Ask Lauren: grab-and-go lunch, post-pool munchies, and a Richmond staple

Forgotten favorites, post-pool dinner with the family, and grab-and-go lunch spots Downtown, all on this week’s Ask Lauren.

July 19, 2013; 9:57 AM • by Ross Catrow

Now, through the magic of the internet, you too can ask Lauren your myriad food-related questions. Well, technically, you can leave your questions in the comments below, I’ll ask Lauren, and then I’ll let you know what she says. It’s like the three-legged stool of restaurant recommendations.

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I work Downtown, and I feel like there aren’t a ton of grab-and-go lunch options. Where’s a good, quick, and local spot to get lunch and take it back to my desk?

If you don’t mind driving a quick sec, head up 25th, take a right, and walk into one of the top-two¹ most charming pie shops in Church Hill. Proper Pie Co. is a fantastic place to get a quick lunch, and it couldn’t be more grab-and-go: they hand you your adorable pie in an equally adorable little paper bag.

Bonus points: eschew the office and eat your pie on a park bench in the nearby Patrick Henry Park.

Another quick note: Proper Pie will be closed August 1st – September 4th. If you absolutely need a proper pie, better get it done in the next couple of weeks.

During the summer, my family and I frequently seem to find ourselves starving and disheveled after a long day at the pool in Woodlake. We want to go somewhere where flip flops are fine and the food’s not fussy.

Lucky for you, one of the area’s best barbecue joints is right around the corner. Tuffy Stone’s Q Barbeque has four locations scattered around Richmond’s perimeter (Midlothian, deep Midlothian, out by Virginia Center Commons, and in the West End), and they’re all super casual! The BBQ is great, the sides are awesome, and they’ve even got a nice selection of local beers in bottles, if that’s your thing.

I’m feeling nostalgic, what’s a Richmond staple that offers something a little out of the box?

Sometimes, it’s easy to forget about the wonderful restaurant gems that opened their doors a couple decades ago. But, usually, if a spot’s been open that long, it’s for a reason. For the past 15 or so years, Fan denizens have crammed Kuba Kuba’s famous Cuban delicacies (fried plantains! tres leche cake!) into their faces with abandon. If you haven’t already, you should totally join them!

PS. The spinach and ricotta empanadillas are cheap, delicious, and meat-free!

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July 19, 2013 9:57 AM 6