What makes a good lunch spot?

I'm fairly new to Kansas City, which is what inspired me to start blogging about lunch. You see, I expected more, and I;ve lived in some places with pretty lousy food. In KC, it's not so much about lousy food, but there's just not a common understanding of what lunch is all about. For me, lunch is about the work week, 9-5, m-f, that sort of thing. Those of you with odd hours or just plain cushy lives will doubtless require different things from your lunch spots.

But I want a place that is locally operated, inexpensive, tasty, and close to where I work. Moreover I want to be able to get in and out in approximately half an hour for counter service and a bit more for table service. Is that too much to ask? Apparently so.

Other cities like Chicago and Philly have their blue collar delicasies available on every corner. That's because people appreciate a a humble hot dog or a sandwich enough to turn it into a thing of beauty. Here, places like The Mixx have turned salad into a thing of beauty but they are gonna charge you twelve bucks for it and make you sit next to intolerable brookside couples with misbehaving children. In New York you can see stock brokers munching the country's best slice out on the street next to a homeless person. They're eating the same food because it's good and cheap and doesn;t take forever. Think Law & Order people, those guys live on hot dogs and pizza.

While I certainly don;t want to eat lunch next to a cop, it would be nice to have some of these kinds of options I could count on in the downtown area. Speaking of which, I don;t intend to stray too far from downtown in my coverage, maybe river market and crossroads, with the occasional midtown joint thrown in for fun.

You have a favorite lunch spot? I'd love to hear about it so i can complain profusely.