In my ongoing effort to eat well and cheaply I headed off to one of my favorite little soup and sandwich joints for lunch today. I ordered the same item I usually do, a spinach base with some green peppers, mushrooms, cucumbers, chick peas and olives. No dressing a couple of croutons and good to go. The guy behind the counter grabs the ingredients as you select them and then tosses them together for you. It’s actually pretty efficient and the portions are generous. I mean I’ve eaten at this place probably 20 times.
So anyway, I dug into the salad today, accompanied by a steaming hot cup of apple and cinnamon tea. While I munched away I read a book that my basherit Brenda sent me and relaxed. As I got to the bottom of my salad for some reason I decided to stop reading and started to let my mind wander. I dug my fork into what was maybe the 4th or 5th to last bite and then something made me look into that remaining portion of food and kind of examine it. As I tend to be captain oblivious it is difficult for me to convey the degree of shock I felt when I peered into the pile of chick peas and couple of mushroom remnants to see, nestled between them, a small brown shriveled and very dead roach.
It was all I could do to throw the remainder of my “meal” away and walk out of the crowded restaurant. I thought for a moment about complaining, but then I wondered what good it would really do, and I didn’t want to have to carry the insect laden thing back to the counter. I don’t know, I probably didn’t do the right thing, but my instinct was to flee, and flee I did.
So far I feel okay, and really all I’m thinking about at this point is how many roaches I have managed to consume since living in New York. Because, like I said, I am not one to be particularly observant, and if they were gonna slip through the cracks on anyone, it would definitely be me.
I guess it is as they say.. Protein right? Meh. What can you do?
AHHHH!!!!!! EW!!!!!
At least it was dead.
Can’t decide if this tops my ants in the pancake syrup experience at Cafe 821. No, I think the dead roach is worse than the teeny ants.
Oh it was icky indeed. But yes, at least it was dead and at least I didn’t have to fish it out of my mouth or anything. ooooh yuck, the thought of that makes me want to go brush me teeth.
I was ok until I read your “fish it out of my mouth” comment.
I’m so grossed out. Poor Jill. You did the right thing to cut and run.
How about I leave you with this: a used band-aid in my salad cured me from EVAR eating at a buffet again.
*cringe*
So, if it makes you feel any better, we have a house pet, “Gerald”…the little mouse that runs from apartment to apartment. we know when he makes his way through the walls to the neighbor’s place because she screams at the top of her lungs and starts banging. Gerald promptly enters our place through the crack under the door and hides in our pantry in another hole in the wall.
So, it could be worse. A roach one day, or a mouse every day?
BTW, how did you like the books? Miss you. xxoo