As you may remember, as well as bizarre morning marmite rituals, the Armenian deli around the corner does delicious food, but getting hold of it sometimes requires a surreal transaction with good cop/bad cop staff, and you may not necessarily get what you asked for. Here are a few classic examples from recent personal experience:
| What you want, lady? | What you get, lady? |
| Baked potato with cheese and beans | Small salad (no nuts) |
| Medium cappuccino and an apple danish | Expresso and a croissant |
| Chicken tikka on a granary bap with salad | Italian chicken with coleslaw on white baguette |
| Cheese salad on brown, no tomatoes | Mozarella and Tomato on lavash bread |
| Tabbouleh and hummus on lavash | Tabbouleh and hummus on a baked potato |
| Mediterranean roasted vegetables on ciabatta | Ham salad bap |
Sigh.
The thing is, bad cop seems to only be able to process one conceptual ingredient at a time. Ask for mozarella and avocado on brown and you get cheese and ham on a bagel. She just fixates on the concept of “cheese” and the rest is mere detail. It’s refreshing, if a little…um…surprising, sometimes.
Every lunchtime is an adventure. Who else can claim the same?
