In Panama City there are many little cafeterias with chafing tables at which you can get lunch for two bucks or less, or spend slightly more if you want. There are various genres of such places, but the norm is a lunch deal for $1.25 to $1.75, which includes a plate of rice, maybe a bit of salad or some steamed veggies, often a slice or two of plantain and some meat, poultry or fish. We do have health inspectors in this country and these places are generally safe. I frequently eat at such establishments.

On Tuesdays at noon I often attend the science lectures at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's Tupper Center in Ancon. This place is more or less where the old Tivoli Hotel was, but let us not mistake the cafeteria at this institution with yesteryear's elegant dining at the Tivoli.

Still, on Tuesdays I often get lunch at this cafeteria, often the fairly standard $1.75 "executive menu" rice and something offering. But on a couple of accounts, this is more than the standard.

First, you're dealing with a US government institution. As such, budget and cultural considerations make this cafeteria much cleaner and better maintained than most others of its size in this country.

Second, you're dealing with an outpost of North American academia, which in its diversity will have vegetarians, vegans and people who observe various religious dietary restrictions. Of course, if you are extremely strict about keeping Kosher or Halal, there is no guarantee that the stainless steel fork you use wasn't used for cheese yesterday and meatballs the week before, or that the chafing dish from which your selection was served never held pork. But still, there's usually an executive menu option that's meatless, and you can always get various salad and fruit options if animal protein doesn't appeal to you at the moment.

And thus I'd have to rate this little cafeteria as worthy of mention, a couple of cuts above the great majority of the rest.

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