By Samantha Calimbahin
The heftiest ticket I’ve ever paid for a grab-n-go was $14.07, including tax, for the Meyer Salad Trio — something I personally refer to as an “elevated Lunchable.”
Alas, Meyer & Sage has returned from its 12-day holiday hiatus. This is a big deal for me, considering last week, I made the trek past West Seventh Street to The Foundry District in hopes of a kale salad I had been craving, legitimately, all morning — only to arrive, pull on the door, and see that the grab-n-go/catering shop was closed.
Closed! The tragedy! But the shop reopened Monday with what appears to be new winter menu items and a new kale salad I’m interested in trying. Meyer & Sage is probably the one place that has a kale salad I actually crave for. Imagine. Kale salad. And I’m craving for it.
As it turned out, last week’s inopportune trip led to me paying 46 cents for lunch at La Madeleine (a whole story in and of itself).
Now, if I had bought my meal from Meyer & Sage, I would not have spent 46 cents. In fact, the heftiest ticket I’ve ever paid for a grab-n-go was $14.07, including tax, for the Meyer Salad Trio — something I personally refer to as an “elevated Lunchable.”
Why “elevated Lunchable?” Well, remember growing up, when we would take Lunchables to school? A whole lunch inside a compartmentalized box — usually a circular slice of ham, cheese, and crackers. Or, if you were really bougie, a make-your-own deep dish pizza.
Meyer & Sage’s grab-n-go boxes are something like that — a compartmentalized plastic box but filled with, essentially, more “elevated” items. In the case of the Meyer Salad Trio, it’s wild-caught tuna salad, organic chicken salad, and a kale-quinoa tabouli I dream about in the middle of the night.
And yes, it’s about $13. And here’s my justification. If I were to get lunch at a restaurant, say, on Magnolia Avenue, I’ll probably be spending about that amount anyway — and possibly double the calories. At Meyer & Sage, I’m paying for something quality, equally filling and, best of all, healthy.
Not only that. The amount of care chef proprietor Callie Salls puts into her dishes is palpable in her products, whether it’s the tasty grab-n-go items or those grandiose grazing boards Meyer & Sage is popular for. The folks behind the counter get to know you, and you can text the staff ahead of time to see what items are in stock for the day — they’ll be happy to hold something for you.
That’s the joy of shopping locally, really. Pay a little extra, get something more quality, and fuel the dreams of someone else.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a kale salad that’s calling my name.