$9 - sandwich
It was a little before 9 a.m., everyone in the…read moreworking world was in full swing. But not me, I was inside North Park Produce as a customer. I hadn't expected to be swooned before breakfast, but I was. It started with a glance at the deli counter. Behind the glass counter you can see the glistening meats turn slowly on the spits. I knew it was early, but I asked for a chicken shawarma wrap. "Five minutes," the man replied. And just like that, he was gone. After five minutes a woman appeared in his place, calm and unreadable. She told me she couldn't make a shawarma, but she could make me - and then she said something in her native language and made a motion with her hands. These were words I didn't recognize. Not even close. "I'm sorry, what?" I asked. She repeated it, as if I didn't hear her. I listened again, and I still didn't understand. There was a pause between us, but I was completely captivated. She said, "It's a sandwich". I nodded and smiled. "yes, chicken, please."
Then it began, she went to the baker, giving him instructions, he began shaping a fresh loaf just for me. I watched, transfixed, as the dough came to life in his hands before disappearing into the heat of their homemade tandoor oven. Moments later, it emerged, warm, blistered, and perfect. She was there to catch it, like it belonged to her all along. She took it and split it open, gently, then added the chicken carved straight from the spit, as it was still turning. On to fresh cucumbers, crisp onions, a generous smear of garlic and yogurt, a dusting of spices. Nothing was careless but she was mechanical and every movement deliberate.
As I watched, I know that she made the sandwich with a quiet care and with her hands as if every step mattered. When she finally pressed the bread together and wrapped it, there was intention in it. That was something made just for me. I didn't see any like it written on the menu. I took it in my hands. It was still warm. I could smell it and decided I wasn't going to wait long before first bite.
Sitting at a table outside a coffee shop, the first bite was everything at once, juicy meat, crisp veggies, rich yogurt. The warm bread pocketed with the great flavors unfolded in a way that felt balanced and complete and brought the whole experience alive. It filled me in a way I hadn't expected, like a fleeting connection that somehow lingers longer than it should.
The whole experience felt almost intimate, because she had taken it upon herself to make it truly satisfying. Each bite was unconscionably shaped with thought and attention. While it wasn't love, it was more like a morning fling. Definitely one I didn't plan and the kind you don't question. But it's the kind that leaves you full, a little dazed, and already wondering if you'll ever find your way back to something so satisfying.
That particular store may seem a bit offsetting for some. It might be its location. Or the decor. It is shaped more by culture than design trends. There is a lived-in charm to it where authenticity matter more than polish, and every corner feels like a small piece of home. The workers communicate in generous, full voices of their native language in an open way. It's not an angry or offsetting way, but they are very open and at ease in their environment.
I also really enjoyed the $9 a la carte lamb shank and the French Feta-style cheese if very rich and creamy. Both get thumbs up!
