Question: I was downtown for a matinee at the Aronoff Center for the Arts and had a hard time finding a place to eat lunch. Who's open downtown for lunch on Saturday and Sunday?

        Answer: Restaurants downtown are geared to feeding lunch to workers during the week, so many close during the day on weekends.

        But there are several places to enjoy lunch or brunch before a matinee at the Aronoff, Ensemble Theatre or Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival — or a Bengals game, for that matter.

        These restaurants are open during the day on both Saturday and Sunday:

        • The Albee, in the Westin, has a lunch buffet on Saturday and a brunch on Sunday.

        • Champs, at the Hyatt, is open Saturday for lunch, and Sunday for brunch from 9 a.m.-noon, then lunch.

        • Akash India is open both weekend days, as are Bruegger's Bagels, Cafe Cin-Cin, First Watch, Longhorn Steakhouse, Uno's and Rock Bottom. Also serving lunch both days are Tina's at Fourth and Central and Kaldi's in Over-the- Rhine. (Today could be different because of Oktoberfest.)

        There's another group of downtown restaurants open for lunch on Saturday, but not Sunday. They include Arloi Dee Thai restaurant, Cafe de Paris, the Palm Court in the Netherland Plaza, Redfish Looziana Roadhouse, Washington Platform, Hathaway's in the Carew Tower Arcade, Barleycorn's, Izzy's, the Palace at the Cincinnatian, Palomino Euro Bistro, Champ's in the Hyatt and Wah Mee. Also open for lunch Saturday are BarrelHouse Brewing Co. and the Courtyard Cafe, both in Over-the-Rhine.

       Send questions to dining critic Polly Campbell by fax: 768-8330; e-mail: pcampbell@enquirer.com.
       

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