NEW MONDAY BLOG! With Apologies In Advance To Mr. Dickens!

... The Tale Of Two.. Delis!



Ok, this one might require a little (or in my locquacious case) a lot of backstory.

I have recently decided, or simply realized, this 'Summer Of Love' at Giving Tree Jewelry, will, for me, have two very specific bookends. The first being our theme to celebrate the power of YES! and the obvious counterpoint bookend,
the result of what happens when you do! (Still being revealed!)
After saying 'YES!' to a trip to Italy in July, I seem to have adopted the "When In Rome..." attitude for my other big 'YES!' of the Summer- my attempting to live full time in NYC!

So what of these "two deli's?"
Allow me to explain :)
With the August heat descending on NYC, I realized that the real, TRUE, New Yorkers, actually.. GET OUT of NYC around this time...and most usually go to THE HAMPTONS.

For no particular reason, and for a hundred esoteric ones (I fancy myself an unfancy girl) I never imagined myself going there, but "When In Rome..."

So!
I accepted an invitation from a friend to join her at the house she had rented for the month of August.
Last Wednesday, a packed car, complete with bicycles on the back and Whole Foods grocery bags obscuring the rear window view, waited for me on the corner of 15th and 7th Avenue. This was the corner of the block I was subleasing a tiny (wonderful) apartment on. I told my friend to wait while I made my second coffee run of the day into L&M Deli. I love this place. I had already noticed and remarked on all the glowing reviews the place had posted on the windows and counter, but it was my first hand experience with these guys that had made me a fan. It took exactly half of one visit for them to feel like caring friends. So when Tony behind the counter asked me where I was off to (he could see the car) I rather sheepishly said... "The Hamptons.. but don't judge me!" He just laughed and wished me a great trip.

Off we went.
I had been hearing for weeks about ANOTHER deli, this one in the Hamptons, that had the worlds most exquisite LOBSTER SALAD. I was told by my friend that it was SO good, you almost forgot how ridiculously expensive it was! (yeah right, I thought, I grew up on a lobster boat.. and last weekend, Giving Tree Manager Courtney's husband Dan, caught no less than 60 lobsters on their trip to Vermont. They had to FORCE themselves to eat more than 3 a piece! I know my lobster!)

Anyway, I demanded we go to this famed deli on the way to the house. Maybe I was hungry, but I got so wrapped up in picking out what we would have for dinner that night, (curried chicken, peas, broccoli and pasta,) I forgot all about the lobster salad. The sweet high school girl rang us up and we paid, (quite a bit!) before I remembered. I enthusiastically stated.. "I forgot about the lobster salad! I've heard amazing things... can I try it?" (This was a deli after all, I survived my 20's in Santa Monica 'sampling' from gourmet shops and farmers markets)
Suddenly, the girl looked flustered.. "um.. " she said...
And then, from the far right corner, a cross looking, cross armed woman, and a curt "No."
"No?"
Wait! I thought.. aren't you.. in the business of customer service? Don't you see our four overflowing bags of $9 hummus and $12.95 olive crackers? Don't you want to impress me with your lobster salad so I come back and buy it by the bucket?... No?"

Shock and awe immediately set in, and my friend, knowing me well enough to know how...sad.. this would all make me.. ushered me out of the deli before I could utter a retort. However, the car ride to the house was FULL of my thoughts.

Maybe it is the fact that I own, with my mother, a typical 'Mom and Pop' type shop.. competing, daily, with the "big boys" and striving to survive and thrive, sometimes, by our passion and heart alone..
Maybe it is the beautiful, amazing women I work with, daily.. the sound of their voices on the phone next to me.. Laura telling a bride to be that we will CREATE her perfect bridesmaid gifts, or Courtney LOVING a new Ella Poe necklace so much, she changes our whole schedule of the week to photograph and debut the necklace ASAP so others can marvel at it with her.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!

And so is L&M deli, on the corner of 15th & 7th Ave. in NYC. The kind of place that has your coffee ready at 6 am when you stumble in.. EXACTLY the way you like it. A place where they wave to you passing by, even if you don't stop in, and run out to help you lock your bike if you are trying to carry a kickball, whiffle ball bat, and bottle of wine, at the same time. And the kind of place where, upon returning to this gorgeous, hot city, Tony asks you the moment you walk back in. ."So? How was it.. The Hamptons? Want to know my favorite fishing spots?"
YES! Tony, yes I do.. I want to know your favorite fishing spots while you make me the perfect cup of coffee. I can't promise you I will actually GO to any of them.. but I can promise you that I will be taking your delicious potato salad the next time I go to the Hamptons, where my August will be fun, and funny, and full of LOVE, but empty of snobby lobster salad!

And I promise all of YOU that Giving Tree will strive to always be your favorite 'corner' store.. even if we don't serve coffee (oh we tried!) And we will always do our best to make you feel special, and considered, and appreciated.

There are a hundred ways to run a business. I am going to take my cues from the businesses I admire most.
READ REVIEWS OF L&M DELI

CHECK OUT OUR TESTIMONIALS PAGE and email me directly if you have anything we can improve on, AND SAY YES! To all the opportunities, invitations, places and people that make you happy! Just do it!

In that spirit, let's all go see Eat Pray Love. I have a feeling it's going to make us feel good... and the fact that Julia is simply smashing in the jewelry that we sell at Giving Tree.. just an aside! :)

And finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the fantastic Anna Sheffield! I informed Anna that my birthday wish, made on her birthday.. was more gorg-lorious (made that up!) jewels from her, and more time in NYC with her!

To YES! in the SUMMER OF LOVE!
Rachel, August, NYC/Springs 2010