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Queenie's.

There is a little sandwich shop tucked amidst a busy upscale shopping centre, that just so happens to be my favorite place to eat lunch.



The chairs and tables are multicolored with mostly hot pink and bright orange hues. The customers are quite colorful, as well. It reminds me of the typical eatery in NYC, where you are all tucked in like sardines, fighting for a table and nearly sharing seats with the person next to you. The place only seats 22, so it is quite a squeeze and you have to hit it at just the right time or you will wait a while. The glass counters up front are jammed with unique delicacies, massive cookies and scrumptious cakes. The waiters weave in and out of the tiny paths between tables and often holler at you from across the room. When I think of the word “lunch”, this place always pops into my mind.



I am lucky that I work not far from this little establishment. I like to meet people there for lunch and often slip away with Husby for a nice hour away from work. I happened to dine there twice this week and just so happened to sit at the exact table and have the exact waiter both times.

And I ate the exact same delicious sandwich.

The sandwich that no human on earth can replicate or even come close to trying. The one – the only - chicken salad sandwich. If I tried to explain this sandwich to you, I couldn’t. You simply must taste it. It will knock your socks off – and quite possibly, your toe nail polish. Mmmm.

Yesterday, Husby accompanied me for lunch. We pulled up in the parking lot and spotted an older lady with wild hair and funky eye glasses roaming aimlessly, it seemed.



(She looked a LOT like this woman. Except she wasn't a cartoon and she had funky glasses. The rest is her dead out, though.)

“How are you, Marlene?” someone yelled to her across the lot.

“I’m in a HURRY! How are you?” she replied.

I rolled my eyes at Husby at her less-than-friendly response.

We continued toward our place and walked into the small restaurant, scouring the place for a table. I quickly found one for two and we scooted in. There was a check and tip on the table, along with an empty coffee cup, stained with bright pink lipstick. Almost so bright that it matched the table we were sitting at.

They hurriedly cleaned off the table and we placed our order while sipping our iced tea and discussing our morning.

Suddenly, the wild haired woman from the parking lot appeared out of nowhere at our table, looked directly into my eyes and sternly asked, “WHERE is my stuff that was at this table?”

“I er. I er. Ummm, I don’t know?” I managed to get out.

Husby told her that they cleaned it off and immediately two waiters were at our side.

“Where is my half drank juice glass and my leftovers?” she demanded at the poor waiter.

He ushered her off away from us and said he would get her one to go. She stood there mumbling to herself and we stifled our laughter.

She must have been delusional, because all that was at our table was a lipstick stained coffee mug. The nice waiter took care of her and sent her on her way. She stormed out of there in a huff and everyone in the place was looking at her.

Our sandwiches came a few minutes later and we oohed and ahhed with every bite. No matter how many times I eat this sandwich, it turns my world upside down. After we moaned in great satisfaction of the lunch we just consumed, I grabbed my phone and started shoving pictures of Levi in Husby’s face.



“Dook at dat bay-beeee!!!” I squealed as I showed him the same photo he has seen approximately 1,392 times by now.

I spotted our waiter coming, so I toned down on the baby talk and put my phone down. He must have seen it from across the way because he said, “wait a minute – you’ve got to show me that!”

I proudly whipped my phone back out and shoved it in the waiters face, sans the “dook at dat bay-beeee” (I didn’t want to scare him off). He was very impressed and said that he had a baby of his own three weeks ago. We instantly had a bond! He leaned against the next table bragging about his new little girl, Amelia, as I egged him on. He wanted to see more pictures of Levi and thought it was just about the coolest thing he had ever seen.

“Wait a minute”, he started again, “is THAT in YOU?”

I burst into laughter and rubbed my tummy, “yes, yes he most definitely is!”

“Wow, with the lighting and position that you’re in right now, I totally couldn’t tell!”

I’m sure when I stood up it was a different story, but for now, I have a new favorite waiter. And he just so happens to be at my favorite lunch spot in the world.

It was a great day for lunch. A great day, indeed.
I am a modern day homemaker with a passion for family, cooking, celebrating, decorating, travel, and memory making! The Lord has blessed me with the desires of my heart in my husband and our two sons. We recently built our dream home and cultivating a loving and happy haven for my family is where I find so much joy.

Comments

  1. I have been reading your blog for a while, but never commented....but I just HAD to agree with you on Queenies and the chicken salad sandwich! I LOVE it. there is no sandwich like it in the world! I now live in London and THAT sandwich is one of the things that i miss the most! enjoy one for me next time! :)

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  2. I love this story!

    I've never been to Queenies, but I will when I move back--sounds d-lish!

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  3. Yay! Kristina posted a comment!!

