetable korma, basmati rice, paratha & iddly. Some masala dosai was lurking just off camera, stage left. Good stuff. If this all isn't enough, upon returning to work I hit a slice of some insane cappucino dessert/cake thing from French Meadow for a co-worker's anniversary. I'm ridin' on cloud 9.

Chris: 10/16/2008

In honor of the fact that nachos rule forever, I cruised up Central Ave in search of a Mexican joint where I could belly-up to a plate full o' crispy cheesy treats. So I end up at a place called Chiapas, which I'm guessing is not reknowned for their nachos. Not that they were bad, mind you - nachos rule, after all - but these aren't actually what I had in mind. These things are rather gringo-y, but still miles above dorm style nachos or anything of that stripe. My toppinz included 2 kindsa cheese, beans, chicken, guac, jalepenos, tomatos & sour cream. So yeah, these were great, but my craving persists, so expect more nachos in my future....

Shawn: 10/16/08

Friday's - Turkey Burger. Dont be fooled by the fries, I didnt eat them. A-1 Steaksauce all over this thang. Friday's is back. Gotta love those commericals with Ty. I feel like I'm 15, being dropped off at Friday's by my Dad with $10 to hang out with my bike-possee friends. This is awesome. Let the insults pour in, I dont care. This is good. (chris sucks)

Chris: 10/15/2008

So, um....it's a draw? I was so stoked for lunch today at Holyland (I got a killer falafel sammie drenched in hot sauce), but my phone battery wore out at some point between ordering & receiving my food. Rather than stupidly upload some clip art stock image thing, I instead charged my phone in the car & snapped this photo upon returning to work. What is it? It's a bunch of sprinkles & crumbs from the cupcake I ate for breakfast. Truthfully though, I'd rather eat this tablecloth covered in crumbs instead of the pathetic veggie burg Shawn jammed. So there.

Shawn: 10/15/08

I wont win today. Chris will post some awesome authentic ethnic and/or small vendor from a big city place, and my Chilli's Black Bean Burger from Panama City will be in a distant second place. Its a pathetic lunch, what can I say. Still, the Black Bean Burger at Chilli's is pretty darn good. Chriz sux.

Shawn: 10/14/08

Chic-Fil-A: Combo #3 w Side Salad. You cant go wrong with Chic Fil A. Once again, no drug rep lunch. Jokers. As you can see from the picture, I rocked those buffalo sauces pretty hard. Funny story - as a kid, I was only introduced to Italian Salad dressing around age 12. When I discovered it, I had a breif yet intense obsession with it that included me putting shelled sunflower seeds in a bowl and drenching it in Italian dressing. This side salad allows me to re-live that bizzare, yet special time in my life. Also, Chic-Fil-A now has Coke Zero (see the logo on the cup). Chris sucks.

Chris: 10/14/2008

Took today off from work to get caught up on all sorts of things, and in the middle of them I headed off to downtown Saint Paul for some..... lunch! Destination: Golden's Deli. Heard nothing but rave reviews about this place, so the visit is long overdue. Ordered a half sammie / soup combo. The sandwich is turkey & swiss on a cibatta w/ horseradish, and the soup is a chicken tortilla bean thing. Good stuff. Washed it all down with a red berry iced tea.

Chris: 10/13/2008

There's something about cold, dreary weather (all day rain) that makes me wanna eat some fine Indian cuisine. Thankfully I work near the best place in town for this sort of thing: India Palace. Their lunch buffet is unstoppable & cheap. What you see here is my first plate's worth, with some chicken korma, basmati rice, naan, and a fied veggie item (can't remember the name), and round two featured some palak paneer and kheer (rice pudding). I am so totally full & loving life. I rule.

Shawn: 10/13/08

Wendy's - Chicken BLT Salad. I've had you fooled. You thought my lunches were interesting because I was on vacation, but now, back in the real world, you will realize I eat pretty much the same thing everyday. I am on my Post-Epcot diet. I gained about 40 pounds. I have a tan. These things need to change. This salad was pretty good, I probably order about 2 of these a week. No drug-rep lunch today. Chris still suxxx.

Chris: 10/12/2008

Sundays are for lougin', reading stuff, thrift store stop-ins, and burritos. For the latter I cruised into Pineda Tacos - probably the best burrito place in the Twin Cities. The Saint Paul location is still the best, but today I was in Minneapolis. When in Rome, eh? So this thing is amazing. I got a spicy chicken burrito filled with refried beans, salsa, cilantro, lettuce, rice, and the secret/awesome ingredient - grilled oxaca cheese (!!!!!!!!!). An absolutely unreal burrito experience. Unfortunately the lighting is bad in this joint, and we sat away from the window in order to enjoy the Bulgaria v. Italy soccer match on the TV. So don't focus on the pic so much as the excellent cuisine it depicts.

