Reimbursement for jury duty is pretty skimpy, at $15 per day beginning on the second day, plus one-way mileage. But I found abundant options for lunch on that budget, all within walking distance of the courthouse. And if there’s extra time to digest before the afternoon session, Main Street offers plenty of other diversions: I popped into The National Steinbeck Center for a dose of Salinas history, and Head Over Heels for a dose of shoes. Here’s my menu for a week of service.

Monday: Kokoro Sushi | 36 W. Gabilan St., 424-7553 On the first day of service, I went with a familiar favorite. My custom lunch-special bento box ($8.45) came with salmon teriyaki and four pieces of sashimi, with miso soup, sesame-dressed salad, rice and three pieces of California roll. It was enough bounty to make my seaweed salad ($4.95) a little unnecessary, but it was nicely done.

Tuesday: Hullabaloo | 228 S. Main St., 757-3663 In the mood for something light with a touch of indulgence, I ordered the I Love Spinach Salad ($10), tossed in spinach and basil pesto with toasted pine nuts, shaved fennel and baked goat cheese. The spinach was a little tired and the pesto on the bland side. The crispy, steamy disc of goat cheese under the greens stole the show, but I wished I’d saved some of the appetizer bread to spoon it onto. (The place has since closed, alas).

Wednesday: Habanero Cocina Mexicana | 175 Main St., 757-1975 This joint delivered on its reputation for freshness and friendliness. A lunch special ($9) brought two tender chicken soft tacos with onions and green bell pepper, served fajita-style with rice. (I skipped on the beans, which are made with lard.) But the best flavors came from Habanero’s trademark salsa, made from scratch daily. The salsa roja was solid, and I’d testify for the chipotle chopped fresh by my server.

Thursday: Eagle Restaurant | 26 W. Alisal St., 751-2312 The “No MSG” sign lured me into Alisal’s unassuming Chinese joint, and the rest was effortless. I was immediately seated and picked the spicy basil tofu ($7.60 with hot-and-sour soup and egg roll) from a diverse lunch menu. The service was impersonal – the waiter whisked by to wordlessly drop off my food, and later the check – but the food was flavorful, healthy and satisfying, with brown rice on the side ($1 extra).

Friday: Salinas Fish House | 172 Main St., 775-0175 The corner fish house has a fancy ambience, but its calamari sandwich ($9.95) was pure comfort food – nestled into thick roll with lettuce, onion and tomato, with tartar sauce for dipping. A lovingly presented side salad helped balance out the carb-versus-veggies ratio, and the doting wait staff made me feel like a VIP.