Sometimes you stumble upon a place while traveling that is an "institution" in that city.
This
morning I had a bit of extra time while in New York and decided to get
out of the hotel and find a small neighborhood spot for breakfast ( love
my breakfasts).
I came across a line up at 7:30 in the morning to
a restaurant on a side street just off from Rockefeller Center and knew
this was just what I was looking for. I was able to dodge the line up
and sat at the counter in one single open seat. And that's when the
magic began.
The counter bar was about 30 seats long and serviced
by Carlos who seemed to have roller skates on since he was zipping up
and down the line at a furious pace the entire time I was there. He had
been working at the Evergreen Diner for 8 years (a junior by Evergreen
standards) and was very efficient in his job. What was so special is
although he looked busy he didn't "act" busy. He made you somehow feel
like you were the only customer he had. You didn't wait or want for
anything and he spent time asking you where I was from and even
customizing my meal when I was undecided between two dishes ("I'll just
make you a plate with a bit of both, OK?"). He seemed to have his
customer service on radar on high because he knew exactly when to top up
the coffee, bring you a water and the bill. A few seats down a girl
dropped her fork on the floor and before the sound of the metal hitting
the tile floor had stopped ringing Carlos had a new fork laid on the
counter I front of her as he whipped by with not a word spoken.
Amazing service that resulted in a nice tip from me and I'm sure this is the case with many other customers.
The
food at Evergreen was good as far as breakfasts go but any restaurant
has access to eggs, bread and bacon. But not every restaurant has the
culture to make staff like Carlos shine. It's the people that people are
lining up for, not the food.
Carlos you are a true master at your craft!
Cheers
Calvin
