I visited for a takeout coffee about two weeks ago and had such a lovely chat with a woman (owner?) that I made it a priority to return. This is when things went awry.
El Almacen should have a sign (in a hip,"circusy" font) warding off new business or at least my patronage. I noticed that waitress was with the other tables as I sat down. She then doted and took the order of a couple who came after me. (Still not a problem.) I waited some more and finally went to counter to ask if it was table service as I felt like a fool waiting.
Dude (claimed he was owner) : "Everyone in the neighbourhood knows its counter service. Those guys are regulars that's why we went up to them. We've been here 4 yrs everyone knows you walk up to the counter. If you don't feel good, you should go somewhere else."
This really threw me off. At first my delusion was so complete that I thought I still might be able to salvage my chance at the Chorizo Benedict. However seconds later, I recalled the 1970s when restaurants would first insult my (brown) family. Then when my dad spoke up, they would tell us to go elsewhere. Still, I did not resort to my 3rd level profanity. In fact did not use any profanity.
Dude kept saying that I cannot come into his place and insult him. I kept saying that he was really "classing up" the street with his approach to customers. Patrons kept reading the paper and chatting as they love to do when "icky confrontations" are going down. My big final move was to tell him that I "cannot insult him" for he was already a " total idiot". ( weak...I know) Then the hipsters at the counter and another table literally gasped at my bold and offensive use of language. The counter then chuckled.
I really wish that this was fabricated. Sadly, it was not. Perhaps what I find most interesting is that that the situation was completely salvageable until he told me to go elsewhere. Yes, that is how badly I wanted the Chorizo Benny.! The dude found my presence so thoroughly offensive that I was deemed unworthy of tapping in to the strict ordering protocol and my money was unwanted. Yes, a business where money was unwanted!! If you have ever had this happen, you will recall that this is some really weird juju.