Photo taken by Andrew Fabian

In the first Matrix film, there’s a scene where Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, joins the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar for his first real meal after being unplugged from his robot-induced coma. The crew slops gruel onto their plates as Tank, the muscular ship mechanic, explains to Neo that the unappetizing food contains a perfectly balanced amount of nourishment for the post-apocalyptic human. “It has everything the body needs,” says Tank, as the rest of the crew grumbles and muses on the nature of what is essentially human feed.

The gruel looks bland, to be sure, but the idea of a ready-made, nutritious, balanced, complete meal sounds intriguing if for nothing more than its efficiency. The modern grocery stores certainly boasts any number of meal replacement bars, meal replacement shakes or “healthy” frozen meals, all of them assuring you that flavor has not been sacrificed for the convenience of not having to prep your own meal. But this is a lie.  

Fortunately, we don’t currently inhabit a post-apocalyptic hellscape in Sarasota and the culinary landscape is riddled with meals that are balanced, inexpensive and tasty. At Café Epicure on the corner of Palm Avenue and Main Street, a lunch of spaghetti carbonara fits that very description. Made in its most rustic, traditional form, the dish features a mound of spaghetti tossed with a combination of egg yolks, crispy bits of pancetta cooked in their own fat, black pepper and a dash of starchy pasta water. Loaded with carbs and protein, a little carbonara goes a long way. It will only set you back $15 and, equally as important, it’s a delicious meal for the pre-apocalyptic human.

Photo taken by Andrew Fabian

Café Epicure, 1298 N Palm Avenue, Sarasota