Where Do We Eat Lunch?

We’ve come a long way from luncheonettes and “lunch counter lingo”, when the wait staff and cooks hollered out orders instead of writing them down. It was a timesaving, colorful mechanism. It makes me think of milkshakes and hot dogs.

But today, dining has become an art -- and if you look at it in those terms, Napa is the Louvre.

This week I continue to get great tips from the gang at the and other Napa food enthusiasts.

“Don't just try the meat at , try the meat sandwiches,” suggests Brenda Lhormer, founder and co-director of the festival.

“Our crew is a fan of the charcuterie and terrine, a croque monsieur, or what we like to call ‘the world's best meat loaf sandwich.’"

Lhormer's tip? "Bring napkins.”

To unwind, the team heads to .

“After a long day of emails and phone conferences it's nice to bring out a bottle of wine and enjoy egg rolls, noodles and dumplings from this ‘stationary’ food truck,” said Lhormer. “They love you long time!”

The well-fed marketing team also likes Ariel Ceja’s - Latin American street food drawing from cultures of Peru, Cuba, El Salvador and Mexico.

The influence of international cuisine is all over town. Monty Sanders likes in downtown Napa.  “Great falafel, hummus and pita sandwiches. And really nice people.”

Of course, being Napa, someone had to toss out a more expensive temptation. “One option that I think is a well kept secret is the lunch special at ,” said Tom Fuller. “For $25 you get one of their signature entrees, tempura veggies and rice, salad and sushi...and a lot of it. It's their version of the bento box.

“While $25 is not exactly in the ‘affordable’ category,” said Fuller, "compared to a typical Morimoto dinner tab, this is a steal.”

Maybe I’ll splurge one of these days, and pretend that it’s dinner.