Lunch

You can't get much accomplished when you're hungry. As Orson Welles (allegedly) put it: "Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what's for lunch." Yet, lunch is too often a rushed affair, jammed between a morning of settling into the workday and an afternoon of getting as much done as possible before it's time to go. And like a heart attack, lunch can happen anywhere: on a fast jog back to the office, under an awning in a rainstorm, at a nearby park, at your desk, in the lunchroom, or—here's a crazy idea—even at a restaurant. Until recently, for example, downtown's Union offered an amazing $20 lunchtime prix-fixe menu; while mourning its loss, you can grab great pasta salad at a Mediterranean deli in Pike Place Market, fantastic fish and chips at a shack on Alki Beach, or hot, delicious banh mi sandwiches in the International District for slightly more than what it costs to ride the bus. So now, instead of asking what you can do for lunch, with dozens of our favorites to choose from, ask what lunch can do for you. NEAL SCHINDLER

You can have a dozen of the Northwest's finest oysters on your favorite fine- dining restaurant's finest silver plate, or you can have them on a warped, crushed-ice-covered plastic lunchroom tray and do just as well. When you're just dressing them with fresh lemon or a little Tabasco and tossing them back, it really doesn't matter how they're plated, and this little fish-and-chips shack on the beach proves that without even really trying. Alki Crab and Fish serves the sea's finest (and more) in a frill-free setting; the bathrooms are outside and an outpost in the back sells lures and bait—you can even renew your fishing license if that's what you need to do. But the anti-ambience works. Here, the lobster and crab are without bisque and Louis, and the fish and chips are just that: plain and simple. And very, very good. LAURA CASSIDY

ALSO SERVES: dinner. 1660 Harbor Ave. S.W., 206-938-0975. WEST SEATTLE $

Athenian Inn

This diner is a wonderful holdover of Old Seattle, though nowadays much of its clientele is the tourist lunch crowd attracted by its heart-of-the-Market location and Sleepless in Seattle fame. But there's more to the Athenian than the view and anachronistic menu items like Scotch eggs. Amid the conventional diner fare of burgers, dips, and all-day breakfasts are some treats. Daily specials include comfort food from the Philippines, like pansit (a kind of Filipino phad thai of noodles mixed with shrimp, chicken, and pork) and pork mechado, a stew of spicy meatball-sized cubes of pig meat over a bed of rice, onion, and green pepper. Although the seafood specials can sometimes be a bit pricey, I recently tried two that were both unexpectedly good and cheap. One was fresh smelt, lightly breaded, drizzled with butter, and served with Canadian bacon and grilled tomatoes. The other was a remarkable discovery: a made-to-order bowl of oyster chowder, a creamy concoction of celery, mushrooms, and obscenely plump and truly fresh oysters. Garnished with the Athenian's million-dollar view, there are few better ways to sample Puget Sound while in the belly of the tourist beast. KNUTE BERGER

ALSO SERVES: breakfast and dinner. 1517 Pike Place Market, 206-624-7166. PIKE PLACE MARKET $

Baguette Box

While it's a real shame that Baguette Box isn't open until 3 a.m. on the weekends anymore, they now serve thick, hand-cut French fries with truffle oil, so we're willing to call it even-steven. The little sister to Monsoon a few miles up the hill, Eric Banh's sandwich shop is no ordinary sandwich shop. Served on (some say overly) crusty baguettes, specialties include the drunken chicken, first a popular entrée at Monsoon, which puts deep-fried nuggets in a glossy, tangy/sweet sauce and makes chicken lovers want to fire General Tso. Also on offer is an exceptional and fairly traditional tofu banh mi, at the traditional banh mi price of just $2.95 (other sandwiches go for between five and 10 bucks). Don't miss the side dishes—well, at least not if braised pork tongue is your idea of a good time. LAURA CASSIDY

ALSO SERVES: dinner. 1203 Pine St., 206- 332-0220. CAPITOL HILL $

Beecher's Handmade Cheese

You will hear that West Seattle's West 5 makes a great macaroni and cheese. You'll also hear that the one served on Capitol Hill at the Deluxe is quite nice. These things aren't untrue. But if you hear someone say that any macaroni and cheese other than Beecher's is the best in town, you have to tell that person that they are just plain wrong. Beecher's isn't a restaurant per se, as you might infer from the substantial cheese-making operation going on inside the retail space. But you can still order from one of the ridiculously friendly (even to tourists) counter staff, grab a stool, and sit down. Made with a combo of Beecher's handmade jack and their signature Flagship cheese, this mac and cheese is obscene. A small cup of it isn't enough and a large is too much, but there are far worse problems to have. Just bring a friend and share. Bring someone you hate and form a truce. Bring the leftovers home and eat them in front of a dead television in your underwear. Just go to Beecher's and eat their macaroni and cheese. LAURA CASSIDY