I Will NEVER Eat A Sandwich From Walgreens
I’ve been made fun of a lot in the comments since I decided to not eat one of those terrible looking, shrink wrapped sandwiches from the Walgreens in Times Square. For any of you who may have missed it, I’ll briefly recap: awhile back, I posted that if there was something you were afraid to try in Midtown you could “dare” me to eat it, and I would be happy to oblige. Whether it was banana sushi from a generic deli, or steak from Tad’s, or a beef liver sandwich from a cart, the idea was that I would be more than willing to try something that a Midtown Lunch’er was curious about, but didn’t want to eat themselves.
I was dared to eat a sandwich from the new Walgreens in Times Square- and fully intended to eat it, until I got there and discovered that the sandwiches were actually pre-processed and shipped from Massachusetts. It was like being dared to eat a Lean Cuisine or a Stouffer’s Pizza, and I thought it went against the spirit of the original “service” I agreed to provide. I put my foot down and decided not to eat it.
Most of the abuse and jokes about my not eating the sandwich are easily laughed off (I’m a big boy, and this is the life I’ve chosen), but yesterday one comment really bugged me:
“Zach, it’s just a damn sandwich! : ) All right. I’m going to get on my soapbox now. (Violins playing in background) I get the whole thing of not eating anything that’s less than delicious. But there is something a wee bit spoiled about refusing to eat something that’s probably not super yummy because it’s shrink-wrapped and it won’t be as heavenly as Panda Express (which still stumps me). Maybe it’s because I’ve been to a lot of third-world countries where a lot of the people don’t have this privilege of choosing what and where to eat. At the end of the day, it’s just nourishment. We’re lucky enough to be in a position where we can make choices. End soapbox. So, Zach, I really think you shouldn’t have chickened out on the bet. –Boo”
Really? That’s where you want to go with this? Midtown Lunch is more of a fun site, and doesn’t really ever get serious (mostly because I don’t think anybody wants to hear about my political or social views about anything, you just want to read about places to eat lunch), but this one I had to respond to.
The comment I posted in response to “Boo” is after the jump…
Are you freaking joking? This is your defense of a shrink wrapped, pre-processed sandwich sold by a Times Square drugstore? I should eat this because we’re lucky to live in the one of the richest countries in the world? That is just stupid. By that rationale, I shouldn’t say anything tastes bad on this website. I should just be happy we have access to it?
Panda Express is one of my guilty pleasures… I admit it. And there’s no defending it. But at least it tastes good. I didn’t eat Walgreens because I knew it wouldn’t taste good. Make a fresh sandwich in your drug store, and wrap it in shrink wrap and I’ll eat it. Pump something full of preservatives and ship it across country to be eaten two weeks after it was assembled? No thanks. You want to find something to be pissed off about in this country, there it is.
I agree with you that we should be incredibly happy living in the USA… and I have done plenty of food traveling to countries much poorer than this one, that has made me very appreciative of what we have access to. But eating a sandwich from Walgreens doesn’t support that thinking in any way. Personally I would rather eat at the carts and restaurants run by people who came from these third world countries (and send money back to their families there), then buy a shrink wrapped sandwich from Walgreens.
He then responded with this:
@ Zach — Unless I’m mistaken, didn’t you agree to eat a Walgreens sandwich during a bet? I’m not saying you should eat the sandwich of your own free will when you have lots of other great things to choose from. But to go back on your words because you don’t want to eat a shrink-wrapped processed sandwich is kind of lame. It’s not like we’re asking you to eat what Andrew Zimmern ate on Bizarre Foods last night. To be perfectly honest, your vehemence of your disapproval of the Walgreen sandwich sounds a bit petty. Then again, that’s my opinion, and it’s your site and your body and you will choose what to do. But I think there are a lot of people on this site who would love to see you eat the sandwich and give feedback.
Boo – I would *gladly* eat every single thing that Andrew Zimmern has eaten on Bizarre Foods, over eating the Walgreens Sandwich. (And that includes the blood milkshake he ate on Wednesday night.)
