Thursday, November 15, 2007

Chutney Chicken Salad Salad, please

Yesterday I was at Stanford for a seminar and I went out to lunch with the seminar speaker and 2 PhD students. We went to the museum cafe, which has three sections on its menu: Salads, Soups and Sandwiches. I ordered a Chutney Chicken Salad at the counter, took my number and went to find a table.

A few minutes later, the waiter brings me a sandwich. I take it back in and say that I ordered a salad and go back outside. A minute later, the manager comes out and very snootily informs me that I ordered the sandwich. I said "I ordered the Chutney Chicken Salad". He says (again in his snooty voice) "If you wanted the salad, you have to ask for the Chutney Chicken Salad Salad. "

So the default is to assume that when a customer asks for a salad, they want a sandwhich unless they specifically state that they want a salad salad? My lunchmates teased me that in Berkeley, the default must be salad. That's right. Where I come from, if you want a sandwich, you have to specify "I would like the chutney chicken salad sandwich sandwich, please." Otherwise you'll find yourself looking at a chutney chicken salad sandwich salad.

1 comment:

louisgray said...

Of course they were snooty. It WAS Stanfurd, right?

If you wanted real food, you should have skipped the meal and gone to Top Dog instead.