During the run-up to the presidential election, there was a lot of talk about the "lunchpail" demographic. Somehow I don’t think the pundits meant the $18 "Pinto Box" at Sepia. This striking handmade cherrywood vessel, offered every weekday for lunch, is filled with serrano ham/apple/mint sandwiches, marinated vegetable salads with ricotta crostini, fresh homemade cookies, and the like. (Actually, you get choices for all three courses.) The name is a nod to Maria Pinto, the superstar fashion designer who recently opened a store next to Sepia—and since Pinto is Michelle Obama’s favorite designer, maybe Barack is a lunchpail kind of guy after all. 123 N. Jefferson St.; 312-441-1920.

Photography: Anna Knott