Tag Archives: lunch

A Hero Walks Among You. (Hint: It’s me.)

4 Feb

Today, while you were wasting your afternoon tweeting or trying to pretend you were engaged on a conference call, I was off saving a life. Let me set the scene for you…

I was at Pret-A-Manger, catching up with my friend Lynne over a cup of soup, when we were suddenly distracted by a little bird flying around inside the restaurant. To take advantage of the warmer temperatures, someone had propped the door open, and apparently a little sparrow had found its way into the building.

What probably stemmed from a place of curiosity (what IS that place?) or greed (holy shit – look at all that BREAD!) had obviously morphed into sheer panic. The bird kept zooming toward the windows, trying desperately to get out – only to crash into the glass and fall, stunned, to the floor.

As soon as we realized what was happening, I tried to help it. Apparently, however, it didn’t WANT help, because it zoomed away as I approached it. It took another shot at leaving – by way of the corner windows, right above a couple eating lunch. It tumbled to the ground.

I don’t know if the woman half of the couple had seen Hitchcock’s “Birds” one too many times, or if she was worried about getting crapped on, but she slid out of her chair with a haste I previously associated only with grease fires. Her date remained seated, cautiously pulling all their food across the table until it was safely protected by his arms.

Without asking, I took my entry and slid over her seat, finding the little bird sitting dazed on the floor under the table. Before it could get its bearings, I scooped it up, gently closing my hands around it. It began nipping at my hand as I carried it outside. I don’t speak “bird” but I’m pretty sure it was saying, “THANK YOU for getting me away from that crazy broad.”

Within seconds, I had it tucked in a flower planter outside, where it could calm down and catch its little birdie breath before flying away. As I rejoined Lynne, she quipped, “Hmm… I hadn’t realized Pret was expanding their menu.”

Had Alan been there, he would’ve agreed – he always says he’ll eat anything he can catch. I guess if that idea took off, they might want to change their name. Prêt-Attraper DOES have a certain ring to it.

So in summary: Unless you saved an animal this afternoon, you need to try a little harder.

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Hmmm… perhaps I’ve just stumbled upon a new career path? Clearly there’s a need.

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Lunch Break Overload

16 Nov

I usually eat lunch at my desk, hunched over my keyboard. Bad habit, I know, but my days often don’t even hold time for bathroom breaks, so the idea of having 30 minutes of solitude to dine seems rather far-fetched. (Maybe there’s a new year’s resolution in there?) 

Friday, however, I was forced to venture outside my building to pick up food because I hadn’t brought anything from home. I was in a hurry (ten minutes between calls) so the best option was Pret-A-Manger, since they are located right below my building and have pre-made soups/sandwiches that allow me to just grab and go.

While my break to pick up food was only ten minutes, it still provided enough space to switch gears, make some observations and think about something other than work for a brief spell. Here’s where my head went…

As I walked through our building’s lobby, I saw that our concierge, Frank, had a vase of flowers bearing a sign that said, “Happy World Kindness Day, Cecil!” I stopped briefly to compliment them on the flowers. “Those are beautiful, Frank. But why do they say Cecil?”

Frank – who seems to be eternally cheerful, despite his chronic limp that makes me imagine he was mangled in an industrial accident of some sort before moving to the US – smiled and said, “Cecil is my name.”

“Then why do we call you Frank?” I asked, puzzled.

“That I do not know. Frank is my last name,” he told me.

Hmmm. For almost three years, we’ve been greeting him by his last name? And he’s cheerfully wished us – “his cherished tenants” – a wonderful day anyway? Yeesh. “I’m sorry, Cecil! From here on out, we’ll use your first name, OK?”

“That does sound like a splendid plan,” he answered, smiling.

I was still scratching my head as I walked out and saw a homeless man rattling his cup for change. I looked around and noticed that most people walked past wearing earbuds, not even hearing the coins he shook. I found myself wondering how iPhones and earbuds have changed pandhandling.

And because I’d been working on sales training at work, my mind jumped to the increasing challenge salespeople face in connecting with buyers via the phone. “Interesting,” I thought. “As technology becomes more advanced, it’s harder for both salespeople and beggars to reach their prospects. Hmmmm…”

Before leaping to the conclusion that many salespeople could be classified as salaried beggars, I found myself in Pret-A-Manger, where I grabbed a small tomato-feta soup and was out the door two minutes later. This prompted me to create a quick list of what I love about Pret-A-Manger:

  • The packaging (it’s minimal and recyclable)
  • The efficiency of the purchase (just grab and go)
  • The convenience of the location near my office
  • The fact that they control the napkin distribution and don’t offer them automatically (which I assume significantly reduces waste since most people grab fistfuls of napkins that they subsequently throw away, unused, when left to their own devices)

Do you notice what’s missing from that list of what I love about Pret-A-Manger? Um, yeah – the FOOD. Whoever determines their menu has a love affair with mayonnaise, thus ruining everything but the tomato-feta soup for me.

