The barn that houses Campbell's restaurant has been a long-time fixture on State Route 125 for Eastsiders. Built nearly 20 years ago, it was originally launched as a reception hall and later used as a dance studio. As a previous patron of both of these former establishments, I was more than a little curious.

Carry-out lunch means fast food for many of my fellow downtown cubicle dwellers, but I stick to the indies. I have a few tried and trues nearby that I rely on, coincidentally all on Vine Street): Total Juice Plus, Mythos on the Square, Sunny Deli and Fred and Gari's.

If you work downtown and you want to get away from the office and feel like you’re on a mini vacation, grab lunch at the Taft Museum of Art’s Linder Family Café. The Federal-style estate, featuring exhibits such as Drawn by New York, a collection from the New York Historical Society, is the perfect cultural break from the daily grind.

Each year as a child, I sat glued to the couch when ABC's 4:30 movies repeated its Edgar Allen Poe Week. 'Tales of Terror was among my favorites, comprised of three of Poe's shorter works, including 'The Cask of the Amontillado.' Of course, I had no idea then what Amontillado sherry was ... but today I have a real appreciation for the grownup drink.