Roberto

CitiCards, my employer, has a nationwide contract with Aaramark Services to provide on-site cafeteria style dining at all of its major sites. Having been to some of the sites, I can tell you that they only vary slightly; it's rather refreshing to be in a different city and be able to order (almost) exactly the same meal that you get back home. The water in Jacksonville smells funny, so I've learned to always buy bottled soda. The salad in Albuquerque leaves a little to be desired. The Irving diner, for some unfathomable reason, doesn't take my corporate Diners Club card.

Back home in KC, we have grill cook named Roberto. He makes my morning omelets on the days that I have salad for lunch as well as a variety of hot lunch sandwiches, specialty burgers .. even the occasional calzone. I think Roberto moved to the states from Mexico; and he has brought some of his local flavors with him. Today (without permission) he slipped in some Mexican sausage called chorizo because he, "thought I would like it". On other occasions, he has dropped my omelets into a tortilla and spread salsa across the top.

Roberto has taken it upon himself to teach me to order in Spanish. He'll make me repeat myself even when I've got 10 people standing on line behind me. I'm picking it up slowly, but can now say "tres huevos" instead 3 eggs. I'm still not sure of the Spanish word for omelet - but I've used queso for cheese for over a month now. Even if I get it wrong, he knows that I trust him; I however, never know what to expect in my little white box ... but I do know that it will cost $3.91.