Pluto's
Recently being downgraded to the role of a demi-planet (or whatever astronomers want to call it now) hasn’t done much for the erstwhile planetoid’s counterpart here on distant Earth. Pluto’s has a chic, semi-futuristic atmosphere combined with an unusual method of dining. You pick up a card from the kiosk by the entrance and make requests based off of that menu. As you order, holes are punched, which are taken back to the cashier to be redeemed for your food in exchange for your money. It’s reminiscent of Chinese dim sum, but the system is only passingly similar, and the food is remarkably different.
Pluto’s engages its diners with a variety of salads, entrees, and sandwiches. They’re all made to specification so I can’t even get into the veritable bevy of combinations you could produce while you’re there, all supplemented by fresh breads and side dishes that invoke everything from greasily delicious fast food to home-cooked holiday meals. I myself had a tri-tip steak salad festooned with honey-glazed walnuts, bleu cheese, and sautéed mushrooms (with several other ingredients I pretty much chose on a whim) and a side dish of barley and mixed vegetables, which while sounding dry on paper was mouthwatering. I finished their generous portion, driven by an inexorable need to eat it all, rather than actual physical ability to contain the food. Needless to say, Pluto’s is more than a satisfying experience, and with an easy price range of USD7-10, it’s really pretty easy on the wallet too.
