Jamie!

It was my annual lunch with my friend Jamie. We went to both high school and college together, although she was two years ahead of me. So I have known her since I was 14. In the 49 years I have known her she has always remained just as kind and fun as always. She is proof that people come out the way they are going to be.

We met in Belfast at Chase’s Daily, one of my favorites. Although I love the place they did a thing I never understand in some restaurants. Jamie ordered the Frittata. She asked for a side salad with it. I was getting the pizza of the day with a side salad, which was an offering. The order taker, who was a lovely woman, said they could not give Jamie a side salad. Jamie wasn’t asking them to give it to her.

My pizza square could be ordered alone or with the side salad. Alone it cost $6.95, with the salad it was $15. Jamie’s frittata was $7.95. Why couldn’t they give her a side salad with the frittata for $16?

I, of course, asked why they couldn’t do it. Jamie said I sounded like her mother. (Who by the way is someone I really liked.) Jamie was too nice to argue. I gave her half my salad, but thought the whole thing was ridiculous. It doesn’t make me dislike Chase’s, but sometimes I wonder who makes these arbitrary decisions.

It’s not like they have a very big menu at Chase’s, one sandwich, two different salads, a couple different pizzas, Frittata, some bakes goods and smoothies. They do have fabulous produce which they grow at their own farm. Perhaps the issue is they are really farmers and not hospitality people. They certainly aren’t business people because they could sell a lot more salads if they offered it on the side of the pizza, the frittata or the sandwich.