Lunch

The many good reasons to check out Miller's Deli in the Greenspring Shopping Center are written on the restaurant's wall. The big menu lists items that can carry you from breakfast through dinner. And liver and onions ($9.99), well, Miller's has that, too. The deep, foamy plastic plate felt like it weighed five pounds. On it, buried under easily a heaping cup of translucent onion strips, were two fairly thin slabs of fried liver, about six inches long and 4 inches wide. But let's talk mashed potatoes, which came with the platter.

The dish : Baby back rib lunch special Note to implacable dry-rub and sticky, tomato-based barbecue sauce fans: This review's ribs feature a vinegar and honey sauce. And lots of it. Consider yourself warned. On the other hand, if you're the type who feels there's no such thing as too much tangy-sweet bbq sauce, the Corner Stable in Cockeysville gives you a fair run for your money. They ladle it on. This special includes a half-rack of ribs, as well as a side of fries for $9.99.

Where: The Conversation Room in Mellon Hall at St. John's College, 60 College Ave., Annapolis When: noon-1 p.m. Monday Why: Kick the Monday lunchtime blues with a discussion of Joseph Conrad's short story "An Outpost of Progress." Bring a brown-bag lunch, sit down with other literature fans and chew the fat for a while. Other seminars are July 18 and Aug. 8. Register in advance to make sure you have a seat at the table. Information: 410-626-2881, www.stjohnscollege.edu. Free.

Orioles owner Peter Angelos originally had planned to spend yesterday afternoon in his law office, but he was elsewhere and unavailable for comment.Where was he? Meeting with Players Association chief Donald Fehr for a lengthy lunch at Velleggia's in Little Italy.Angelos, a longtime labor lawyer, has promised to take a more active role in stalled negotiations with the players."They were here from about 11:15 until about 3:15," said proprietor Naz Velleggia. "They were very quiet and congenial and never raised their voices."

Too much fat. Too much sodium. Too few fruits and vegetables. Not enough of certain vitamins.Sounds like a meal at the local pit beef stand, doesn't it? Unfortunately, the above description is taken from a U.S. Department of Agriculture report on school lunches nationwide.The study released last month found levels of fat and sodium in school cafeteria fare that far exceed the government's dietary guidelines. In another recent study of children's eating habits, the consumer advocacy group Public Voice for Food and Health Policy said 57 percent of youngsters ages 6 to 11 eat less than one serving of fruit daily, and 32 percent eat less than a serving of vegetables a day.The federal government has too long ignored or pooh-poohed these bad habits.

Over lunch at the Capital Grille on Thursday, the two old friends enjoyed an upbeat, forward-looking conversation. Kurt L. Schmoke had the tuna steak salad, Sheila Dixon the salmon with vegetables. Schmoke, a former mayor, imparted an encouraging message to Dixon, the soon-to-be former mayor who announced Wednesday that she will resign as part of a plea with prosecutors to end her corruption case. "I just wanted to remind her there will be better days down the road," said Schmoke, who served as mayor from 1988 to 1999 and is now dean of the Howard University Law School.

That's the Baltimore Sun question of the day -- Which Baltimore person would you like to invite to lunch? Why? You can Tweet your response, wit #SunTalk in your answer. Or go to the Baltimore Sun Facebook page . I'd invite John McIntyre .