Discoveries of note today: the perfect time for breakfast at the Carnegie Deli? 9 am on Saturday.

Why? Because not only is there no line outside but there’s hardly anyone inside. My friend and I were gobsmacked. Pleased not to have to wait in the line o’ myth and legend, mind you. It is, after all, summer - a season we both agreed we would happily vote off the island. But gobsmacked all the same. It really didn’t start filling up until we were leaving.

The most shocking part of the whole outing was watching a family of four walk in, with Dad carrying a tray of Dunkin Donuts coffee. We assumed they must be lost or looking for a restroom. No! They asked for a table! They walked into the Carnegie with coffee from not only somewhere else but from Dunkin Donuts and proceeded to sit down to eat. The LOOKS they got from the staff! Lord, oh lord. Had they been grapes, they would have shriveled to raisins. But - the customer is always right even when they are deeply, tragically and outstandingly wrong. The staff served them - an air of pity (tinged slightly with  disapproval) in their eyes.

I decided he must be from out of town.