Ah, the luncheon.

Sounds so civilized, doesn’t it? Even the lexicon of “let’s do lunch” gives a certain kooky sense of status to the speaker. Lunch can be a way to save money — since many restaurant menus offer items similar to dinner, for less. It can be a way to steal away during daylight hours or meet friends you haven’t seen in a while. Whatever the reason, to lunch is to relish. Here are five lunch spots to savor — whether it’s to save a little dough or to visit outright because, well, they just do lunch. Well.

 

DYNAMIC DISH (not rated)
427 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta. Lunch pricing: $-$$. 404-688-4344, www.dynamicdish.net

Chef-owner David Sweeney has garnered a lot of local and national praise for his eco-friendly vegetarian restaurant located on the edge of the Sweet Auburn district downtown — and it started strictly as a lunch spot (though dinner is now offered three nights a week). The kudos are well-deserved: He cooks with a kind of renewed intensity that can only come from having fresh ingredients and knowing how to use them.

The offerings are limited, but what you get will be full of farm-to-table flavor, from rich sandwiches of brie and sliced pears on soft, thick-sliced multi-grain bread to veggie plates of local butterbeans and kale and roasted potato salad mixed with flax seed and seasonings.

The space is modest, but comforting and inviting — cookies and cakes beckon from a central countertop underneath a chalk board cheerily touting the day’s offerings, and large, wooden-topped tables encourage community between diners.

 

THE SOCIAL HOUSE (not rated)
1663 Howell Mill Road N.W., Atlanta. Lunch: $$. 404-350-1938, www.socialhouseatl.com.

Lorenzo Wyche quietly has been building a restaurant empire, bravely opening venues downtown.

The owner of chic Rare and sexy Harlem Bar isn’t serving kitschy ’70s cocktails with a side of blaxploitation flicks at his third venture, on the up-and-coming westside. The Social House, in a refurbished house that was once a Philly shop, serves breakfast and lunch only — all day (well, until 3 p.m. on weekdays and 4 p.m. on weekends).

Oozing Southern comfort, the menu ranges from breakfast fests such as savory bread pudding, New Orleans-style — with thick slices of brioche swimming in rich béchamel, peppers and spice, and dotted with fat shrimp, spicy and blackened — to traditional pancakes studded with apples or blueberries. Sandwiches and salads, including local greens tossed with crab cake beignets, round out the goodies found for lunch.

The digs are bright and cheery, as if you’ve stepped into someone’s living room and were asked to stay and eat.

 

DRESSED (not rated)
1140 Hammond Drive, Building K, Suite 115, Atlanta. Lunch: $-$$. 770-817-9900, www.dressedsalads.com

Justin Smolev’s latest addition to his salad-spinning family has the hospital and corporate crowd near Perimeter Mall getting their daily dose of veggies for lunch (or dinner til 9 p.m.).

Bright — no, loud — orange and lime green adorn the minimalistic décor, and the digs are so “that’s so ’60s” that I half expected Twiggy to pop out from the back and use the counter as a runway. But there’s nothing out-of-date about this fast-casual salad concept, which started in Midtown and has expanded to Buckhead and Hong Kong.

There are loads of ingredients to choose from — anchovies to apricots — as well as more than 20 house-made salad dressings. Choose your own, or munch on a “designer” salad such as the Tuscan, with artichoke hearts, salami, shaved Parmesan, roasted red peppers and white beans tossed with arugula and romaine with pesto vinaigrette.

Soups and wraps round out a menu highlighted by Boylan sodas and groovy sweets, such as ‘smores treats.

 

FRENCH AMERICAN BRASSERIE
30 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., Suite 125, Atlanta. Lunch: $$$. 404-266-1440, www.fabatlanta.com

Restaurateur Fabrice Vergez’s downtown escape offers one of the most sophisticated lunchtime revelries in the city, and at lunch many of his menu items are offered in more petite form — both for your wallet and your waist.

From the restaurant’s signature skate wings — crisp, bold and scrumptious in their brown butter sauce with fat Pantellerian capers — to the plump profiteroles with nutty pistachio ice cream, drenched in Valrhona chocolate sauce, FAB is every bit as lovely during the day as it is at night. Sneak to the rooftop for a windy view of the city, or get cozy at the bar with a newspaper and a glass of excellent French chardonnay with oysters on the half-shell and escargot. It feels naughtily indulgent, but oh so nice.

 

BONE’S
3130 Piedmont Road, Atlanta. Lunch: $$$. 404-237-2663, www.bonesrestaurant.com

You’re longing for the perfect steak in the perfect steakhouse setting but need to watch your budget. Take heart — Bone’s is open for lunch, at least on weekdays.

Nothing like a ribeye and a martini to set the ink on a power deal. But the meat isn’t just for deal-makers: At lunch, you can soak up the same testosterone-charged atmosphere and prime steaks available at night, too, and be home in time for, well, dinner.

Most of the things available at night are here during daylight hours, too: the innate timing of the seasoned wait staff, the old-school attitude of the kitchen — and the steaks, which are things of glory, with their crispy-black char surfaces, fine grain and man-sized portions.

A la carte sides of colossal shrimp cocktail, the grit fritter and hash browns are menu must-haves, as is the Bones salad. The wine list is deep and expensive, though you may find yourself ordering a Tom Collins just for the heck of it.

 

 

KEY TO RATINGS
Outstanding: Sets the standard for fine dining in the region.
Excellent: One of the best in the Atlanta area.
Very good: Merits a drive if you’re looking for this kind of dining.
Good: A worthy addition to its neighborhood, but food may be hit or miss.
Fair: The food is more miss than hit.
Restaurants that do not meet these criteria may be rated Poor.

PRICING CODE: $$$$$ means more than $75; $$$$ means $75 and less; $$$ means $50 and less; $$ means $25 and less; $ means $15 and less. (The price code represents a meal for one that includes appetizer, entree and dessert without including tax, tip and cocktails.)

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