felicula | (no subject)

Today I went to Brueggers Bagels for the first time. Unfortunatly, I'm coming away from it with more cynicism about how companies rip off their customers.

Some background: I can't stand mayonnaise. It makes me gag at best. Things that remind me of mayonnaise tend to squick me out more than the average squicking.

So, I stand back and scan the menu. I know I'm interested in a sandwich, since I've been walking and havn't had much today. I like the idea of a meat and vegetable to go along with my bagel. I can tell them to hold the cream cheese, since that stuff vaguely reminds me of mayo. I mean, I eat it - rarely - but that's a recent phenomenon. I grew up slathering my bagels with butter or some butter-like spread.

Then a menu item catches my eye. Chicken Fajita Sandwich, more specifically "chunks of grilled chicken". My mouth waters picturing small cubes or strips of marinated chicken, some with little burn marks on them from the cooking. I order it, making sure to leave in the part about no cream cheese. Then I watch with horror as he picks up a scoop and places a huge dollop of chicken salad on my sun-dried tomato bagel. I hasten to ask him whether it has mayo in it. He assures me it does not, and points to the other bin with "chicken salad" in it. He calls the stuff on my bagel "dry chicken salad". That heap of scooped meat reminds me of every greying cafeteria I've ever been in. It is only one step away from being chicken salad with mayo. Its consistency has more in common with canned tuna than with grilled anything.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm having difficulty getting over the discrepancy between the menu description and what I got.

Yes, I ate the thing. Yes, it was edible. I didn't gag. It didn't taste yucky. But it bears very, very little resemblance to chicken fajitas. I had trouble not thinking about mayonnaise while I was eating it. Getting a customer in the mood for one kind of item and serving up that cheap facsimile creates a disharmonious experience. How much profit would they lose by putting the real thing in there? Aren't fajitas all about marinated and grilled meat, peppers, and onions? Jalapeno cream cheese and tomato relish does not turn "dry chicken salad" into "chunks of grilled chicken", not even with fresh sliced peppers, onions and lettuce. I doubt it would harm their profit margins much to keep a small, warm bin of pre-made "fajita filler" around.

I found a comment page on their website and have posted an abridged version of this rant.

Generally I like to let things like this go. Posting about it will help with that. I don't like false advertising, though. I don't like feeling like I've been taken for a ride, and I certainly don't want others to be taken for the same ride I have - if I can help it.

***

On a much more positive note, I got out of the house and into the sun today!

dawnstar and I went window-shopping around Monroe. We did go inside too, but I was good and didn't buy anything. Not even in Arch image. It was a great walk, and it was my first major venture out and about since our automobile went caput. Thank you thank you thank you to

dawnstar for the ride home too!

Equally positive, Aidan got his homework done in a reasonable time, so I got to walk outside some more. This time, I was not so good. Tops had a two-for-one sale on Breyers... At least I can share those with Aidan and

mechanchaos!

Oh, and I got a letter from MCC. Saying that my A.S. in Liberal Arts General Studies will also bear the inscription "With Distinction," as will my student records. Tee hee! The down side is that I need to wait about two months before they mail it out. Eh, at least they sent me a letter letting me know my ducks are in a row. It stops me from getting antsy waiting.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Woot! It would only be better if it said "With AWESOME." Hee.

False advertising is crap. It's good to call companies on it.

Mayo is gross.

-A-

Yay! Another anti-mayo trooper!

I'm big on honesty and straightforwardness, so when companies do that it's very off-putting.

Yeah, I can get a lack of honesty and straightforwardness from my ex-husband; I don't need it when I buy things too. :D

-A-

The absence of honesty and straightforwardness is way too prevalent as it is. My dad is an alcoholic. Straightforwardness and honesty went out the window a long time ago.

:( Suckitude.

Mine's just a royal jackass.

-A-

*snugs* You're very welcome.

I'm sorry your experience at Bruegger's was not the best. I hope I'll be able to persuade you into going back for something different sometime. They really are high-quality, most of the time - fresh /and/ reasonably priced. I'm just sorry that what you wanted wasn't what you got. :(

I know the lion's share of the problem was my issues with "salad-style" meat, my assumptions about fajitas, and my feelings about companies not being straightforward.

Whoops - sent that too early.

Their lettuce was very green, and their veggies were very fresh. The weirdest part is that the Chicken Fajita sandwich isn't even on the company website, when lots of others are.

That is strange.

It makes me wonder if that store or perhaps this region is fudging things that they shouldn't be to turn a profit.