Went for a nice lunch stop at Zuni Cafe with my dad. Zuni's become a somewhat regular stop for me again. We sat in the very corner of the restaurant, just to the left of the front entrance. It's usually pretty easy to walk in and get a table (for 2, at least) in that spot. Every time I go to Zuni I am amazed by the beautiful natural light that just fills up the whole restaurant. I think that Zuni is one of the few places out there in which a digital camera simply refuses to use flash - it's like being outside! 
house-made bresaola with spicy carrot-radish salad - $12 This was an excellent opener. I assume they were using the same bresaola that Sam had a couple of weeks earlier, and it looks like they listened to her comments - our bresaola was sliced perfectly and tasted great. Perhaps even better was the carrot-radish salad on the side, which had a wonderful dressing. It was just a simple vinaigrette with some kind of chili or pepper oil mixed in, but boy was it delicious. Neither of us are big carrot fans (although I love radishes - my dad doesn't like those either), but we devoured this salad. There was also a strange root vegetable mixed in there with the carrots and radishes - it was like a cross between the two. I thought at first that they were French radishes from the shape, but they were actually orange inside - red-skinned carrots! It's like the carrots and the radishes had babies. Very intriguing. I'd never seen it before; anyone know what they were? Unfortunately, you can't see them too well in my photo. Look for the long cut pieces of carrot in the back, and you might be able to see the red skin. 
shoestring potatoes - $6 The shoestrings were as good as ever - light, crisp, and tasty. We asked for some aioli to dip it in and they happily obliged, bringing a great tangy mayo. I think this plate of fries can handle a very large number of people. We tried hard but just couldn't clean it off... 
house-ground hamburger on grilled rosemary focaccia with garden lettuces, aioli and Zuni pickles + gruyere- $12 My dad went with the burger, which he claims he enjoys as a counterpoint to the massive Mo's burger every once in a while. And although I still prefer Mo's overall, a bite of this was a nice reminder that Zuni puts out a pretty damn good burger too. I'll admit it's been a while since I've given the Zuni burger a chance... 
rigatoni pasta with red-wine duck sauce - $13 I went with the pasta that day - Zuni usually does a pretty good job with them. It was pretty good - the sauce was hearty but still very light, and the myriad of ingredients provided much flavor. It was a great main dish for lunch. Zuni continues to hold its own as one of the best lunches around. Simple, great food and a relaxing atmosphere ensure that I'll keep going back.