If I weren’t so grateful for them giving me copy, I’d really wonder about the psychological welfare of male journalists who spend any part of their weekend complaining about Cosi. Yes, we’re talking the sandwich shop with the square bagels known as Squagels, and fresh-baked flatbread that comes in white and multigrain.
The complainers: Business Insider Executive Editor Joseph Weisenthal and NYT Josh Barro with a dash of Vox.com‘s Matt Yglesias, who couldn’t help himself, and Politico’s Chief Economic Correspondent Ben White.
The idea of going to Cosi in New York City is unfathomable. With phenomenal restaurants in all price ranges, it is sinful to waste even one meal on Cosi. In Washington, however, Cosi is a an entirely different animal — a perfectly fine place to work with semi-decent wifi and a worthwhile sandwich if they don’t over-slather it with spicy honey mustard that could uncomfortably rip through your nasal cavity. An added bonus: MSNBC’s Chris Hayes could occasionally be seen working at the Cosi in Dupont Circle in his bright white sneakers. That’s undoubtedly special.
The weekend discussion surrounding Cosi was primarily between Weisenthal and Barro.
Who started the discussion? Weisenthal: “For the lolz I got something to eat a Cosi. What a strange and incoherent place. I’m surprised it exists.”
Barro piped right up: “I haven’t eaten there since the one right next to Business Insider closed.”
Weisenthal: “Lol, I never knew you used to eat at the one next to BI.”
Barro: “That was the worst-run Cosi ever, so it makes sense that it closed.”
Here’s where things get good and pointless. Weisenthal is apparently a big lover of hearts-of-palm salad.
Weisenthal: “The one I went to today, I wanted to try the Peruvian hearts-of-palm salad. The server forgot the hearts of palm.” He even felt some need to explain, “I just really like hearts of palm. And I saw the ad in the window for it.”
Barro got downright insulting. “You are so bad at Cosi,” he told Weisenthal, who replied, “But is that my fault, or their fault for having a difficult user experience?”
Enter Vox’ Yglesias with a profound question.
“Do you guys remember Cosi predecessor X and O?”
Weisenthal: “Hmm, no.”
Yglesias: “They had a location in NYC near Union Square. I used to to go for the smores [sic].”
Arriving a little late to the conversation is Bloomberg BNA‘s Alex Parker, who writes about taxes. “Why is everyone tweeting about Cosi?” he asked. Weisenthal rightly confessed, “I tweeted about going to one. I take all the blame.”
White then boldly defended him, saying, “It’s a good discussion I enjoy it.”
Parker, clearly underwhelmed: “Oh, I thought they announced bankruptcy or something.”
Cosi aside, earlier in the month, Weisenthal and Yglesias argued about kale. Yglesias doesn’t enjoy kale but eats it. Weisenthall, meanwhile, insists he makes a mean kale.
Two quick questions: Are they really men and don’t these guys have work to do?