The best lunch ever. The ultimate midday meal. The greatest meal between breakfast and dinner. The foremost noon chow-down.

Is it a matter of personal preference, or is there an objective to the age old conundrum, “What is the best lunch ever?”

Like the true journalist I am, I decided to investigate what is “the best lunch ever.”

Personally, I think the best lunch ever is a crisp Diet Coke paired with a cream cheese bagel with lox. If you don’t like lox, grow up, it’s a tasty salmon delight. If it was up to me, I would have this meal for all three meals everyday. The refreshing chemicals of the Diet Coke, the creamy cream cheese, and the saltiness of the lox…the ultimate lunch.

But it seems not everyone agrees with me on this meal being the best lunch ever. As it turns out, almost everyone has their own opinions and tastes. Who knew?

Anna Jordan ’23 prefers an American classic: a Coke and grilled cheese. Anna said, “It’s just perfect. I get to go downstairs and talk to the nice ladies who work for Bevaris, and get to enjoy a cheesy delicacy.” I am all for a grilled cheese. I love me a good grilled cheese. However, I am a Diet Coke girl until the day I die. While this might be Anna’s ultimate lunch, I think it misses the mark a little.

Emma Vasquez ’23 opts for a Go Macro bar (specifically the “Protein Pleasure” flavor), Persian cucumbers, a Trader Joe’s Chicken Caesar Salad, Trader Joe’s Takis, and a kombucha. Emma commented, “I am a Trader Joe’s girlie at heart. This is the best lunch ever. Like I know I am going to have a great day when this is my lunch.” While Emma and I may have the same name, we do not have the same taste. I personally prefer the Trader Joe’s Lemon Chicken and Arugula Salad over the Chicken Caesar. I am also repulsed by kombucha.

At this point, my search for the objective best lunch ever is completely fruitless. I was starting to go insane, driven by the need to find the best lunch ever.

I asked Adriana Arroyo ’23 what she thought was the best lunch ever. She gave me one word, “Panera.” She later elaborated, saying, “I don’t know how much more you want me to say. Best sandwiches and salads ever. It’s the best lunch ever.” I can’t deny, I love Panera. But to enjoy this particular lunch, you have to bring it from home, or swing by Panera before school. By that time, it’s too cold or too hot, and cannot be enjoyed the way the good folks at Panera intended.

My investigation has been a failure. I have failed as a journalist. I am walking home with my head hung in shame. There seems no objective best lunch ever, but my quest will never truly end. I will always be grasping at air, roaming the planes to find the best lunch ever.

Until then, what do you think the best lunch ever is?