I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it again… if they made the sandwiches fresh in the Walgreens- (or even somewhere in New York state!!!) I would gladly give them a chance. But why would I try a sandwich that was made in Boston two weeks ago, shrink wrapped and shipped to Times Square? In what bizzarro world would that be something that *anybody* would ever want to eat? Blondie and Brownie and Wined and Dined both tried the sandwiches and agreed they would never go back. I think that is plenty of “feedback” for anybody who is truly interested…
I considered going and eating [the sandwich] to shut everybody up, but now- you know what. I’m taking a stand. I’m NEVER eating that sandwich. It’s not about being worried that I’ll get sick (I’m sure I won’t) or even caring whether or not it tastes good or not. It’s about knowing- without even trying it- that it is nothing that any self respecting Midtown Lunch’er would ever want to eat.
And that’s the end of that. Now back to your regularly scheduled, Midtown Lunch frivolity.
(There was more nonsense about “By your logic, Treats Truck shouldn’t be on this site either” because they bake their cookies outside of Midtown, but it’s not even worth reprinting. If you’re interested you can just read it yourself in the comments.)
Posted: 10:15 am, April 16th, 2009 under Airing of Grievances, Dare.
55 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
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55 Comments
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does this mean i have to eat another double bulkie burger? you’re killin’ me zach!
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@ Rudy – way to take us back to where we belong
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Send all those shrink-wrapped barf burgers to Darfur and end the food shortage.
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by the way, that infomercial ad on the website for the big city slider station “that’s sweeping the nation” is hilarious.
zach- you have to get them to send you one and do a test-run. that would be some compelling integrated advertising…unless the sliders suck. -
There’s nothing “midtown lunch” about shrink wrapped airplane sandwiches likely made by Aramark. I support your stand Zach. Yes, we’ve all eaten that shitty food on flights all over the world—but come on—it’s not like Zach’s afraid to eat, –it’s more like why even bother eating it. It’s no different than not sampling a dirty water dog from every cart in the midtown lunch area….Yeah you could do it, but why bother….
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Haha. I would eat one if I was compensated well for it or at least it’s free and came with a drink & large bag of chips. Less than that deal, I doubt I would willingly pay up to eat that garbage either. Even banh mi in chinatown is cheaper than those things so why throw away good money on that nonsense. lol.
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Shrink-wrapped products belong in the meat-packing district…not drugstore food aisles.
With that said…
eat the sandwich, Zach…eat the sandwich. -
I’m with you, Zach. With the buffet of cheap food options in NY, there is no reason to EVER eat something processed and shrink-wrapped. Those sandwiches look vile. I was once dared by a friend to eat a 7-11 shrink-wrapped hamburger. The stupidity of youth – trust me, I paid for it.
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“But I think there are a lot of people on this site who would love to see you eat the sandwich and give feedback.”
I, for one, couldnt give a sh*t about your feedback re: a walgreens turkey lettuce and tomato sandwich. Move on.
Im with you Zach
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btw, if I was going to eat it, I’d rather know it was shrink wrapped vs wrapped in a piece of saran wrap or in a clear plastic clamshell container.
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Zach has convinced me. I think the point is that the bet was taken on premise that the sandwich was a midtown eat, but clearly the sandwich has nothing to do with midtown except being sold here. It would be like asking Zach to drink a can of coke or eat a bag of dorritos… pointless.
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Zach, Can you give up your feedback on a lunch of Doritos with a Coca Cola Chaser?
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When a walgreens opened up by my apartment a few years back I would go there on my lunch breaks and discovered the sandiwches. I made the mistake of buying one and opened it to find mold on the bread and meat. the color of hte ham was ditrubing and when i returned it i made the mistake of accepting a new one… only to find something worse! And the doozy: the package said it was made fresh… and was supposedly condsidred expired within 2 days of my purchase. BARF!
I support you Zach! I’d rather spend $3.95 at the hole in the wall “tasty dumplin” in chinatown and have a full meal! -
I can confirm that I, the hamster, the blow-up doll, and the wife would NOT have any interest in Zach eating the sandwich nor in any subsequent feedback. None whatsoever. I want Zach’s time spent finding (and then writing about) the GOOD eats, not the crap.
