I love lunch - eating out in the middle of the day. Along with the weekly paycheck, it's one of the things that makes working worthwhile. And, as the travel editor, I feel it's my duty to get out of the office.

Trouble is, if your office is in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, as mine is, eating lunch out can get pretty expensive. Las Olas is full of high end restaurants inhospitable to low salary people.

So I often walk over to SE 1st Avenue, near the library, and eat at Cafe Verdi. It's basically an Italian place run by Peruvians (welcome to South Florida). The dishes - salads, pastas, chicken with rice and beans - are always fresh and, mostly, under $10. Daily specials sometimes include ceviche, and an incredible hamburger served on ciabatta bread with mozzarella and mixed greens. The young waiter Javier is one of the best-read people in Ft. Lauderdale. The restaurant is bright and full of regulars, who give it a friendly neighborhood vibe. And old jazz standards play softly in the background.

Sometimes it's hard to come back to work.