TABLE TALK: Lunch specials

As long as the economy continues to founder, restaurants will seemingly continue to offer various "recession buster" specials.

While most deals apply to happy hours and dinners, at least two area establishments are getting creative with lunch specials (and if your restaurant is doing something, let Table Talk know at the e-mail address below).

Capriccios Pizzeria & Ristorante (9127 A W. Broad St.) has started a "Designated Driver Special" aimed at businesses. Place a lunch order of $30 or more and the person who drew the short straw at the office and is sent to pick up the order will receive a free lunch (up to $8).

Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call (804) 346-0184 to order or visit http://www.capricciorestaurantva.com for a menu.

And Richbrau Brewing Company (1214 E. Cary St.) this week began a Brown Bag special designed for folks who need a quick lunch to bring back to the office.

For $6.75 (including tax), the bag includes a sandwich, two homemade cookies, chips and a bottle of water. Specials are different each day (today's is a sandwich with ham, provolone, lettuce and olive oil with chips, cookies and water and tomorrow's is tuna salad on a Kaiser roll with the same sides and water).

For more information, call (804) 644-3018 or visit http://www.richbrau.com

. . .

West Enders now have a Pita Pit in the vicinity.

The chain at 4040 Cox Road Unit F in Innsbrook specializes in healthy lunches (five choices are under 500 calories) that are also inexpensive (most pita sandwiches are in the $4-$6 range).

The Pita Pit is open from 10:30 a.m4 p.m. Sundays and from 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

For more information, call (804) 346-9080 or visit http://www.pitapit.com. Delivery service is also available.

. . .

Verbena (2526 Floyd Ave.) has a slew of specials for the summer months.

On Tuesdays, the crab cake entrée (served with roasted red potatoes and grilled asparagus) is 15 percent off; a four-course food tasting menu is available for dinner Tuesday-Thursday for $30 per person; and Chef Todd Richardson has added a daily fish entrée and a pork chop special.

For more information, call (804) 359-3122 or visit http://www.verbenarichmond.com.

. . .

The Phoenician Restaurant will hold "Tuesday Night Rendezvous" from 5-9:30 p.m. Tuesday. The $45 dinner includes a pre-set menu for two (including salads, entrées and a shared dessert) and a bottle of wine.

Reservations are recommended. Call (804) 359-5590 or visit http://www.thephoenicianrestaurant.com for more information.

. . .

Now open: The Box Restaurant and Hookah Lounge at 8211 Hull St. (in the Cross Pointe Marketplace).

. . .

Spotted: A source at Julep's New Southern Cuisine tells us that Andre Agassi and Stefani Graf dined at the restaurant last week, the night before stopping by Chimborazo Elementary School to visit the winner of a contest sponsored by Genworth Foundation.

The famed tennis couple dined on creamy stewed tomato soup with Roquefort cheese; chopped salad; Creole spiced shrimp over white cheddar stone ground grits; and chicory coffee-rubbed French cut pork loin.

They didn't have room for dessert, but did drink a rum Madres cocktail, a Belvedere vodka martini and a Cape Cod between them.

If you have a tip for Table Talk, call (804) 649-6120 or e-mail . The deadline to receive items is noon Friday one week before publication.