Lunch Time...I'll Have A Sandwich.....

As I’m on line at a famous fast food sandwich shop and deciding which kind of bread to choose, I start day dreaming about all of the Mom and Pop deli’s that I’ve been to in my life. There really are hardly any of them by my neck of the woods anymore.

I remember the days of walking into a Mom and Pop deli, seeing the same friendly smiling faces working behind the counter. They give you a big, “Good Afternoon”, or “Hey! How are you?”, to greet you as you look over the great assortment of cold cuts and antipasta salads. “The usual?” they would ask. You feel so content knowing that you have this one on one relationship with the people handcrafting your delicious fresh turkey and cheese sandwich. But this sandwich romancing does come with a price. These sandwiches could cost you anywhere from 8 bucks and up. Not including a drink or chips. A sandwich with no chips is like a pail without its shovel in my book.

I snap out of my daydream as I am asked, “What would you like?” by the girl behind the counter. I suddenly find myself quickly spurting out my order, “Half whole wheat with turkey and cheese,… toasted”. I make sure that I hurry along while I place it, so not to annoy the seven people behind me. You know everyone is thinking the same thing while waiting on line, “Geesh, I hope that person only orders one sandwich, or I hope they don’t stand there staring at the menu for five minutes”. It’s somewhat a bit of pressure.

I am not knocking down these commercialized places, truly. They really are more economical than a traditional Mom and Pop deli. But there is just something robotic about it, like an assembly line. I guess this is why it is cheaper, and quicker. You don’t need to have a relationship with anyone behind the counter. Everyone is the same, you know, “What would you like?”, and the sandwiches taste just as good, well sometimes.

So the next time you do go to a typical Mom and Pop deli shop, just realize how great it is. The friendly staff behind the counter cutting up the cold cut slices for you, fresh from the cold cut slicer. You can ask Mom or Pop exactly what brand turkey they are serving you, and they know the name, where it came from, and how fresh it is. You have so many other choices for a side like macaroni salad, cold slaw, or just plain old juicy pickles, along with your bag of chips of course.