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eat those Duane Reade sandwiches, Zach!!
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You’re right, stay away from this piece of crap sandwich.
I just hope this doesn’t come back to haunt you years later with young Harry.
“Dad, I don’t want to eat _____ [insert name of random midtown lunch food]! You didn’t have to have to eat that Walgreens sandwich!”
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I totally support Zach on this. The request that he eat some mass produced sandwich is stupid, immature and not at all in keeping with the purpose of this site. We all come here to learn about the GOOD in Midtown, not the absolute worst and utterly uninteresting.
Zach – please don’t waste any more of your time on this debate. Rather, go find me another restaurant in a freight elevator hallway. You’ve been seriously slacking in the “hidden treasures” department lately.
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Yes, this whole topic should just die already. At most it should be brought up as a ML inside joke.
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I’m with you, Zach! Definitely no reason to eat airplane food while in the middle of Manhattan. And that comment comparing this to starving people in Africa? Just ridiculous.
Can’t wait to see what you eat next. More Harry pics please!
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I have decided to stock up on these sandwiches to give out as Christmas presents to some of my internet “friends”.
I’m sure they’ll be as fresh in December as on the day that I buy them. I’ll keep them in the root cellar of my townhouse.
Zach,
Can we consider this case “closed?”
More importantly, I hope you are at least consistant from now on in showing an improved degree of caution when tempted by “street meat,” so-called, of unknown origin. There really is no difference — healthwise — from the Walgreesn sandwich and unsanitary food from germ-laden carts.
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This is Boo, the one that “bugged” Zack. For the most part, Midtown Lunch is supposed to be a “fun” site. Yeah, by who’s account? By all the people who mercilessly attack the profiled people on Tuesday? By becoming so angry at a restaurant like Free Foods because you think it’s so expensive?. It’s clear that you don’t understand the economics behind serving food that is organic quality ingredients. They probably make a lot less money than Baja Fresh. Bigger and cheaper doesn’t mean better. But isn’t that the American way?
And what the hell is this what a Midtown lunch is and how a Walgreens sandwich doesn’t qualify? If you think Midtown lunch is supposed to be about cheap, tasty food from independent restaurants, there is absolutely no room for that dreck that Baja Fresh and Panda Express serves. McDonalds is foul. Why should Baja Fresh and Panda Express be any different? Because they’re not mainstream in NYC? Please! It’s the same crap. There are MUCH, MUCH tastier options out there than that. But Midtown Lunch is about reporting all the different options in Midtown so people have a CHOICE. So as long as you can find it in Midtown, whether it’s a national chain, local mom and pop, underground lunch in an apartment, or your street cart, that’s what a Midtown lunch is.
I do find the spoiled attitude toward food (and other things) to be a really sad commentary about how entitled a lot of people think they are. People need to keep things in perspective. At the end of the day, it’s just food. Zach had to eat a sandwich on a dare to which he AGREED to. Nobody put a gun to his head. Then to rescind his words because he thought it wasn’t good enough for him? I’ll bet that there are a lot of hungry folks out there (whether it would be in NYC or in Haiti) would LOVE to eat that Walgreen’s sandwich. Hunger is a really serious problem, and I find it disgusting that people can be so cavalier about their attitudes toward food. Sorry if I burst a lot of your rose-colored glass outlook about your next meal.
I wouldn’t have been upset by Zach’s actions if he decided to go to Walgreens on his own, looked at the sandwich and said no. But to say no after he agreed to do it on a dare because of the whole shrink-wrapped nonsense? Does that make Zach a person with principles? Does that make him a hero in your eyes because he has standards? If you really think about it for a long time, it shows a lack of maturity. It’s not the inaction of eating the sandwich that bothers me as much as the principles behind driving the decision. Maybe it’s because I’m much older than Zach and the general ML audience that my views are really different. The attitude that I see displayed here is not congruous to my own views on life. It’s obvious that I’m not a good fit for this site. Does that mean I won’t ever read this site nor comment on it? No. There’s some useful information I have garnered coming here. Not coming here because I don’t agree with Zach and his comrades just hurts myself.
