We have many lunch options within a short walk of 318 Camp Street, which sits on the edge of the CBD and the French Quarter.

The CBD offers more grab-and-go, fuel-up, back-to-the-office-to-get-more-work-done options. Think Subway and Smoothie King.

The Quarter offers more interesting options. Longer lunches, more involved conversations and people watching. Think raw oysters, legendary burgers, liquid lunches, gumbo.

Let’s simplify it—your two main options here are smoothies and gumbo.

Both are beautiful. Both are loved. Both are necessary.

Smoothies are made for productivity. They require very little thought or fuss. You know they’re healthy (mostly). You know they taste fine. You know they’ll give you energy but won’t weigh you down. You know you can afford them and carry them with you from meeting to desk to meeting. They are the perfect blend of many things you like (yogurt, juice, fruit), all precisely measured. But you can’t really taste any individual ingredient. And that’s the whole point—smoothies won’t disrupt anything you’re doing. You’re free to return to work.

Gumbo is made for creativity and intrigue. Like smoothies, gumbo is a combination of many things you like. But unlike smoothies, you can taste them all individually. You feel the texture, the spiciness. You taste the sausage, okra, shrimp, rice, hot sauce, etc. You may get a crab claw in there. You just don’t know. Each bowl can be different. Each bowl is interesting. Each bowl will wake up your taste buds. And that’s the whole point—a bowl of gumbo might distract you and make you see things from a different perspective.

Maybe this is a metaphor for the culture we live in. On one hand, we are homogenized by a society that seeks efficiency and productivity. On the other, we are interesting ingredients of a diverse society, each of us adding our own flavor to a delicious mix.

Or, maybe it’s not, and I just really like both gumbo and smoothies for lunch.