Friday, August 04, 2006

Yes Virginia, there is a better Gyro

There's a term my old college roommate and I had for a certain quality a restaurant either possessed or it did not: "Normitude".

Norm was (and still is to my knowledge) the owner/operator of the M&N Sandwich Shop in Lincoln, NE. Stepping into Norm's store was like stepping into what would happen if a Blues Bar, a Chicago eatery and the Cornhusker football team mated and produced an offspring that served delicious food made to order.

Things might have been a little off-kilter and awkward during your first visit to Norm's place, but you soon warmed up to the shop (if you knew what was good for ya) and eventually realized that in addition to the peppers and pastrami, the secret ingredient was love. Norm loves serving a good meal.

You don't see "Normitude" just anywhere and you might miss it if you aren't looking in the right places. Well, I've missed the M&N Sandwich shop since moving away from Lincoln, but I've found a new place that's way up high on the scale of Zero to Norm. It's called the Pita Deli & Market, but we call it The Pita Place.

It's just a little place between a dry-cleaners and a Weight Watchers, but the "Normitude" is sky-high. David, the owner/operator, takes the time to make each meal, discuss the latest news, tell how his family is doing, ask about your day, and get you exactly what you came in there for... a great meal. I don't even have to order any more unless I want to change things up a little bit. As soon as I walk in he knows he'll most likely be making a "Pepper Jack, spicy".

So if you're ever in the neighborhood (151st and Mur-Len) and in the mood for a good meal (complete with Fashion TV), stop on in and tell 'em Tim sent ya. And while you're at it, let me know of some more places with serious "Normitude".

Tim "medium rare" James

4 comments:

Barrett McLain said...

Hey, if you zoom in on that picture, you can see 2 dudes w/enormous amounts of normitude reflecting in the door glass. Take a look see...


Barrett " Eagle-eye" McLain

Anonymous said...

I have to disagree on the "normatude" assessment of the Pita Place. As I understand normatude, it is a awesome food contrasted by horrible service and odd decor. The Pita place has great food but is too clean and the service is too good to score very highly in normatude. For a good example, see L.C.'s BBQ which shares a building with a tire place.

Tim James said...

Yeah, you may be right, Mr. Ed...

But still, the "All Credit Card Purchases must exceed $5.00" sign, the hookah parties on Friday nights, the inability of the servers to remember to not put ice in your drink, and the later removal of the soda fountain all together, and Fashion TV, man... Fashion TV. That's gotta count for something, but "normitude" is probably not the right term.

Definitely isn't the same thing as driving by at midnight and seeing some "Shirtless Norm" action doing the late night sweep down of the joint. That's a disturbing image I wish wasn't burned into my retinas.

But I must concede. Alas, The Pita Place is not as Normoriffic as I previously thought. I was wrong.

Tim "palmetto bug" James

Scott said...

Let us remember the greatest moment of normitude of all time courtesy of Gates BBQ:

RUFUS!!!! GET UP OFFA YOUR A** AND COOK UP SOME RIBS!!!! THERE'S A BUS COMIN'!!!!!!!!

Ah yes. Normitude.