Just got back from an early lunch. Didn’t have much – actually anything, for breakfast, so the hunger pains were striking around 10 a.m. I went to a local diner that has had mixed reviews. I wanted to give it a try for lunch, and I was craving a grilled chicken sandwich.
In my lifetime, I’ve probably ordered a chicken sandwich no more than five times when out to eat. I think it’s because I eat so much chicken at home, I want something else when I am out.
Anyway, down to business:
I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich which comes with fries and cole slaw, and washed it down with a diet coke. I was curious to see how this would turn out. When I got it, the appearance was good, and the slaw was in a separate bowl on the plate, which kept my slaw juice from touching my bread or my fries. Good job by the cook, I don’t like my food touching.
I was a little leery of the chicken sandwich being on bread, I am a bun man with chicken sandwiches. I got the sandwich and opened up one half, and there was barely any chicken on that side. I opened up the other and it was a little better but not great. What was going on was, the bread/tomatoes, and lettuce were the dominating factors of the sandwich. The main part of the sandwich – the meat – should always be what stands out. Not the bread or bun, or other toppings. So, it was disappointing that the chicken breast was so little. They actually could have put one breast on each side of the sandwich, that would have been ideal. It tasted good, just needed more meat. When I was two bites into one half of the sandwich the meat was gone, so I had a tomato, cheese, mayo and lettuce sandwich. I thought, you know, if I had some bacon, this could be a good BLT. So, do I order a side of bacon if I get the chicken sandwich again, and turn it into a chicken and BLT sandwich? Two half sandwiches for one?
It was very slow in the restaurant. After one couple left and another guy got some food to go, I was the only one in the restaurant beside the two cooks and server.
I noticed that immediately after my food was brought out both cooks made a mad dash right to the bathroom. This concerned me – what was going through the cooks mind when making my food? Was he thinking “oh man, I got to hurry up and make this sandwich because I really have to take a dump?” Or. “Oh god, I am going to piss my pants if I don’t get this done.” When I walked in he was sitting in the restaurant on his cell phone. So, in a ten minute span he went from front of the restaurant, to making a sandwich, to who knows what in the bathroom. The other cook, a female, came and went to the bathroom as well, but she seemed obsolete (not because she was female, but because I don’t think she had much to do with my sandwich).
As I was eating I felt the three employees were staring at me – they all looked bored. Then I noticed in the back, the cook had a laptop computer up. I then thought – was he watching video of himself making my food? Maybe there is a “cook cam” hooked up in the kitchen that is used as a method of training for the kitchen workers? Was he watching how he made my sandwich? Could he tell when he moved to the left or right a bit, and that urge to “squeeze back in” whatever it is he had to dispose of in the bathroom started coming on? Was it a camera from a few angles? What did he learn from this sandwich making experience? Did he drop the fries at the right time? Was the timing down? There are all sorts of options or angles that could have developed from a potential cook cam and video review.
Or, was he watching cooking video highlights on You Tube? Or maybe the Food Network, getting some tips and ideas? There was a ton of possibilities.
When it was time to go my server brought me my check and placed it on the table upside down. Why do servers give you your check upside down? Is it like it’s going to be a surprise when you turn it over? I knew my lunch was $6.99 when I ordered, and my soda was $1.85. When I turned it over, sure enough, with tax, it was $9.41. It’s probably just an old habit.
Anyway my lunch experience was overall, a C. I tried something new that I don’t eat much at a place I haven’t ate at much before. The real test will come in the future. I noticed after I ordered they have a hot roast beef and gravy sandwich on the menu. Any restaurant that wants to succeed must make this sandwich successfully. I look forward to going back to give it a try. Hopefully the meat will dominate the bread, not the bread dominating the meat.
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