The Grand Vines

When looking for a lunch destination while on a business trip, I've found that I now look for more than just a great menu and speedy food service- I also look for a place that has a great wireless connection. Being able to pull out the Mac and work through lunch is a big bonus. It just leaves me with less that I have to do at the end of a long, busy day. 

Of course, I probably don't enjoy my food as much as I should because in most cases, my lunch ends up getting cold while I do all my computer work but I guess there has to be some trade off. While in Salem these past couple of days, I've found a great place that combines a nice lunch menu with a smoking wireless connection and it's also centrally located in downtown Salem. It's the Grand Vines, located at 195 High Street. There's plenty of seating, both at cafe tables and regular tables, and the staff didn't seem to mind that I took up "real estate" for more than an hour. I enjoyed an Italian Muffaleta sandwich which is a salty combination of a black olive tapenade, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and two types of salami and sharp provolone cheese on a nice crusty bread. I had a small cup of Caribbean Chicken soup to go along with it which just really hit the spot. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to partake in a nice glass of wine to go along with lunch (since it was a working lunch, after all) but in looking at their full wall of wines from Oregon, California, France, Spain and Argentina, I'm sure I could have found something that would have tempted my palate. Maybe later....