Eat Fresh
November 23, 2004
After work the other day I was feeling a bit hungry. Lately I’ve been skipping out on lunch and breakfast because either I’m too engrossed in whatever project I’m working on or I forget to bring the packed lunch (like this morning for instance).
As I’m driving down the road a thought comes to mind, “Wow, I haven’t been to Palermo’s Sub Shop in a few months. Wonder how my Sub making buddies are doing.” I pull up in the parking lot and enter the sub place and order the usual; a meatball sub with sliced mozzerella on top. After ordering I casually walk over and get a drink from the soda fountain and wait patiently while the “Sub Artist” does his thing.
Eventually the guy comes over with two sandwiches? I was in a panic, it was as if all the air in my lungs had been sucked out of me. Why, why, two sandwiches? That’s when I realized, he split the two halves. This is where this sub story gets weird.
The guy takes my credit card, slips it through what I call the “credit crack” and it takes about 15 years to authorize the transaction. In the mean time we chat about life and eventually he realizes the receipt machine has no power. I let out a laugh that exudes a mixture of “how funny” and “Dude, what is your problem?” and finally it works.
He hands me the receipt to sign and in an awkward moment says, “Well, it’s been great hanging out with you man.” Like I said, awkward to say the least and yet at one point I think I wanted to give him a hug, thank him for making my sub and tip him for the service. In the end I decided not to, thinking it might have been going against the Sub Makers union.
Someday, when all of the sub shop artists are replaced by sub-making robots I’ll miss these kinds of moments.
18 comments
You should always hug (manly-type hug) a good sandwich man. They are a rare breed.
I just realized I hadn’t had a meatball sub in a long time. Hello, lunch!
by Max on November 23, 2004 at 11:45 am. #
“Credit crack”.… heh, I couldn’t have said it better.
That receipt machine episode should qualify for a Homer Simpson “D’oh” Award, or something like that.
by beto on November 23, 2004 at 12:33 pm. #
Yep, there definitely is much to be said about someone who actually is making you a sandwich and not just slapping meat, cheese, and veggies in between two slabs of bread while they are thinking to themselves “Dude, why did I drink so much last night” or “Dude, I can’t wait to smoke that next bowl on my break”. Any ideas to the chain sub shop I am referring to? Yeah, you’ve been to one.
by Chad on November 23, 2004 at 2:05 pm. #
Chad: Yeah, fast food subs is more like it.
by kartooner on November 23, 2004 at 2:46 pm. #
It seems like the people at sub shops (real sub shops) are always crazy characters. Austin has a lot of people living what might be described as a bohemian lifestyle, and they all work at Thundercloud Subs. They can start a discussion about the craziest stuff you have ever heard. I once had a fifteen minute conversation about some mythical land named Artasia, where artists live in peace and harmony.
On a side note, the girlfriend seems to think these people are dirty…haha. She’s fond of singing the commercial jingle for Thundercloud, and replacing “subs” with “sucks”. Damn women.
by Greg on November 23, 2004 at 4:03 pm. #
I don’t know what kind of crack you’re smoking, but sandwiches are so 1995. Try a chicken wrap or a gyro. Maybe then you won’t have issues with credit-cards since chicken wrap places have the new hi-tech machines and gryo places only take cash.
by Pauly D on November 23, 2004 at 5:34 pm. #
Pauly: If I’m hungry for a chicken wrap I don’t go for just any ordinary wrap, no, rather I need it Buffalo-style with a teaspoon-sized dollip of blue cheese dressing on top (the only time I’ll eat blue cheese).
By the way, I might have to purchase your book Paul. I love it when people prod Fortune 500 companies with nonsensical questions.
by kartooner on November 23, 2004 at 6:02 pm. #
I’d pass on the wrap, and get a burrito.
by Greg on November 23, 2004 at 6:33 pm. #
Well, I definitely won’t complain if you buy my book.
But I will complain if I can’t figure out how to have a cool icon like everyone else seems to have in this thread.
by Pauly D on November 23, 2004 at 7:06 pm. #
Paul, all you need to do is upload your icon at Gravatar and set up an account. Use the same email you’ve used on other sites (or blogs) and viola, your chosen icon will appear.
by kartooner on November 23, 2004 at 10:10 pm. #
Oh, sandwiches, well made, are truly great.
I love them.
by Indranil on November 24, 2004 at 3:43 am. #
Seeing as though the conversation has led itself to sandwiches, I wonder, what is your favorite sandwich?
I’ll start by saying that my favorite sandwich is none other than a Philly Cheesesteak and for a time it was Roastbeef with Au Jus. I can remember on vacations with my family I’d order the same thing every night it seemed and on one particular trip I was ordering only Roast Beef Sandwiches. The following year I ordered only Grilled Cheese. Yeah, I was an odd kid when I look back at my childhood.
by kartooner on November 24, 2004 at 9:31 am. #
There’s a great little place here in Omaha — not sure if it is a chain or what — called The Buffalo Company. They make a hot sub called the Royal, which is toasted bread, dijon mustard, oil, vinegar, onions, lettuce, italian sausage, bacon, and capicola. Oh man, the pork-on-pork action will damn near kill you, but it is good stuff.
by Max on November 24, 2004 at 12:59 pm. #
Hehe… “credit crack.”
And aww man… that guy sounds lonely or something. You should have given him the hug!
by Seth Thomas Rasmussen on November 24, 2004 at 3:05 pm. #
I’m not that big into sandwiches unless it’s dripping with steak and cheese (yes, I know Subway has something like this). However, I prefer a place by me called Chipotle (they may be national). The chipotle-artists(?) make the biggest fattest burritos right in front of you with your choice of fixings. Mmmm mmmm good.
by chopsocky on November 25, 2004 at 11:34 am. #
Mark: I know just what you mean, Chiptole are awesome. Whenever my wife and I vacation in California we always make time to stop there with our friends. When we moved to New York two years ago I was saddened by the fact that Chiptole was nowhere to be found in our area.
Chiptole burritos are so bulky that they tend to crumble on you after the first bite.
by kartooner on November 25, 2004 at 12:12 pm. #
Man oh man. There is nothing better to me than a turkey sandwich. Toast me up some wheat bread, throw some cheese on it, and some fresh deli turkey, and I’m done for.
by Fernando Dunn II on November 26, 2004 at 10:51 pm. #
I prefer Subway, since they don’t make sandwhiches as big as the one you pictured. Unless that’s a 12 inch next to a 6 inch.
by CarLBanks on November 30, 2004 at 4:35 pm. #