Regular Lunch Rotation, Before and After Covid19
It is late 2019. I work in a small office in Arcadia, California. A small, varying group of us often go out to lunch together at nearby restaurants. No one was worried about Covid19 yet, and our lunch tradition was well-established. I liked it, because I liked all the meals involved, and liked not having to decide each day what I would have, or where we would go. Of course, the routine was not rigid. Sometimes one of the places would be closed so the operators could vacation or renovate. Sometimes I ate alone if the others had meetings or were out sick. But generally, to the best of my recollection, the schedule was something like this.
Monday: Golden Palace Mongolian BBQ
I am happy to say this place appears to still be operating. The cooks knew us, and cleaned the grill when they saw us in line. I skipped the meat and noodles, but filled three bowls with veggies like onions, bean sprouts, bok choy, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, tomato, celery, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, tofu, and sometimes mushrooms, plus garlic, ginger, and a wide array of sauces. I ate the white rice and teased them about getting brown.
Tuesday: Phở Hà
Still open! They have a very large menu comprising hundreds of dishes of Vietnamese cuisine, of which I found exactly one dish I felt met my requirements; namely, the vegetable phở with vegetable broth. The large size was only $0.50 more than the small, so that’s what I got. It was very filling, full of rice noodles, tofu, and veggies, with the traditional bean sprouts, fresh jalapeno slices, and Thai basil on the side.
Wednesday: Bean Sprouts Cafe
Still open! This is an Asian vegetarian restaurant that seemed to be family-operated. I would sometimes order the Hot and Sour Soup, specifying “no egg”, but usually enjoyed the Curry Brown Rice, which came with steamed vegetables and miso soup. I’m pretty sure the curry was chock full of palm oil, and it was certainly high in sodium, but I loved it.
Thursday: Souplantation
This national chain of salad bar restaurants has closed, a casualty of Covid19. I believe some other locations may have reopened under new management. I piled the salad makings high and enjoyed the baked potatoes, especially on days when I could top them with Santa Fe Black Bean Chili.
Friday: Pieology
This build-your-own pizza chain is still operating, but they no longer offer a whole wheat crust. The only vegan crust they offer is their “gluten-free” option. I have never tried that one, as it just doesn’t look good to me. I looks kind of like a giant white communion wafer. I used to get the whole wheat crust with red sauce, no cheese, not even the vegan cheese, but lots of mushrooms and essentially a salad on top. It’s a shame they canceled that crust. I don’t think it was 100% whole wheat, but at least it had some whole wheat in it.
The Arcadia office closed in April 2020, because of Covid19. We all started working from home. For me, in contrast to the many people who lost their jobs, this greatly improved my quality of life. I had been freeway commuting forty-five minutes to an hour each way, every day. Working at home, I could be more productive in less time, and spend more time with my wife and pets. I appreciate how lucky I was to keep my job as a non-essential quasi-professional. I feel great sympathy for those who suffered personally and financially because of the pandemic.
Not least of the benefits to me was that I get to eat my own cooking more. I know what’s in everything I eat, and I don’t have to compromise or accept something close, but not really optimal. Here is the new lineup:
Monday: No oil stir fry
Trader Joe’s Asian Stir Fry Bowl, plus pineapple and tofu, and brown rice
Tuesday: Beans and rice
Spicy beans with rice and corn, topped by lettuce and tomato
Wednesday: Hashbrowns
Big salad and hashbrowns made with no oil
Thursday: Restaurant take-out
From BrightStar Thai Vegan Restaurant, I get the Spicy Eggplant with tofu. They make it with no oil at my request. It comes with steamed brown rice, and I augment it with a Trader Joe’s Asian Stir Fry bowl, extra broccoli, pineapple, mushrooms, and green beans. Then I split it between lunch and dinner. This dilutes the calorie density and sodium content to a level I accept, while still tasting delicious and being highly satiating.
Friday: Pizza
Big salad and whole wheat pita bread pizza, with red sauce, mushrooms, onion, and jalapeno rings
Not everyone may like such a regular meal schedule. Maybe it reminds some of a school lunch schedule they hated. I’m not deeply committed to it, but I do like knowing what’s for lunch tomorrow, so I can look forward to it.
