Local Lunch Love

Recently, I've had some great lunch experiences at two places where I didn't think it was possible.  The first is Tarpon Bend in Coral Gables.  I went to lunch there on Saturday and had a fantastic Southwestern Chicken Salad.  It was HUGE, so huge that I couldn't finish it!  They serve nice pile of lettuce studded with bits of corn, black beans, cilantro, tortilla strips, and thinly sliced chicken breast.  A sort of chunky salsa vinaigrette and a slightly sweet but spicy red pepper (i think) dressing that I had served on the side brightened up the flavors.  One damn good salad.  The shrimp sandwich also looked really good.  A couple of Arnold Palmers made for a nice lunch on a late Sunday afternoon.

The second lunch experience that surprised me was at Chipotle in Hialeah.  Yes, Chipotle is a chain that I'm sure many have been to but when you add Hialeah into the mix, who knows what you're gonna get.  I happen to work on the Hialeah border, so my lunch options are limited.  When I heard about this Chipotle opening and that we could order online, I was pumped.  Their website has what I believe is the best online ordering system I've ever used.  I order for my boss and the two owners of my company too and they are somewhat picky eaters.  The website lets me choose their options and then attach their name to what they order so we don't end up playing "Who's Burrito Is This Anyways?"  You can also pay online which is awesome.  That way, after you battle crazy Hialeah traffic, you can just walk in and go to the register and pick up your order.  I maybe spent a total of 30 seconds inside Chipotle on my last lunch run.  I annihilated my still-warm-chicken-burrito ten minutes after that.

Be sure to check these places out if you're in the mood for a quick and healthy lunch.