I Wonder If Busboys and Poets Have Good 'Real' Food

    
     I met an old co-worker for lunch to discuss a business proposal.  She had call me a couple of days before stating she needed my assistance.  We both agreed that Busboys and Poets would be a good location.  Although I was starving, no breakfast which is unusual for me, I knew Ms. L would not eat until after discussing her proposal.  I secretly hoped Ms. L would be not be long winded.


     Ms. L arrived before me and secured a good table where we could talk and review the information on her laptop.  The waitress gave us our menus.   We ordered WATER, but I scanned the menu.  Ms. L was clear to tell the waitress that we would not be ordering for a while.  She began her presentation without looking at the menu.


     The presentation was exciting.  Ms. L had a business proposal to start a new gluten free and vegetable based café' that offered rolls, cakes, and other sweets.  It would offer high school students with intellectual disabilities an opportunity to be mentored and possibly employed or assisted in starting their own incubator company.  It sounded great.  As she showed pages and pages of information, the waitress kept coming by to get our order.  Ms. L kept telling the waitress we would order later.  Meanwhile I saw plates and plates of delicious looking and smelling food go pass me.  It took all my strength not to grab a French fry as it went by me to the table next to us.


     After over a hour or viewing websites, proposals and chitchat, Ms. L was almost ready to order.  However, prior to ordering, she had to take a phone call.  As she went outside to talk, I order another glass of WATER and hungrily scanned the menu.   I couldn't decide between the burger or pizza.  I figured I would see what she ordered.


     A half hour later Ms. L returned.  She mentioned that the call concerned problems with her unemployment compensation.  She took the menu and stated for me to order what I wanted.  She would be paying for my lunch.  I looked again over the menu and asked her what she will be having.  She stated that she will be ordering soup.  She loved the Harira soup - Moroccan bean soup.  She would order that with tortilla chips on the side.  I felt like somebody had punch me in the stomach.  Who the hell orders just soup.  Quickly the thoughts of a burger or a  pizza evaporated.  How can I order a meal when she ordered soup.  I took a sip of my WATER and ordered the beef chili which came with tortilla chips. 


     I was glad the order came quickly.  I devoured my chili and chips in a heart beat.  My chili was good but my stomach was empty.  I looked at the large bowl of chips she order and began to eat them.  Ms.  L asked the waitress to bring another bowl of chips.  We empty that second bowl of chips.  However, I was still hungry when she asked for the check and paid it.  We left with plans to talk in a few days.  As I drove back to work I couldn't help but wonder if Busboys and Poets had god tasting 'real' food.  I would have to find out another day.