Trusting Person

I am a relatively trusting individual...okay maybe not, but I have gotten out of the habit of double checking my order every time I get food to go. This past week however has taught me (twice!) to stop having faith in the food industry.

Episode I: Sunday evening, tired from a fun day outdoors in the beautiful weather, I stopped at the Daily for a burger. I placed my order with the friendly bartender (one I hadn't seen before) of a medium bacon cheeseburger with cheddar cheese and tater tots as my side (the ability to order tater tots as a side is one of the main reasons I frequent the Daily so much, that and it's two blocks down the street helps). He repeats my order to me and punches it into the computer. He even brings me a glass of water as I wait (with no request from me). The familiar site of a plastic bag tied up around the take out Styrofoam container shows up and he repeats my order again - burger, medium, cheddar, bacon, tater tots. Yup, I say, smile and head out the door. I get home and open my box of deliciousness to find a bacon cheeseburger and fries?! I am not a huge fan of fries (especially take out, since they get soggy pretty quick) but it's not worth hauling my ass back down to the bar so I dig into my burger instead. It might have been the rarest piece of meat I had ever eaten. Now I can dig a rare steak, but this was hamburger and there is nothing so unappealing as a cold, slightly gummy (as rare cow can get) burger. At this point I'm too tired and bummed out about my food to go back, so I just eat around the part still mooing in the center and nibble at a few of the less clammy fries.

Episode II: Wednesday morning, running late (my theme for this summer) I stop at the Dunkin Donuts in my El station. I get my standard coffee (medium with cream and sugar) and a plain cinnamon raisin bagel. Toss the bagel in my bag and head off to work. About two hours later I pull out the bagel, ready to eat and find that instead of a plain bagel I have a plain bagel, sliced and smothered in a mountain of plain cream cheese. Normally I like cream cheese, but I wasn't expecting it, and after two hours the bagel looked as though it had gotten sort of soggy (which is less than appealing). So I ended up chucking it in the trash and going to the DD by my work to try again.

Frustrating! But I guess now I know to double check all my food.

Post Script - When will I learn?! Episode III: Went to Cosi on Michigan for lunch and got a salad to go. Continued my walk south on Michigan to just next to the Art Institute where there is a nice, shaded fountain area. Opened bag...no fork.