I recently had lunch at Anthony’s Runway 84 in Fort Lauderdale and checked out this $10 deal. I invited a friend over to have lunch with me and help me on this mission to measure the truth of $10 and the comfort level at 84 Anthony’s Runway for two women to have lunch.

I’m here to tell you that the $10 lunch is alive, kicking and filling. We had Anthony’s Italian Salad, which was large enough to split, and two hearty plates of escarole and beans. The salad was fresh, crisp and cold, exactly how a salad should be. It was vibrant in color and flavor with all the vegetables scattered throughout the oversized plate. Endive and bean soup is thick, rich, and bursting with flavor. It is made to order. There is no soup pot in the kitchen to keep this hearty broth hot and ready to serve, so it took the Chef about ten minutes to prepare the soup. As we waited for our food, we chatted and enjoyed all the atmosphere that “Runway” has to offer. There was a constant stream of people coming in for lunch, men, women, groups. Looks like Anthony’s Runway 84 is the new lunch spot in Fort Lauderdale, it’s a refreshing change from downtown. I saw plenty of starters being served as well as the lighter side of the menu in both the bar and dining room. There were quite a few people working through their lunch with files and laptops strewn across their tables; it seemed like the laptop is the new side dish to food.

My friend and I felt very comfortable sitting there. The charming waiter, pleasant and attentive. Anthony Bruno himself was there keeping a cool but watchful eye on his dominance. He visited our table “checking in on the ladies”, asking us how everything was and if we would like anything else. He told us about Meatballs and Martini’s on Thursday nights and invited us to come. As he got up from the table, I told my friend how “obedient” it is that a restaurant owner who has been around for over 20 years is still “working” in the room like Anthony Bruno was that day. One would think that now he would be resting on his laurels by simply “letting it all happen” and clearly he is not. The man is a kind of “silent icon” in the restaurant business, not flashy, not hungry for press, just calmly moving forward step by step to be bigger and better.

There are great value lunch items for $10 at Anthony’s Runway 84, in addition to the Italian salad and escarole and beans we had. Next time I’ll probably try the Anthony burger or the bell peppers and eggs panini, they looked great as they were served at the next table. So yes, whatever you crave, whether it’s a soup and salad, a burger or a full entree, there’s always a delicious and convenient lunch at Anthony’s Runway 84 in Fort Lauderdale.