    And yay for a fantastic waiter. :) I've never eaten at Queenie's. We usually eat at Pepper's if we're at Utica, but we definitely need to give Queenie's a try!

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  4. That sounds like a wonderful Lunch with your husband! I know that I LOVE the days that me and my husband can meet for lunch, its such a treat. Especially if you get a nice waiter like that!

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  5. It always seems to me that the best lunch spots always have the best (read: more interesting and eclectic) clientele!

    I LOVE chicken salad...I'm now instantly hungry!!!!!!1

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  6. Aha! I knew you must live in T-town!

    I wondered for the longest, but when you mentioned what day you went to the Celene Dion concert, I figured it out.

    My husband and I are in Omaha now, but moved from T-town.

    We always meant to try Queenies, but it was closed everytime we ended up in the Square.

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  7. I freaking LOVE Queenies!!!!! OMG, I'm drooling now and it's only 8:30AM. I haven't been there in years--my college best friend's parents lives not far from Utica Square, and we used to drive up to visit her parents every so often during school. Ohhh man... It's only like a 4 hr drive from me... Hmm.. I could make it there by lunch...

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  8. What a great compliment!!
    I have been to Queenies, but never eaten there, weird I know.
    I need to try it next time I'm in town!

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  9. I would fly to wherever this restaurant is just to hear someone tell me that I don't look pregnant. I hope you tipped him good!!

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  10. OK...hold up. Are you in Tulsa? I saw the sign for Utica Square and was shocked! I mean I know we've talked about Ted's Escondito before, but I thought you were in a neighboring state....not Oklahoma.

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  11. I LOVE the 4D pics!! SO FUN!

    I LOL about the wild haired lady... Sounds to me like she's lost a few screws along her way :)

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  12. I LOVE Queenie's! It's so nice to sit outside on a pretty day! LOVE the ultrasound pics...too cool!

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  13. awww ....we ARE BOUND to see one another at queenie's!!! I love it.. and I may hunt down that waiter too :) Isn't their Utica police for the wandering people...? haha

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  14. I almost went to queenies yesterday after my drs apt... gosh I wish ryan and I would of gone now.. we would of run into eachother.. one of these days I know we will! I love queenies chicken salad and their grilled cheeses.. but most of all... try their breakfast parafits... soooo delish.. best granoloa ever!! And Levi is going to be absolutely the cutest lil thing ever! gosh I cant wait for him to be here!!

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  15. oh and ps.. love the pg pictures below.. could you be any cuter.. and your outfit is darling! love the shirt!

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  16. Looks like a really cute place to eat and sounds just delicious!!!

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  17. great story! i may have to come all teh way out there just to try one of those sandwiches :)

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  18. I've read your blog a few times but hadn't commented as of yet... just wanted to say I love reading and Queenie's sounds delicious!
    -K

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  19. Oh, I love when that happens! And he's right! You really do look great from what I can tell in your pictures!

    That interaction seemed much better than being told by a grocery store clerk that it looks as if you could "pop any second" when you're a mere 6 months along. That wasn't a good day. Not a good day at all.

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  20. That is awesome! What a compliment!

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  21. What an interesting lunch you had! pink lipstick stained cup and all!

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  22. I'm from Bville and am going to have to give Queenie'a a try next time I'm in Tulsa. I love Utica square, it feels like you've escaped from the city and found a great little hideout. I've only eaten at the Olive Garden there though and I love me some Starbucks for dessert.

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  23. Cute story! (Except the crazy lady, but doesn't every story need one of those!!)

    I really need a good sandwich now. Too bad we don't have a Queenie's!

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  24. Great story! I've been enjoying "watching" your pregnancy progress. Those 4D ultrasound pics are AMAZING! I had to show them to my husband and he was like, "how come we never got anything like that?!?!?!?!"

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  25. Whitney: I have a friend that is a waitress at Queenies and she keeps telling me to come try their sandwiches. She often brings us treats from Queenies to our Pharmacy. Now I want to go try their chicken salad sandwich. Sounds delicious.
    Again, Levi's photos are amazing. I watched the whole video and almost wept. How incredible is our God. I love the smiles and the chubby cheeks resting on his hands at the end. They are priceless indeed. Thanks for sharing them.

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  26. Oh those are the BEST days! I hope you left him a huge tip! :o)

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  27. Oh my gosh...when you started describing "Marlene," I just knew it was going to turn out to be one of my nursing professors from TU. Her name is not Marlene...but other than that, you described perfectly. She has crazy, brilliant maroon hair that she always either braids and then crosses the braids on top of her head or puts them in huge Princess Leia buns. And her lipstick would dull even the shades of the 80s.

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  28. I love Queenie's! They have the best flourless chocolate cake ever! I bet that waiter got a great tip! And Amelia--what a cute name!

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