Lunch meet

It's time to recapture the pleasures of a midday meal

by Margaret LeRoux

Pleasant Peasant Grille 438 Pleasant Street Worcester 795-3955 Hours Mon.-Thurs. 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Fri. 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat. 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun. 7 a.m.-1 p.m. MC, Visa No alcohol Main floor handicap accessible Worcester Art Museum Cafe 55 Salisbury Street Worcester 799-4406 Hours Wed.-Sun. noon-2 p.m. Major credit cards Wine, beer Handicap accessible

We're so busy nowadays that most of us usually sit by our desks, barely noticing what we shove into our mouths as we peck away at the computer. So breaking out of the office for lunch is a rare treat. In Worcester, there are many places where lunch is the specialty, from gourmet salads and wraps to hearty sandwiches and less-expensive versions of what we'd normally indulge in for dinner. I recently decided that I'd start exploring the lunch offerings in town. And to start, I visited the Pleasant Peasant Grille and Worcester Art Museum's Cafe, two completely different atmospheres. They were neither the best of lunches nor the worst when two friends and I dined out. At both, however, the food was secondary to the atmosphere and service.

The first of my lunch companions was late to meet me at the Pleasant Peasant. I decided to wait out front when a waitress called me by my first name. I turned around, surprised. Had my cover as a reviewer been blown? She was only passing on a message from my friend who'd called to say she'd be late. I returned to the larger dining room and settled in and studied the menu.

The Pleasant Peasant caters to almost every appetite with soups, salads, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, grinders, and hot pockets. There's an impressive list of lunch entrees, including meat loaf ($4.50), ham steak ($4.25), fish and chips ($4.95), baked haddock ($5.50), and veal parmigiana ($6.95).

The Pleasant Peasant also offers breakfast all day; I was sorely tempted by a selection of omelet fillings -- bacon, olives, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, to name a few -- as well as the home fries and fritter that come along with it.

My friend soon joined me, ordered a lemonade (95 cents), and quickly decided on a taco salad ($4.50). Served in a fried tortilla "bowl" this was a hearty mixture of ground beef, sour cream, and salsa served on a bed of mixed greens with chopped tomatoes and cheese. A little more heat in the spices, and this would have been outstanding.

My choice was grilled-chicken salad ($4.50), tasty strips of grilled, lightly spiced chicken atop a large bowl of chopped iceberg lettuce. Sliced cucumbers were crunchy, but the underripe tomatoes should have been skipped.

We were in no hurry and noticed groups of diners who ordered, were served quickly, and left while we conversed. There was no pressure on us to vacate our booth; instead our waitress asked if I'd like more hot water and brought a fresh tea bag.

We decided the Pleasant Peasant lives up to its name, a nice spot for a midday break. Our bill came to $11.70 before tip.

Later that week I met another friend at the Worcester Art Museum Cafe, an elegant dining area off the education wing. The decor is sophisticated: gray and green walls provide a backdrop for posters from the museum's current exhibit.

Everything on the menu is named for an exhibiting artist, including Warhol soup du jour ($2.95) -- cream of vegetable or roasted tomato basil the day we dined -- and Matisse salad ($3.25 for a small; $5.50 for a large), and a pricey Whistler smoked-salmon sandwich with Bermuda onion and herb cream cheese ($7.95).

Our waitress had the distracted air of an artist who'd rather be at the easel than serving tables, so I wasn't surprised when the Gainsborough Caesar salad with roasted vegetables ($7.95) arrived without the vegetables. When I pointed this out, she offered to bring the vegetables on the side; I should have asked for the salad to be reconstructed. The plate contained roasted pepper, two slices of shriveled eggplant, and three thick slices of sweet potato or yam; they were cold and marinated but awkward to cut up and mix into the salad. The salad itself was buried under a snowdrift of packaged parmesan cheese, and the dressing had too much garlic for anyone who has to spend the rest of the afternoon in polite company.

My friend's eggplant del Sarto sandwich ($6.95) was very good. It included the roasted eggplant and pepper, fresh mozzarella cheese with lettuce, basil, and a light dressing. A side of marinated-veggie pasta salad was a colorful addition to the plate.

We both ordered hot tea ($1.50) served in little stainless-steel pots with a selection of teas in individual packets.

Dessert specials included a white-chocolate-covered, raspberry-and-vanilla ice-cream truffle ($4), which we shared. It was served split, which showed off the pretty pink and white interior as well as the dark-chocolate-drizzled exterior. I'd return for another sample of this dessert. Our bill, not including tip, was $20.22.