Shawn: 10/12/08

Taco Bell - Fresca Chicken Zesty Border Bowl, Fresca Bean Burrido, Large Diet Coke. I forgot to take a picture, but luckily this one is pretty hilarious. We just got back to Panama City after a long trip to Orlando, so lunch couldn't be that special. However, I like Taco Bell - its awesome. Did you know that JT died on Degrassi? Sundays are awesome.

Chris: 10/11/2008

After numerous complaints about my forays into lunch photography , I thought I'd make an effort to take a good photo today. Eating at a place that serves beautiful-looking food always makes the task easier, not to mention dining alongside a top notch photographer with loads of suggestions. And yeah, sunlight is helpful, too. So today: Ngon. It's in Saint Paul and is probably the best Vietnamese place (I've tried) in town. Went with what I ordinarily order here, which is grilled chicken served over rice vermicelli and mixed greens, garnished with crushed peanuts & carrots. With fish sauce on the side. This is one of the most perfect meals: it's light, seemingly neverending, and tasty beyond belief. I got nothin' against Gordo's, but this dish takes the cake...

Shawn: 10/11/08

Gordos, Tallahassee FL - pollo empanizado, black beans n rice, plantains, 2 kinds of yucca. This is my favorite meal on earth. Tally's changed, but this remains the best. It takes a lot to deal with the locals, but this meal is tops.

Shawn: 10/10/08

Morracco - Brewat + Casa Beer. We picked EPCOT right in the middle of the Food & Wine Festival, and it has been AWESOME. We are curently going around eating everything we find, and drinking everything too. The Food & Wine Festival food is so much better than the everyday Disney fair..I picked the Brewat for the picture because its been the best. Chicken, potatoes, peas, spices, all wrapped in a spicy crispy flour shell. What a treat. Chris, this is better than that mess you ate today.

Chris: 10/10/2008

Today's lunch was long overdue... I've wanted to give Brasa another try ever since I first tried it about a year ago. The verdict: YUM. A year ago I tried their rotisserie chick, but today I opted for the roasted pork sandwich, which is topped with onions, mixed greens & ginger mayo (!!!). Unreal. On the side I jammed some black beans w/ yellow rice, and washed it down with a sweet unsweet tea. The pork comes from the local Heritage Berkshire Farm, and as I sat there I saw a fresh delivery bein' made. The place is pretty pricey, so it's nice that the food tastes great. Shawn....can u step 2 this?

Shawn: 10/9/08

Cobb salad, grapefruit cake, diet coke -The Brown Derby, Disney Hollywood Studios - Did you know MGM changed it's name? Anyways, this is the best re-make of a famous meal at the best re-make of a famous resturant EVER. Killer. Chris sucks.

Chris: 10/9/2008

Back to where we started... Snagged some Snap Pizza at lunch today. Instead of the two slice lunch spehsh, I went with one slice o' pepp & a gigantic (re-fillable) diet coke. Since I skipped dinner as well as my breakfast smoothie, I thought it made perfect sense to eat a big piece of greasy 'za. Good idea? Time will tell.

Chris: 10/8/2008

Again today I'm without a car, but thankfully the weather is waaaaay more conducive to a lunchtime adventure. Walked a few blocks to Zakia Deli, a real hidden gem, for their Wednesday special: DAVE-BASHA. This is an amazing dish, loaded with seasoned ground beef, pine nuts, carrots, stewed potatoes & loads and loads of seasoning. All of that is dropped on a bed of rice. On the side is their 'ranch potatoes,' with is sorta like a souped-up home fries dish with seasoned and grilled potatoes, green & red peppers and onions. Unbelieveable lunch. I gotta say that I am embarrassed for Shawn for having to compete against this one today...

Shawn: 10/8/08

Disney World's Pirates of the Carribean Grill - Cheeseburger and fries. I had some ground to make up from yesterdays awful clam chowder, so today I thought I would play it a bit safe with this meal. The cheeseburger at Pirates is one of the park's best kept secrets....the first time I had it, I was truly shocked. I highly recommend this to anyone visiting the Magic Kingdom. It's awesome. Chris sucks.

Shawn: 10/7/08

Rainforest Cafe - Animal Kingdom, Disney World - Clam Chowder, Fries, Volcanic Nachos, & a slice of pizza - Not a good idea. Chris, you win. I had to run back to the hotel. This just about killed me.

Chris: 10/7/2008

Given that A. it's raining, and B. I'm carless today, my lunch options are rather limited. I reached into the stocked kitchen cabinets at work for some of my groceries & pulled out a can of Amy's Low Fat Not Chicken Noodle Soup. This is, by far, the BEST chicken noodle soup on the chicken noodle soup market, and totally ruled my hunger. It got topped off with some tyte oyster/soup crackers (thanks, anonymous cracker bringer in-er!!), and washed it down with a long tall glass o' H2O. Dessert is in the cards, too, thanks to my boss who brought in some delish-looking banana-choco chip "bread" (more like pound cake). Killer lunch. Shawn sucks.