At the pizza parlor in the neighborhood I moved away from last year, you could always tell the regulars from the newbies. Years ago they had signs hanging from the ceiling that marked two distinct zones: “eat-in” and “carry-out.” When they remodeled, they never replaced the signs, yet the old rules still applied.
On occasion, I’d be standing there, waiting for my pie and watch as first-timers walked up to the carry-out register and order a meal to eat in, or vice versa. I’d smirk a little and think to myself ”clearly not a local.” I was a local pizza parlor snob.
The tables turned on me a couple weekends ago. One Saturday I was shopping in Arlington and decided to head back to 29/66 via Kirkwood. When I approached the light at 29, I realized “Ooh! It’s lunchtime and I’m right here! I can finally eat at The Italian Store!”
I have been hearing about this place for years but never ate there. When I actually lived inside the beltway, I didn’t eat there because I assumed it was just an Italian grocery store. By the time I started learning about the cold cuts and heroes, I was living way out in the ‘burbs. So this time I decided to finally check it out. I parked and approached the sidewalk and people were spilling out all over the place. I elbowed my way inside and slithered through the maze of people all standing facing the deli counter, but at a polite distance. The crowd was 5 people deep in places.
I looked around, trying to decipher the local protocol. Where is the end of the line? What if I want just a sandwich, no groceries? Where did all these people get the numbered slips of paper? Ooh The Milano sounds good! Do I need a number if I just want a sandwich? Why is everyone in Arlington eating lunch at the same place at the same time? Am I the only one who doesn’t know what she’s doing? I felt like the newbie in the pizza parlor dining for the very first time.
My sense of bewilderment, combined with my low tolerance for crowds, pushed me to decide that I just wasn’t hungry enough or curious enough to deal with it all. I left there, sandwich-less, vowing to return sometime with the help of a regular patron, or at least after having a how-does-The-Italian-store-work conversation with a seasoned veteran.
So, can anyone give me the quick lowdown on how to order a damn sandwich at The Italian Store?
8 responses so far ↓
lydia // March 11, 2008 at 12:59 pm
ha! this is so funny! sounds like something i’d do. i always get so overwhelmed in new places and don’t want people to know that i have no clue what’s going on….i.e.- that i’m a tourist, newbie, etc :)!
yeah, i say go in with a friend who knows what they’re doing. then, you can learn!
thanks so much for your comment on my blog! i’m so happy you found it and i hope you try the enchilada recipe!! it’s delicious!!!
its fun to finder a DC’er. i’m originally from Delaware and DC is so close to home for me… even though i’m not living on the west coast
hope your enchiladas turn out great! let me know how they are! and i hope to hear from you again!!
Pia // March 11, 2008 at 4:03 pm
you and i can go on sat april 12 and pick up sandwiches to go -
i’ll show you the ropes, kid - the napoli is also delish.
Doug // March 11, 2008 at 4:43 pm
that place sounds yuuuuuummmmmyyyyyy
I wonder, do they serve pizza luna though???
charlotte harris // March 11, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Lydia: Hi, thanks for stopping by! I will report back on the enchiladas
Pia: Yay, let’s plan on it!
Doug: So you now which other pizza parlor I’m talkin’ about then!
Vanessa // March 11, 2008 at 9:15 pm
When I first moved to NYC this was me on a daily basis! I moved from Seattle and was clearly a fish out of water. UGH! Eventually I got the hang of it.
charlotte harris // March 12, 2008 at 8:10 am
Vanessa: NYC, huh? So now you probably walk into a deli and know all the specific coffee-ordering lingo, like “coffee regular” or “light amd sweet,” right?!
erinslick // March 13, 2008 at 11:44 am
Heh.. I felt the exact same way the first time I went. On the counter, there is a tiny and obscured little number thingy. take a ticket and they’ll call it eventually, though the counter people are a little ADD. Personally, my favs are the meatball on hard roll with mozzarella and the sausage and peppers on hard roll with mozzarella. No matter what you get, you won’t be hungry for the rest of the day. Good luck!
charlotte harris // March 13, 2008 at 11:55 am
erinslick: ah, you have experience! thanks for the good tips!
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