Wednesday Lunch: Where

OK, we will try to sneak across the river tomorrow to run a few errands. Where do we go for lunch...say around St Matt Mall area?

OK, we will try to sneak across the river tomorrow to run a few errands. Where do we go for lunch...say around St Matt Mall area?

My choice would be Joe's OK Bayou...but then again I'm having one of my monthly cravings for Red Beans and Rice and a side of Raw Oysters.

Cafe Lou Lou on Sears Ave about 1 mile from the mall. Or Havana Rumba around the corner.

I second Cafe Lou Lou on Sears Ave.
Meridian Cafe might be another to consider if you're OK with driving further down Shelbyville Rd. into St. Matthews.

Or if you want a little different experience you could take a 5 minute trip out LaGrange road towards Anchorage to Selena's! They have a relaxed atmosphere at lunchtime and the food is great. I've been craving a bowl of jambalaya or gumbo recently so I need to go back over. Here's a link to their website so you can look at the menu: Selenas

Italian beef sammiches(preferably hot and dipped in the gravy) from Lonnie's Best Taste of Chicago. I believe it's on Sears Ave.

La Colombiana (take New Lagrange to Lyndon) if you want to try something new... or maybe the Cuban trailer if you can find it.

Oriental House if you want Chinese

Bazo's Fresh Mexican Grill (cut through Bowling Blvd to Browns Lane to Dupont) if you want something quick and delicious, but not too expensive (just introduced Blackened Fish Tacos)

Havana Rumba (off Thierman - Old Sears) if you've got a bit more time and money.

There are other good options (such as Meridian Café or Simply Thai) if you venture further out into St. Matthews, but they're not really close to the mall.

or YangKee Noodle. I have to have the spicy lettuce wraps every so often.

I take every chance I can get to go to Havana Rumba!!

Meridian Cafe in St. Matthews, behind Plehn's bakery!

Italian beef sammiches(preferably hot and dipped in the gravy) from Lonnie's Best Taste of Chicago. I believe it's on Sears Ave.

Lonnie's is at 121 St. Mathews Ave. and as an added bonus their Wednesday special is soul food.

[Robin Garr]

So many good options! La Colombiana really is worth a look if you want to try something new and ethnic. It's a nicer locale than just a hole inna wall, and the food is good. The staff is friendly and has excellent English but is still learning, so bring some patience.

Oriental House is one of our go-to places. Look past the '60's Chinese-restaurant decor, the Chinese-American menu and the lunch buffet and ask for the authentic Chinese menu, which will be happily presented in English. Worth a try.

Lonnie's Best of Chicago, as mentioned, is good for the Italian beef or the dogs. Very casual fast-food environment, though.

Cafe Lou Lou is good, and Meridian Cafe is always a top option for us. All these have been mentioned; also, Stan's Fish Sandwich or the Fishery, which offer the added foodie advantage of having Lotsa Pata and Rainbow Blossom in the same block, and Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen nearby if you want dessert.

What? Did someone say Lonnie's?

Another vote for Lonnie's, which is actually at 121 Saint Matthews Avenue. As a Chicago city native, I am moved to tears of joy each time I eat there (and no I am not joking or exaggerating). See my avatar for the object of my ecstasy. Enjoy!

Thanks for all the great suggestions. Since we get South of the River once in a while, we will be sure to try each of the places recommended. We wound up at Stan's Fish Sandwich since NJ is a "fish sandwich snob". We were not disappointed.
Thanks to everyone who responded, your suggestions are appreciated.
Bill

[Robin Garr]

We wound up at Sam's Fish Sandwich

Stan's.

Stan and Leila Gentle are good people, and they were key players in the development of Louisville's latter-day status as an unusually good inland place to get fresh seafood and fish. When Stan was a student at the (then-liberal) Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he used to go down to Florida on spring break and bring back as many shrimp as he could carry, for sale through a network of contacts. Eventually he went into the fish business rather than ministry, although some might argue that these missions aren't that unrelated.

In recent years they've also begun selling natural, grass-fed pastured beef and pork as Dreamcatcher Farm, selling some of their meat at Stan's and some at the Bardstown and St. Matthews Farmers' Markets.