And I know you are all cheering out there, but I will say nothing more on this matter as I don’t have the energy to waste on this issue.
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Oh god, if it helps, I take back the dare. It was really a joke to begin with, because who the hell wants to eat a generic sandwich from a pharmacy unless they were starving to death?! And clearly, no one in Midtown is starving… except maybe the girls over at Conde.
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don’t you start hating on treats truck or it will be ON! and i’ll only eat another bite of that crap if you paid me enough to treat myself and several friends to a night out.
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Hey Boo, DocChuck, Peter Lusk and Angela are waiting to give you a warm welcome over in the bottomless pit of self-righteous Midtown Lunch commenters
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I agree with Zach regarding the out-of-state Walgreen’s Sandwich.
While ML’s mission is to recommend lunches under $10 within specific
boundaries “Koreatown to Central Park & 3rd Ave. to 8th Ave.” I
believe that there are a couple more parameters that are implied:1) Zach does not need to be Zimmern, a circus side-show, eat cookies
off the sidewalk or eat 2-week old food that probably belongs in a
homeless outreach program.2) The food should be good, or at least something that a Midtown
worker would want to eat for lunch, possibly each week. Clearly
“good” is a very subjective concept but I think it can be broken down
into a few components:-Unexpectedly cheap (and difficult?) (e.g. free food lineups, or taking
a long lunch to get 6/$1.25 dumplings in Chinatown)-Very tasty (e.g. your favorite hangover food or fine French restaurant)
-Very fast or easy (e.g. the deli in the lobby of your building)
-Super-healthy lunch
As far as I can tell the dreaded Walgreen’s Sandwich meets none of the above criteria for 99.9% of all ML’ers. Let’s let Zach save his valuable (albeit ample :-) stomach real-estate for reviewing something that is worthy of eating on a (semi-) regular basis for lunch.
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Boo get a fucking life and take that fucking pickle out of your ass.
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Even though I promised not to say anything more, I’ve got one thing to say to Mamacita.
I have never used that type of language with anybody on this site.
Mamacita, may I suggest you grow up?
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Nope. The internets is serious stuff.
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“For the most part, Midtown Lunch is supposed to be a “fun” site. Yeah, by who’s account?”
Boo,
It’s Zach site. It’s not a democracy. Anytime Zach wants, he can hit the delete key. Consider yourself lucky your comments are still here.
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……jesus mary & the gay guy…war & peace over a bloody butty.
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Know Walgreen’s Sandwich, Know Peace!
No Walgreen’s Sandwich, no Peace!
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This is incredible. Its so much better than working. I think I ultimately agree, with a few points brought up: 1. we all know how this is going to turn out. The sandwich is gross. I’m sure we all know that. 2. A dare, yes, is a sacred pact entered into by adolescents, however. using that credo Bionicgrrrl has issued backsies so its off! right? and lastly 3. I think this should remain an ML inside joke. Which is why I’m going as a Walgreens Sandwich for Halloween.
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Sarah, you are one hysterical commenter. The ’sorry you died’ response to klaus k yesterday had me rolling
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I propose that Zach takes some of the ML advertising revenues (those infomercial “Big City Slider Station” people have to be paying ML the big bucks) and buy every single Beantown sandwich at the Times Square Walgreen’s and donate them to a homeless shelter or send them to a third world country….and then lets put this effen baby to bed!
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Wait, I’m confused. First you say that Panda Express and the like is dreck. Then you say we’re food snobs and that some guy in Haiti would be happy to have a Walgreen’s sandwich. You can’t have it both ways, man.
Also, it’s so ML to go somewhere and make a CHOICE to eat or not to eat somewhere. Totally in keeping with the ML spirit, I say.
Dude! Why don’t YOU eat the sandwich?
