Stopping By The Woods

One of the nice things about working in a busy, downtown metropolitan area is being able to go out and walk to a variety of decent restaurants. One of my favorites is a little deli called Safier. It was a cool, brisk afternoon, and evidently quite a few people had the same lunch idea as I did yesterday. The place was packed, with no open tables, but I ordered anyway, thinking that by the time my food was ready someone would get up and leave.

Well, my order was ready pretty fast, and there was no place open. The waiter there, a really cool guy, said for me to come with him, he would sit me down with a couple of people. I guess in larger cities that happens frequently, you share a table with a stranger, but frankly, here in the “River City,” I have not had that happen too often.

Anyway, I was seated with two very nice women, I think their names were Meredith and Nicole (bad on remembering names but I remember faces). It was like sitting down to eat with old friends. We talked freely about work (they work at Seven Counties Services), life, pets, travel, Christmas plans, etc. It was a wonderful, human experience. Great food, connecting with total strangers. Lunch should always be that good.