Every Thursday two tables with white linen cloths are set up on the corner of Broad Street and Selma Avenue. And when the lunch hour hits, a delicious menu including salads, sandwiches and wraps is offered.

The Elodie Lunches at Carter Drug Company is back. After many weeks of driving by this popular lunch spot, I finally decided to see what all the hype was about, and I was pleasantly surprised with what I found.

After choosing my lunch, which was a wrap consisting of fresh lettuce, tomato, cheese and turkey, I enjoyed a pleasant lunch outside Carter Drugs where I could fully take in the beauty of downtown and the delightful autumn weather.

As cars buzzed by and people walked by, most of them finishing their lunch break and on their way back to work, I couldn’t help but wonder, why don’t other downtown businesses offer a weekly lunch like this?

Giving residents the opportunity to get a quick, healthy and enjoyable lunch is invaluable.

Selma definitely has its fair share of fast food restaurants. We certainly don’t need another cheeseburger or fried chicken establishment. What we need is more sit down, freshly made lunch spot options.

Elodie Lunches, to me, seem like a small town novelty of the past that should be brought back. My parents always reminisce of the days when all drug stores had a soda fountain in the back where locals could sit down and have a lunch filled with good food and good conversation.

One of my favorite places to eat while in high school was actaully at a local drug store, which offered delicious cheeseburgers, sandwiches, salads, french fries and milkshakes big enough for two.

Selma is the perfect place for lunch spots like this. With a historic downtown area, our sidewalks are the ideal place for tables filled with fresh food.

Sitting down with friends for a quick and fresh lunch certainly beats waiting in your car in a drive-thru line for a fried meal, in my opinion.

Also, now is the time to take advantage of these Elodie Lunches because soon the temperature will drop and eating lunch outside will no longer be as pleasant.

So next time you feel the urge to simply order take out or drive through a nearby fast food joint and get a greasy cheeseburger, remember there is a fresher option a short drive or walk away at Carter Drug Company. All you need is an appetite and good friend to join you.