Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Info: http://www.cooldeli.com or (804) 897-8880

It’s not often that I recall any meal eaten in an airport. But three years ago, while waiting for a delayed flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, I stumbled upon Schlotzsky’s—and then didn’t shut up about it for months. There is only one location in the Richmond area (but several heading toward Virginia Beach), but the drive from my western Henrico County digs to the Chesterfield County Schlotzsky’s is worth the mileage.

One of my foodie friends is always taunting me with his lunch finds, so conversations with him usually end in cravings. When we were finally able to have lunch together, we went to the object of some of his raving—and my craving: The Black Sheep, on West Marshall Street in the Carver neighborhood. That’s where I met the perfect sandwich.

Lucille’s a great meet and eat spot When parking at a restaurant is scarce at lunchtime, that’s a good sign. I snagged the last spot outside Lucille’s Southern Fusion Cuisine, located at Creighton Road and Laburnum Avenue. My dining companion and I were quickly escorted to a table by one of several gracious hostesses, who promptly took orders despite a nearly full house.

Where: 1203 N. Laburnam Ave.
  When: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday-Monday; 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday
  Call: (804) 644-1646
  Web: Under construction

Weezie’s Kitchen, in Carytown across from Cary Court Shopping Center, is a pleasant, inviting place. The staff is friendly, the atmosphere welcoming. On the warm, springlike day we visited, the double doors facing Cary Street were opened wide to beckon the customers and the fresh air. Prices on the lunch menu range from $7 (soup du jour and grilled cheese sandwich) to $10 (crabcake sandwich and steak sandwich). Every sandwich comes with a substantial side dish that’s included in the price.

Cold, smoky, slow and absolutely delightful, the Hermitage Grill is the perfect spot for the working lunch for people not particularly concerned with getting back to work. A recent lunch for two stretched out for well more than an hour. It was hard to figure out why—the five people seated were already eating when we walked in, and we ordered standard fare off the menu—but just as hard to care.

Working Lunch at Melito’s It’s 12:30 p.m. on a weekday afternoon. The clock is ticking. One hour for lunch, a crowded parking lot and a line of patrons waiting to be seated. Could Melito’s feed three hungry workers and get us back at our desks before the bosses start looking for us?

I’m all in favor of any lunch that ends with a milkshake. That doesn’t happen too often, but it did the other day when I stopped by The Dairy Bar, the venerable eatery at 1602 Roseneath Road in Scott’s Addition, the light-industrial area bordered by the Boulevard, West Broad Street, Interstate 195 and railroad tracks. The Dairy Bar is nothing fancy.

If the food weren’t so good at City Diner, the most notable aspect of the place would be the service. If the service weren’t so good at City Diner, the most notable aspect would be the food. Nestled across from the Department of Motor Vehicles on Broad Street, City Diner serves up large breakfasts, traditional lunches and friendly attitude from the wisecracking wait staff.

Plenty of places claim that what they’re offering is “New York-style” pizza, but with most of them, it’s more wishful thinking than reality. Capriccio’s Pizzeria & Ristorante, however, has the pedigree—and the finished product—to validate that claim.

Paz Ochs’ mother is from the Dominican Republic, so Ochs grew up eating Caribbean dishes such as pigeon peas and rice, and mofongo, a dish made with mashed plantains and pork cracklings. Using her mom’s cooking as a standard, Ochs has only good things to say about Papa Ningo & Fiesta, a restaurant in Shockoe Bottom serving Dominican food.

Desire a tasty lunch and quick service amid a fun décor? Look no further than Tara Thai in Short Pump Town Center. Decorated with an oceanic theme, this enchanting eatery isn’t all show.

Almost 12 years ago, what used to be known as Pizzeria Uno changed its name to Uno Chicago Grill. With the more generic name came a menu switch from almost exclusively deep-dish pizzas to an American hodgepodge of buffalo chicken bites, steaks and pastas. Yes, the deep-dish pizza remained, but as is usually the case when a specialty restaurant broadens its choices, the quality of that specialty suffers.

The food at Kuba Kuba was good enough that we’ll vacation there again