It’s been close to 10 years since I’ve worked downtown. And when I did, I took full advantage of seeking out all the nearby eateries for lunch, from the small mom and pop to the larger, well-known places. A recent errand during my “staycation” brought me downtown midweek during lunch hour and at the suggestion of Chris Hodgson, who couldn’t say enough good things about one tiny spot in particular, we visited an unlikely place for lunch.
Good to Go Café & Catering is a very tiny café (four-ish tables) inside the IMG building that serves breakfast and lunch. The owner/chef Anna Harouvis, who has a long family history in the food industry, had been there for roughly 10 years. She makes nearly everything from scratch, uses an impressive amount of local and organic items and focuses on lunch classics (soups, salads and sandwiches) as well as some of her favorite family recipes, like the Greek lasagna that was on special the day we visited.
We opted for a couple of the sandwich specials, tuna and chicken salad, plus shrimp and corn chowder. The chicken was incredibly fresh, flavorful and a good take on a very common lunch specialty. But my favorite part of the meal was the soup. I wasn’t even going to order this, but was compelled to after I heard two other diners raving about it.
During our lunch, we watched how everyone coming in seemed to know Anna and the genuine encounters that seemed to take place between patron and chef. After we ate, we chatted for a few minutes with Anna who shared that she’s eager to kick-off her catering efforts and expand her business.
Anna is a perfect example of type of purveyor I like to support. And while I’m not downtown that often for lunch anymore, this surely would have been the type of place that would have been on my lunch rotation when I was working on Euclid. But despite the fact that I probably won’t support her as much as I’d like, I thought it was still worth spreading the word. If you work near IMG or have any office catering needs, she’s worth a visit. And if you go, be sure to like her on Facebook. Every day she shares a secret work for 20% off your bill.
Thanks Michelle and to all the lovely comments! I'm so glad to see so many new faces! I love suggestions and hope to make the Cafe a spot you enjoy and can depend on.
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