The Eatsdropper doesn’t want a bag
This week’s Eatsdropper kicks off with an exchange I witnessed personally between Sam and Nick Atallah of Madison Growers at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. (Sam wins extra points for being a source of three separate Eatsdroppers today!) It was such an astonishing volley that left us both rather stunned at first. We had coincidentally bumped into each other at the stand, where I had just purchased four wee basil plants in 4" pots. Sam innocently tried to purchase one plant of her own, and wackiness ensued:
Mr. Atallah: "Here, have a [plastic] bag."
Sam: "No thank you, I don’t want a bag."
Mr. Atallah: "You have to take a bag."
Sam: "No, I don’t."
Mr. Atallah: "You can’t buy it if you don’t take a bag."
Sam (putting the basil back on the table): "OK, I won’t buy it then."
Mr. Atallah: "I don’t want to be held responsible for messing you up, with the dirt on the pot."
Sam: "I think that’s my choice."
Mr. Atallah: "No, it’s not."
Geez, mister, sell the nice girl some basil, why dontcha? Anyway, on with the rest of this week’s droppers. As always, send in your tidbits to eatsdropper-at-seantimberlake-dot-com.
At a special infused vodka tasting referring to sandalwood:
"It’s like you got in a car crash with a log in your face"
– Eatsdropped by Sam in the VIP lounge at Hangar One Vodka
A young boy at the St. Benoît stand, explaining to his mum:
"Please. Can I have one? This tastes like real strawberries, not like that fake strawberry taste in other yogurts."
– Eatsdropped by Sam at Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
Young woman in a party of four ladies to bartender: "I’d like a cosmo, but light on the cranberry juice."
Older woman: "We’re cosmo connoisseurs."
Bartender: "So, bubblegum pink, right?"
Young woman: "Huh?"
Older woman: "Don’t worry, honey. He makes ’em good."
Bartender (deadpan): "Connoisseurs, indeed."
Buffed-up, visibly muscled guy on his cell phone:
"I eat 16 eggs a day; eight in the morning and eight before bed. Do you know how much a dozen eggs cost?"
– Eatsdropped by Cranky at Starbucks in Northgate Mall
Customer: "I’ll have the #34 noodle dish, but can I have real shrimp instead of the dried shrimp?"
Waitress: "Uh, sorry, we can’t do that."
Customer: "Why not? What’s the difference?"
Waitress: "About $10 a pound."
– Eatsdropped by Mary at King of Thai Noodle
Nigel Walker, owner of Eatwell Farm:
"Have you seen my YouTube channel?"
– Eatsdropped by Jen at Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
Girl, to guy: "What I don’t like about some goat cheese is the sort of goatiness…"
– Eatsdropped by yours truly at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
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Wow. There are some serious winners in that bunch!
hahahah the shrimp one is hilarious. how do people not realize this stuff?
the egg comment was funny enough even before I noticed the math error 😀
You know, Rob has said the same thing about goat cheese. He’s not always fond of “the flavor of goat.”
Poor Sam! I can relate. I’ve been bringing used plastic bags to my market to re-use. When I bought a kilo of shelling beans (the kind with the husks you remove) the vendor wouldn’t put them in there, because of the ‘bacteria’ in the used bag. (??)
J’adore la France!
“No, it’s not.”
NO!!?? It’s not?????
What planet is he living on?
Wow…anyway, good for you Sam.
Turn back the clock a week and we find Mr. Atallah at his stand, ready for the day. A customer inquires about the basil and off they go with their catch firmly planted in the crutch of their arm (no bag). After 24 minutes of shopping, this customer looks down only to see the entire side of their dress all schmeared with what looks to be DIRT !!! Her shoes are filled with scratchy, muddy, bits! On her heels she turned with the blind purpose only known by sheer rage. Why, she’s a graduate of Harvard! This Mr. Atallah is nothing more than a moist towelette compared to herself! And sister, she’s going to give that Mr. a huge taste of what’s coming to him.
Power-walking on her heels she approaches his stand at nearly 22 mph, throws down her booty and grabs Mr. by the collar and pulls him tight against her face, near nose to nose. And in a voice low enough to make Zuul turn his head, informs Mr. that if he EvEr sells her anything with that “dirt” on it, she’s going to have every lawyer within 3000 miles down on him so fast he won’t have time to … brush his teeth.
Fast foward to yesterday and while Mr. Atallah believes dirt is important, he doesn’t want to cause anyone any Dirt Crimes. Hence, The Bag.
This is how I see it.
Biggles
And right she would be. After all, basil should come neatly packaged in a hermetically sealed plastic container, as sterile and pristine as an iPod. Had it ever actually touched dirt, we the consumers should not have to concerns ourselves with such things. I mean, really.
Solution: bring your own plastic (or whatever) bags to the market.
That way (dot dot dot)
Mr. Atallah: Happy
Ms. Sam: Happy
Harvard grads: Still in therapy
Sean: Unhappy – Sam grabbed the last basil; he never had a chance.
If you don’t think I wouldn’t push Sam to the ground for that last pot of basil, you don’t know me very well.
the basil was already in a plastic sleeve.
And I do carry my own bags – which is what I wanted to put the basil in – if only he’d let me. In the end he did let me and I am determined to get the plant to live all season so I never have to pay Mr Atallah anothrer visit again.