Jim and I were both off work around lunchtime today and decided to stop at what had been a cheese, deli, sandwiches, and wine shop. The place had been closed and reopened as a cheese, deli, sandwiches, and wine shop – but with a new name.
We went in and went up to the deli counter, straining to read the menu board. The couple in front of us tried to order sandwiches and were told those could be ordered at the bar. They were escorted back past the front door to a small bar and given menus. I got menus for us and glanced at it and decided on a turkey wrap – and noted that it came with chips. I grabbed us cokes from the cooler and we set those down on the counter of the bar to save seats while we went and picked out our chips.
With chips and drinks, we sat down at the bar to order our sandwiches. The clerk at the bar seemed surprised that we were sitting down and said we could sit there if we wanted to, but that there was more seating in the back and that the bar was for waiting for the to-go orders. We asked if we could order and take the sandwiches back to the seating area, but were told that there were waitresses there.
So, we got up and headed to the back seating area where we were told we could sit where-ever we wanted.
Note that this was the first thing we had done that we couldn’t have gotten wrong – though we did get some dirty looks from the guy at the table near the one we picked once we started to – gasp – talk quietly to each other.
The waitress comes over and we’re ready to order, except that the sandwiches come with chips and the bags we picked out could not be substituted. We could get the bags of chips as well, but would be charged separately. I offered to put them back but the waitress said she could do that. She asked if we had already paid for the bottled drinks, since we should have ordered those with our meal instead of bringing them with us from the front of the shop. She offered to add those to our meal.
We agreed to that and noted that this whole experience had been confusing – she said that a lot of people get confused.
Jim and I sat quietly, brooding as she went to put the order in. Both of us wanting to vent, but were mindful of the small restaurant and the proximity of the waitress.
Our food arrived and we cracked open our sodas and started on the sandwiches. We ate in peace for the most part, though the waitress kept coming over to see how things were – but I think secretly hoping we would wrap things up and leave soon.
The to-go box she brought over for Jim at his request was almost too big for the table and my card didn’t work at the register – she had to take it to another machine to run it.
When we were done, I considered the tempting door near us labeled Exit, but decided to track back through the shop to the way we had come in – that near Exit was likely a fire escape or something. I also kept my receipt in hand in case we were challenged on our illicit sodas.
We got out to the car and remarked that while the food was good – if a little pricey – the experience of being so wrong about everything for so long meant we weren’t likely to go back anytime soon.
Though I guess since I’ve written this down we should be prepared for the next trip.
Maybe we’ll get it right – or maybe they will have put up some signs in the meantime.