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Unfortunately. Boo clearly isn’t listening. This person keeps making the same point over and over and it is moot. The dare was to try a different aspect of midtown eats, but when Zach realized it wasn’t a midtown eat at all, he shut the deal down. It was just some shipped in, prepackaged food. Boo doesn’t want to listen, so it all seems pretty pointless talking to somebody so self-righteous…
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@Boo:
How about you put your food where mouth is and send us some pics of you enjoying such sandwiches? That way you can do your part for society? It is just food anways right?
Also, while you are at it, why not try that new brand of prepackaged food that’s popped up in Duane Reade while you are at it. It’s looks better than the stuff @ Walgreens.
Until you do that, you should try to refrain from criticizing Zach’s decisions not to nasty food that doesn’t even support the Midtown food industry. =)
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Mamcita said “Nope. The internets is serious stuff.” u made my day with that comment like an angry stubborn 8 year old
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Internet, Serious Business…
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according to the beantown deli website these sandwiches are amazing…
Beantown Deli
Garber Brothers, Inc. has a customized “fresh made sandwich and salad” program that’s perfect for the c-store to compete with the fast food chains. Our products are delivered fresh to you and deliver the quality and taste to keep customers coming back for more.
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News just in. It would appear Zach has taken things into his own hands.
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From Wiki, I got it slight wrong above. sorry:
The Internet Is Serious Business is a phrase used to remind those who voluntarily leave the house that being mocked on the Internet is, in fact, the end of the world. Common variations include, Internet… Serious Fucking Business, The Internet: Serious Business, Internet = Srs Business, SRS BIZNS and even just INTERNET!!
And my favorite. Plural: The Internets Are Serious Businesses.
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I never knew a $4 sandwich could make work so much more interesting.
Oh the saga, how it continues. -
Yeah, the “Slider Station” ads that keep popping up are quite ironic today. Just an FYI, that shit is served by Google. I have no control over it, and I barely make any money on them (unless you guys click on them… hint hint). It basically covers my monthly server costs…
And Rudy- (speaking of ironic) where did you find that link? Amazing…
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Too many comments to see if this was already brought up but the Treats Truck argument – that the treats aren’t made in midtown therefore disqualifying it from being an offical midtown lunch – um, how many carts actually prepare their food After they get into midtown? It is my understanding, thanks to Zach’s post regarding a day in the life of a street meat vendor, that most of the food is prepped and sometimes prepared prior to loading it up on the cart and driving to their spot. (at least I think that’s how it went) How many lambs in your favorite lamb over rice roamed freely through midtown prior to ending up in an aluminum container on 6th avenue?
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This post was my Walgreen’s shrink-wrapped sandwich. I wish I could un-eat it. Zach, you gave you’re word, you broke it, end of story. You don’t get to undo that no matter what last minute loopholes you fabricate. No one really cares whether or not you ate the sandwich, we’re all still here, but please let’s just never have to suffer through your insufferable sanctimony on this topic ever again, it is useless copy.
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I’m starting to feel bad that I even brought up the concept of equating the non-thai-eater eating thai with Zach and the Technicolor Dream sandwich. It was intended as pure humor. Those of you who are insisting Zach eat the sandwich should reconsider said insistence after you graduate from 3rd grade.
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@Bionicgirl
You started this whole thing? For shame…
Zach, your back on my good side after taking that stand. For some reason, your anger there really convinced me there was no reason to ever eat that sandwich. I’m sorry for calling you out a while back.
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eat me.
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eat me
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I would eat those sandwiches out of the garbage (hey, they’re protected in tight plastic wrap) but would not touch half the stuff Zach or Andrew Z eat. Make that 90% of what Andrew Z eats. To each his own.
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DO NOT CAVE INTO THE PEER PRESSURE….THAT SANDWICH LOOKS GROSS!!!!!
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I wonder if that certain someone would eat the sandwich?
WWRPD?
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Oh btw Wayne, thank you. Maybe someday you’ll be able to look over my vegetarianism and we’ll haul out our monochrome chuck taylors and studded belts and try and recapture our youth.
Walgreens should open in Darfur.