I momentarily got excited last year when they introduced bacon mac and cheese – until I tried it and realized it contained cauliflower lumps. WHAT? I’m not a pre-schooler who hates vegetables – please don’t sneak them into my food, screwing with the texture and ruining my go-to comfort food.

Actually, on second thought, maybe their menu planner is a mom from Ohio. I’ll keep my eyes out for new casserole options that feature CheezWhiz and condensed cream of mushroom soup as ingredients.

Without realizing it, I was back at my desk, hunched over my tomato soup, answering the phone for my next call, and amazed by how much ground my mind covered in such a short walk. Maybe there’s something to be said for stepping away from your desk…

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This almost feels blasphemous.

22 Jun

Anyone who knows me is aware of my addition to Mac-N-Cheese.

If I go to a fancy restaurant and there’s a version with truffle oil and gruyere? Yes, please. Make that two.

If I’m home and my cupboards are bare? You’ll always find a box of Kraft Mac N’Cheese on hand, even if you have to move spices to find the emergency box.

If I host book club and find myself with odd bricks of left-over cheese? Come back in 24 hours and I’ll have a Pyrex dish with the homemade variety, including chunks of smoked ham in it.

What I’m trying to say is, I’m something of a fan. I wouldn’t say connoisseur, because that implies I’m picky. And really, it’s pretty rare for me to meet mac-n-cheese that doesn’t make my flip my wig.

So it’s a bit painful to write this review of CapMac, because I really wanted to like it. But I didn’t.

Pesto Pasta Salad. Big Whoop.

Continue reading →

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Not all food on wheels moves me.

21 Jun

My first forays into food trucks were wildly satisfying. So much so that I felt like my mini-reviews had all the bite of Helen Thomas’s coverage of the White House.

Fortunately (for my credibility as an objective reviewer, if not for my stomach), I’ve had a few less impressive experiences this past week.

Continue reading →

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Further adventures in workday tailgating. Or food trucks.

2 Jun

In keeping with my Summer Challenge (by which I mean trying a new food truck each week, hardship that it is), today I found myself hovering between three trucks, completely indecisive. There was Stix (which does veggie, meat, or fruit kabobs on the grill), Tasty Kabob (ironically, less kabob-by than Stix, but featuring gyros and halal meat), and Sauça Pangea (more eclectic world cuisine).

I took a false step toward each truck, got in the longest line (Kabob) and then felt guilty for not patronizing the underdog, so shifted to Sauça at the last minute. Man, I’m glad I did.

Sure, I’ll try the others later this summer (they looked great as well), but the menu at Sauça really just struck my cravings. Even after making the shift, I was torn on what to get. The menu options (each for $8) included: Mumbai Butter Chicken, Polpette Marineara and Mexicali Fish Tacos.

I got (also for $8) the Beef Shawarma. I was not disappointed. Loads of sliced, flavored beef served on a fluffy pita with fresh tomatoes, spices and — the dealmaker: a great chimichurri sauce? Heaven.

As I counted out my singles, the guy working the register (sitting in what appeared to be the passenger seat of the van) was singing along to “Billie Jean,” which didn’t exactly blast onto the sidewalk, but appeared to give the truck a rocking internal beat.

Late for a meeting (but sad to miss the moonwalk), I grabbed my food to go and toted it back to my office, where the entire DC team was holed up in a meeting.

I took a seat at the table, and as soon as I unveiled my sandwich, then meeting derailed.

“Holy shit,” someone said. “Where did you get that?”

I explained that it came from a food truck, and then was rewarded by getting to explain what a food truck was, making me happy that I was not, in fact, the last person on the bandwagon. (“There will be dolls uglier than you, Jillian,” I thought with a smile.)

By the time I peeled back the foil and revealed the full glory (and aroma) of the shawarma, every person at the table was drooling asking me to draw a map to the truck. And I couldn’t blame them: it was fabulous.

The only downside to the meal: chimichurri in my teeth. But that’s not actually Sauça’s fault. That blame goes to my orthodontist, Dr. Balbach (rhymes with Ball-Sack) for ambitiously providing me with a straight smile AND a facial herb rack.

In summary: I definitely recommend visiting this truck (in fact, I can’t wait to try some of the other menu items), but I advise bringing dental floss if you don’t want to look like a carved up jack-o-lantern when you’re done eating. In other words: BYODF.

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