Awe

I had a craving for some salad and a steak sandwich, so I went to Pluto's. I owe a debt of gratitude to the Wednesday-night lull as the typically hectic and haphazard ordering line at Pluto's was replaced with a wonderfully empty ordering counter. In fact, I only saw three other people: two boys and their mother.

"You want to watch?" She coaxed the two boys over to the glass window overlooking the 20+ toppings at the salad station. The two boys toddled over to her, and the mother quickly grabbed a chair from the seating area for her two young princes on which they could view the salad tossing spectacle.

I have to credit the staff at Pluto's tonight: the salad technician channeled his inner Benihana showmanship. He added each item with flair and gusto. He banged his salad tongs on the metal bowl as if beating an ancient war drum. He tossed the salad high into the air; the boys had to tilt their heads back, mouths open, to watch the medley rise and fall.

And the boys loved it. The older one left excited fogs of breath on the glass, and the younger one clapped his hands together, the imbalance almost causing him to fall off the chair.

Afterward, the three of them sat down to eat. Mother with her salad, and boys with their sandwich halves. They were still there when I left. I tried to catch the eye of the younger one, just to say hello, but he was too busy smiling.