Then you realize that if you take 20 minutes to drive somewhere, and 20 more to get back in time to resume work, you’ve only got 20 minutes to order and eat. They don’t call it lunch “hour” for nuthin’.

Doh! Not a workable situation.

Fret not. If you can’t go to Grace Su’s China Gorge (uh, where else would you go?), then bring Grace Su’s food to you.

That’s what Sandy DeBarr did recently in organizing a Christmas Lunch for the clinical and clerical staff of the Providence Medical Group Hood River.

DeBarr, who is the office staff supervisor for the Group, says its 23 providers (physicians) “paid for the luncheon as a gift to the staff that support them.”

Even though they’re not employees of Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, they have a close enough relationship that they could use one of the hospital’s large meeting rooms. They ordered food for 40 people.

Grace Su’s kitchen prepared the meal to order, and boxed it up for transit.

Maybe the word got out the China Gorge was handling the cooking. Maybe the aromas exerted the pull. Either way, 47 people showed up. Not to worry.

“We had plenty of food,” DeBarr told Grace. “The meal was delicious — flavorful and warm. Many of those on hand were familiar with Grace’s food, and commented about the freshness of the vegetables.”

Just FYI — fueled by flavor, everyone made it back to work in plenty of time.