German Burgers
two cousins, Max, a biomedical engineer, and Josh, an unemployed writer, sit down in a German style diner, Christl's for a late lunch. they are in the city of Palatine, a suburb very north and west of Chicago. a village. Josh, living in the city, took some time to get up to Max in Evanston. the drive to Palatine was about forty-five minutes. there is a drum store near Christl's that was their original destination, but it closed at four today and it's about four-twenty when Max and Josh press their nose up to the darken store looking at all the drum sets. Max says something very clever and to the point about the store being closed and the situation at hand. Josh doesn't have paper or pen. it goes unrecorded. They walk over to Christl's in the snow where they now both sit.
"You gotta try the Goulash!" shouts another patron who seems to be familiar with the management, but they also attempt to keep a distance when he gets in their face or up in their business as kids like to say. Apparently, the Goulash is good, but it stands at fifteen dollars which is a little steep for the unemployed writer and Max doesn't seem too convinced that Goulash at Christl's is very good. You could say it was a bit awkward.
Max and Josh come from a mixed conservative-reformed Jewish family. I should have said that earlier. I only mention it now...Well, it is the 21st century, but when you think about it and consider two Jews walking into a German diner... That and the drunk asshole yelling at them to order the Goulash.
Max and Josh order cheeseburgers and fries. A side of Goulash is available and they both partake. They discuss their general idiocy about not checking the closing time for the drum store especially in the 21st century when technology puts information right at their fingertips. The Super Bowl is discussed as Josh is a fan of the NY Giants. And they talk about the NCAA Duke Blue Devils, Max being from NC and a huge fan. The coffee tastes like water and with the amount of spices in the Goulash, the substance could be from any century. they are both fine. The cheeseburger is good. A good German cheeseburger. The pickle is carbonated. The juices. When you bite in, the pickle juice is carbonated. It's weird, but satisfying.
The old lady in the kitchen needs a lot of attention apparently and the waitress spends her time defending the advances of the lingering drunk, talking with the cook and waiting on the few tables open, including Max and Josh. service is slow. no mind. no rush. it's snowing outside, so might as well take your time. Then in time, two men, a younger and an older man come into the diner as if they own the place. Walking around. Checking things out. Laying their coats in a booth.
They do own the place. Or at least the older man does, but the younger is definitely a relative if not son. The place is nearly dead so there is no work to be done at the moment expect speed up the drunks departure with their complete indifference to what he has to say. They do this while sitting in the booth behind Max and Josh looking at a catalog with items such as swords and armor and other war supplies dating at least to the 20th century. Before the drunk left, he tried to start a heated debate about the quality of swords made in Pakistan, but the German owner refused to participate other than sighing or making comments such as "uh huh."
Max and Josh were ready to leave and bear the winter snow back to Evanston then back to the city for Josh. Max had a gig that night. Josh had writing to do. maybe he wrote this. The waitress finally brought the check. They paid and left. This was a lengthy process as well in the German diner and Max and Josh were able to hear the younger man speak with his nose in a catalog, "It would be funny to show up wearing a Nazi uniform." Some fair or event we assume the youth was going to dress up for, in a Nazi uniform. The father figure gave his son the same indifference he gave the regular drunk.
In silence two cousins walk back to the car. "Who closes at 4 o'clock?" Laughter.
"You gotta try the Goulash!" shouts another patron who seems to be familiar with the management, but they also attempt to keep a distance when he gets in their face or up in their business as kids like to say. Apparently, the Goulash is good, but it stands at fifteen dollars which is a little steep for the unemployed writer and Max doesn't seem too convinced that Goulash at Christl's is very good. You could say it was a bit awkward.
Max and Josh come from a mixed conservative-reformed Jewish family. I should have said that earlier. I only mention it now...Well, it is the 21st century, but when you think about it and consider two Jews walking into a German diner... That and the drunk asshole yelling at them to order the Goulash.
Max and Josh order cheeseburgers and fries. A side of Goulash is available and they both partake. They discuss their general idiocy about not checking the closing time for the drum store especially in the 21st century when technology puts information right at their fingertips. The Super Bowl is discussed as Josh is a fan of the NY Giants. And they talk about the NCAA Duke Blue Devils, Max being from NC and a huge fan. The coffee tastes like water and with the amount of spices in the Goulash, the substance could be from any century. they are both fine. The cheeseburger is good. A good German cheeseburger. The pickle is carbonated. The juices. When you bite in, the pickle juice is carbonated. It's weird, but satisfying.
The old lady in the kitchen needs a lot of attention apparently and the waitress spends her time defending the advances of the lingering drunk, talking with the cook and waiting on the few tables open, including Max and Josh. service is slow. no mind. no rush. it's snowing outside, so might as well take your time. Then in time, two men, a younger and an older man come into the diner as if they own the place. Walking around. Checking things out. Laying their coats in a booth.
They do own the place. Or at least the older man does, but the younger is definitely a relative if not son. The place is nearly dead so there is no work to be done at the moment expect speed up the drunks departure with their complete indifference to what he has to say. They do this while sitting in the booth behind Max and Josh looking at a catalog with items such as swords and armor and other war supplies dating at least to the 20th century. Before the drunk left, he tried to start a heated debate about the quality of swords made in Pakistan, but the German owner refused to participate other than sighing or making comments such as "uh huh."
Max and Josh were ready to leave and bear the winter snow back to Evanston then back to the city for Josh. Max had a gig that night. Josh had writing to do. maybe he wrote this. The waitress finally brought the check. They paid and left. This was a lengthy process as well in the German diner and Max and Josh were able to hear the younger man speak with his nose in a catalog, "It would be funny to show up wearing a Nazi uniform." Some fair or event we assume the youth was going to dress up for, in a Nazi uniform. The father figure gave his son the same indifference he gave the regular drunk.
In silence two cousins walk back to the car. "Who closes at 4 o'clock?" Laughter.
posted by Joshua Aaron Weinstein at 10:55 PM
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