Hospitals are rarely known for having good food. Even with an employee discount, it's not always worth spending your lunch break on the main floor of an establishment. My favorite hospital cafeteria idea comes from the VA Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last time I was there, the cafeteria space had actually been rented out and it looked like a food court in a mall with a small variety of about four fast food chain restaurants.

Florida Hospital has long been an institution with a higher caliber of cafeteria items. I remember as a student enjoying the substantial salad bar in the Seasons Cafe at Celebration Health, the Florida Hospital-owned medical center for Walt Disney World. You could always find me requesting a vegetarian Caesar Salad (that was to die for) at least two days a week.

Times have changed since I was a nuclear medicine student. The latest addition would be the Ginsburg Tower. Built and completed in late 2008, the building makes Florida Hospital Orlando, the tallest hospital in Florida. For us, the new cafeteria which appears to be all vegetarian is just as important. They have been quite creative in their menu-making.

There is a Creation Soup (obviously named after Creation Health), but we didn't taste it to see what type of creation it was. Paul had one of the salad suggestions with sweet and savory items, including edamame and fruit, in a sweet dressing served with a wheat roll. I had a grilled eggplant panini, where the eggplant had been pre-grilled and was a tad cold, served with Terra Cotta chips. I think what is supposed to make the sandwich special is the vegetable mayonnaise, but I couldn't quite get my tongue around it. I also saw a variety of pizzas, macaroni and cheese, and mashed sweet potatoes. Clearly, this hospital is planning to make a big statement about quality cafeteria food to match all of its other positive reputations.