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Re: THe Slicked Burrito (was fierce competition for l & s)



At  6.09pm 8/08/95 -0400, Patrick O'Brien wrote:

>I've got a problem with elmo's ever since i tried to get a milkshake to
>go, and had to make it past 3 levels of scowling wait security to get to the
>counter and order the damn thing, while they looked at me like i was some
>kind of rule breaker for not wanting to sit down.  Seriously, this really
>pissed me off;  all i wanted was a shake to go, and they couldn't deal
>with it.  some diner, faux diner more like it.  Get out of my way, i want
>a shake!  no, i don't want to sit down, gimme a shake to go!

Faux diner indeed! What really clinched it for me (in my current
anti-Elmo's position-- which will undoubtedly change the next time I have a
friend who eats breakfast or brunch on the weekends) , however, was the
little thing on the inside of the menu, that patronizing "Why a Diner?:
>From the Elmo's Employee Handbook" nonsense that paints a Family Circusy
portrait of the ideal Elmo's, & describes house-painters coming in to fill
their coffee thermoses. It makes the place out to be a diner for everyone,
for the families after church _and_ the proletariat. If anyone can claim to
have seen workers coming in to fill their thermoses, I will gladly stand
corrected. What Elmo's really tries to be is a "safe" diner where you can
reminisce about the idea of a diner, eat semi-diner food without really
haveing to worry about all the proles coming in and disturbing your
middle-class peace. There's one of these suburban diners not too dissimilar
to Elmo's in Atlanta that even goes so far as to make the waitresses wear
short frilly uniforms. The diner fare is about twice the price it should
be, and the parking lot is always packed with BMW's and Saabs.


alec

PS. Haven't been there yet, but I heard Hector's has reopened atop of
CaffeTrio. The owner said they're open till 3 or 4 am, depending.

Self-deprecation is a poor substitute for humility.
And I'm a lousy, egotistical, self-righteous,
egg-sucking son-of-a-bitch.
-------------------------------------------------------------
 alec vance  ale@backporch.pdial.interpath.net  carrboro, nc