Inconspicuous consumption

One Market
1 Market St.; 415-777-5577
Lunch special: $22.95 for two courses

One of Mark Dommen's first moves after taking over the kitchen at One Market in 2004 was creating a business lunch special. "This started as a way to guarantee that we could get them in and out in 45 minutes," says Dommen. "And now it's great, because it fits into the whole economy and scaling back."

The lunch includes Bradley's Caesar Salad, named for the Michelin-starred restaurant's owner and original chef, Bradley Ogden. Dommen says it's one of two things that he absolutely can't take off the menu; the other is a butterscotch pudding. For the main course he keeps it simple with a roasted half-chicken or a daily fish special. Says Dommen: "Lunchtime in San Francisco is a time to have a meeting and get nourishment - it has to be fast."

Also try:
Midi, 415-835-6400. A new Union Square option will serve lunch "quartets" for $19.
Grand Café, 415-292-0101. Named San Francisco's top business lunch by Citysearch; the brasserie offers a $20 three-course lunch.

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