The irony: Most of us who were lucky enough to have mom or dad pack us a lunch as kids didn't properly appreciate the gesture. Until we grew up into office-dwelling adults, too overworked to leave the building for sustenance. However a bevy of caterers, cafes, and even restaurants in downtown Seattle are delighted to be your lunch-packing surrogate mother…in exchange for a few bucks of course.  Batman lunchbox not included. 

All of the eateries listed below offer delivery in the downtown area, though specific boundaries vary by establishment. Some do box lunches suitable for groups, others provide straight-up menu delivery.

Amante
Creamy, franchised Italian-American food at its finest.  Plenty of pizzas, pastas, calzones, subs, and salads available. No minimum. Free delivery. amantepizzaandpasta.com.

Blueacre Seafood
Some of us want to go all out when we’re phoning in. Blueacre delivers a true restaurant meal seemingly plucked from the sea and into a box.  Take, for instance, the grilled Bristol Bay sockeye salmon salad with grilled vegetables and champagne vinaigrette for only $12.50.  All lunches come with bottled water, fruit, chips or bread, and a cookie. Vegetarian available. No minimum. Free delivery. blueacreseafood.com.

Café Two
A small café with speedy delivery of inexpensive sandwiches, salads, soups, and wraps. If the prices weren’t cheap enough already, check out the “Café Too Broke” menu options for $3 or less. Any place that serves Nutella toast gets gold stars in my book. Minimum order of $10. Free delivery. café-two.com. 

Gourmondo
From the makers of the finest salad dressings you will find in realm of delivery cuisine (think sherry vinaigrette) comes fine dining in a box for a reasonable price. The appropriately named Gourmondo offers more than 30 different box lunches for no more than $15 each. With your panino (on Le Panier baguette), wrap, or salad you will also receive chips or bread, a mixed green salad, bottled water, a petite chocolate cake, and a mint. Vegan and vegetarian available. No minimum. Delivery free from 11am - noon. gourmondocatering.com. 

Gretchen’s Shoebox
A local company also providing food for Starbucks, Gretchen’s serves its signature sandwich, salad, and wrap boxed lunches daily in a charming purple box. Keep your eyes out for seasonal monthly specials like the butternut squash and chicken wrap. All box lunches come with a roll or Tim’s Cascade chips, fresh fruit, a Schwartz Brothers Bakery cookie, and bottled water. Gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options available. No minimum. Free delivery.     gretchensshoebox.com.

Jimmy John’s
Juicy and full-bodied Chicago subs from four downtown locations. No minimum. Delivery charge varies. jimmyjohns.com.

Le Fournil
This sharp, fire-engine red box is personalized with your name and holds a decadent French sandwich, quiche, or salad, one of the many divine desserts made in-house (think fruit tarts and eclairs), and your choice of beverage, which should obviously be Perrier. Vegetarian available. No minimum. Free delivery. le-fournil.com.

Ogo! Sustainable Catering from Organic to Go
Don’t expect to feel any guilt when you open your compostable lunchbox; freely partake of its organic, seasonal, and locally grown contents. Three tiers of box lunches are available for delivery, each offering an increasing number of goodies. An extensive menu of sandwiches, salads, and wraps  is available for your ecoconscious stomach at a delivery fee of $6.95. Vegetarian and vegan available. No minimum. ogocateringwa.com.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop
Tasty hoagies, salads, soups, and shakes from several downtown locations. Fear not, caloriephobes; the signature toasted sandwiches are named after the wood-fired stove, not the paunch. Minimum order of $10. $3.50 delivery fee. potbelly.com.

Parfait Ice Cream
That’s right, ice cream delivery to your desk. Not just any ice cream either: each batch is 100 percent organic and is made of only four locally sourced ingredients. With flavors like milk chocolate chai, Meyer lemon, and blackberry beauty, it is hard to imagine there is a care in this world. Minimum order four pints. parfait-icecream.com.