Inexpensive lunch in Greenwich, CT tomorrow.

[MMRuth]

First, please forgive me, but I am being incredibly lazy today and not searching first - it's been a bit of a week. I'm meeting a friend for lunch tomorrow, and would like to find a not too expensive place to have lunch and linger. My friend mentioned seeing at least one Vietnamese place around town, but lives in Poland these days and hasn't had a chance to try any local places on this visit. Open to all kinds of chow.

Also - bonus points for suggestions for used bookstores in the area (looking for cookbooks) - I'll have some time to kill after driving up from White Plains (driver's license renewal), before lunch.

Thank you.

[debmom]

Go to the Greenwich Library- and nice place to walk around. In the basement is a cafeteria and they sell their old books. Some great finds for pennies. Don't know if there are cookbooks, but fun anyway. BTW I second Meli-Melo for crepes, soups and salads.

[steve h.]

Greenwich Library is mighty interesting.

[MMRuth]

Thanks - I ended up eating at Tarry Lodge (and trying BSF, and some pao de queijo and some chocolate) and will report on NYS board.

In terms of cookbooks/food-related books - I picked up about ten at the Greenwich Library, and then a very nice lady at the volunteer welcome desk directed me to the Greenwich Hospital Auxillary Thrift store, where I picked up about ten more!

[steve h.]

Sounds like you hit the trifecta. Very cool.

[steve h.]

Drive 5 minutes to Port Chester, grab a seat at the bar at Tarry Lodge. It's a Batali place so you know the wine is pretty good. Prices are moderate.

[amanda3571]

Meli-Melo is a nice little creperie right on Greenwich Avenue. Its a small place and can get crowded, but the food is good.
http://www.melimelogreenwich.com/rest...

[MMRuth]

Thanks - we're going to meet at Pain Quotidien just to have a place to meet and go from there. Appreciate the help - will check out Meli-Melo.

[adamclyde]

Yeah, go to Meli-Melo. It's unique. And good. And also very crowded at times, but it's worth it. It's only a few doors down from Quotidien.

Right around the corner on Grigg Street is Diane's Books of Greenwich. I honestly don't know if they have cookbooks, but it's worth a stop inside anyhow as it's a wonderful independent bookstore. The little side street the bookstore is on looks as much like a little European street as anything you'll find out here. All within 100 feet of Meli-Melo...

[kjmerz]

jeepers... i think the last decent Vietnamese place in Greenwich departed us some 10-12 years ago... maybe i'm wrong, but i don't think so... and the best place to get used cookbooks is the Web.

[MMRuth]

Any other places that you would recommend for lunch? And, re: used cookbooks, I believe in serendipity as experienced in brick and mortar bookstores.

[sibeats]

Mediteraneo is nice. Haven't been in awhile but the food was always very good. Not exactly cheap, but the menu sounds tasty!
http://www.mediterraneoofgreenwich.co...

[adamclyde]

I wouldn't call Mediterraneo inexpensive like the OP mentioned though.

And, FWIW, I've had many very sub par meals at Mediterraneo. And for the price you fork out there, it should be MUCH better.

[sibeats]

Which is why I did say it wasn't cheap!
However, we've always had very good food there, which is why I mentioned it.

[adamclyde]

what do you order there? I can't seem to find anything good, but it might be a case of me ordering poorly...

[sibeats]

Like I said, haven't been in awhile, but I always loved their Mediteraneo fish salad...lots of grilled shrimp, mussels, scallops and other fish in a lemony broth...the pizzas are tasty...some of the pastas are good. We've always gone for lunch, not dinner, if that makes any difference.
Their sister place Acqua is in our town, so we go there a lot for lunch...has a very similar menu. We never go for dinner there because it is deafeningly loud...but we love it for lunch. The hummus platter is my husbands favorite, but I don't see that on the Greenwich menu.