A mid-day break for lunch can keep you going. The classic power lunch is equal parts great food, good company and inspiring atmosphere. Excellent food choices in Plymouth make going out for business fun. It is easy to find just the right venue, whether your lunch includes co-workers, vendor partners or your boss. You will start your afternoon refueled, recharged and refreshed enough to take on whatever the rest of the day might bring.
Short Rib Reuben
Digby’s Plymouth
A business lunch is more productive in the proper surroundings. Digby’s hip, business-friendly atmosphere comes complete with laptop outlets and a large meeting room. A 70-inch TV screen and AV set-up capabilities create a setting that is very conducive for business meetings, according to managing partner Reid Sellgren. As for the food, generous portions and an extensive menu of made-from-scratch items appeal to hungry patrons. Among sandwich selections, the Reuben ranks as “a real crowd-pleaser,” with a commemorative fork icon on the menu. A meaty meal, the corned beef short rib comes with a spread of Thousand Island dressing, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese bursting between two slices of grilled marble rye bread. From top to bottom, this sandwich has real New York deli-style taste appeal. “We’ve had a lot of people say it’s the best Reuben they’ve ever had,” Sellgren says. Most ingredients are made in-house the old-fashioned way: homey yet hefty. (A gluten-free version is also available.) Call ahead to reserve the meeting room at no charge. Reuben $14.99. 16605 County Road 24; 763.270.5929.
Japanese Table Buffet
Impress your business colleagues with a spread of authentic Japanese dishes brought right to your table; your conversation will flow uninterrupted as the food comes. Sushi by the boatload makes the all-you-can-eat lunch deal a real bargain. Decide on five that you would like from the pink lady, shrimp tempura, salmon, spicy tuna, Phoenix or California rolls. Your selections will come freshly made and neatly fashioned on a tray. The lunch deal includes more than just sushi. You get an appetizer (edamame bean, shrimp gyoza or deep-fried spring rolls), skewers (shrimp, chicken or beef) and more expertly prepared fish (salmon, tuna, imitation crab or shrimp) nigiri-style, with rice on the bottom. Don’t forget to start your feast with a visit to the salad bar. $15. 15555 34th Ave. N.; 763.559.9999.
Double Patty Bacon Burger
A business lunch over burgers has a welcoming informality, and Five Guys is a real hamburger haven. Things get particularly busy at lunch when people put together their own custom-built burgers. Choices abound, and you are welcome to go for as many of the 15 free toppings as you wish. As for the base, sometimes a regular-size burger is just not enough—only a double patty combo will do. Add to the meaty splendor with some artisan-quality bacon. Then graze while your burger cooks: Free salted-in-the-shell peanuts make the short wait sheer joy. The zippy service ensures that you will have plenty of time to chat. $6.79. 4105 Vinewood Lane N.; 763.559.0288.
Lasagne
Since 1971, Latuff’s Pizzeria has served Italian-inspired lunches. For busy business diners, the lasagna makes a perfect lunch selection. The dish comes together the right way here, with no shortcuts and the kind of attention that would be hard to replicate at home. After 44 years in business and despite the fact that lasagna preparation can be a time-consuming process, manager Dan Mascaro says the recipe is second nature. (The exact mix of ingredients is a closely guarded secret.) Latuff’s Pizzeria is a family-owned business that takes pride in creating delicious food from scratch. Six cheeses bake to a brown blister over four luscious layers of lasagna noodles, Italian sausage and classic red tomato sauce. Fresh buttery garlic bread comes on the side. $7.85. 10820 Highway 55; 763.545.2914.
Chinese Lunch Buffet
An all-you-can-eat buffet makes for the ultimate business lunch, because all participants can pick exactly what they want immediately, leaving more time to get down to business. “Everything’s good here and at a good price,” manager Vicky Liu says; since 1991, she and her husband Jet Deng have run Ming’s Garden Restaurant. Ming’s lunch buffet gives you a chance to try more than 35 dishes all expertly prepared. Picture crispy fried cream cheese wontons, General Tso’s chicken, zesty teriyaki chicken, emperor spicy beef, savory fried rice and homemade sweet sour sauce, just to name a few. The tempting array of Chinese-style dishes dazzles the eye and tantalizes the tongue. $7.95. 4190 Vinewood Lane N.; 763.559.3131.
Big Tony Pizza
It can take longer to decide on the variety of pizza than to prepare the pizza at Solos Pizza Café. The practicality of fast-casual goes into hyper-drive speed, with pizzas cooking up in fewer than 3 minutes. As president Brian Banick says, Solo Pizza is all about “really good pizza, freshly made really quick, that you don’t have to wait for.” Get your pizza even faster by going with pre-determined feature combinations like the ever-popular Big Tony featuring marinara sauce, sausage, pepperoni slices, fresh mushrooms, green pepper slivers, onion slices, fresh basil and oregano. A brush of garlic butter seasons the outer-most poufy handle of the perfectly formed, not-too-thick, nor-too-thin pizza crust. The secret is the state-of-the-art oven dubbed “Mr. Crispy” that churns out perfectly baked pies with military precision. Come at lunch and be a part of an eclectic crowd of business people, teenagers and busy moms. 10-inch pizza $8.25. 2700 Annapolis Circle N.; 763.331.0233.
