Sign Of the Times

Or The Mushroom that Got Away

Disappointment is a part of life. I just wasn't expecting it for lunch. I was expecting a perfectly grilled portobello mushroom on the best ciabatta roll this side of the tracks. Our office is quite literally beside the tracks, in Jacksonville's Murray Hill neighborhood. Walls rattle and hum when a train rolls by. When the roads aren't under repair, its just a short drive to Five Points, Riverside or Avondale, with lovely rows of restaurants and shops. BUT if you want to "eat local" its Edgewood. That's where I went yesterday, specifically to 1171, with my heart set on savoring the best vegetarian sandwich in town. Alas, it was not to be. The sign taped to the door listed dinner hours and a phone number. Nothing to explain the eerily empty dining room (or my rock-star parking, for that matter). Would-be lunch patrons were left to read between the lines. 1171 has suspended lunch service. I'm sure they just need to stay healthy in these trying economic times, but so do we! They are still open for dinner, but that is cold comfort to those of us who dine closer to home. Lunch at 1171 was a bright spot in the workday. Now its a memory.

PLEASE, Jacksonville's upscale restaurant owners, find a business model that allows us to enjoy a delicious, healthy lunch without having to wait in line for most of the lunch hour.

In the meantime, does anyone know of a great place for lunch near Murray Hill? We LOVE Moon River Pizza, but you can't eat pizza EVERY DAY!