Coronado: Avenue Liquor’s BLT…in Chaldean?

Talking food where they speak as Jesus spoke
Passing Avenue Liquor last night. Decided to stop in and get the BLT, right here on Coronado’s main Avenue, where the median’s perfect fir trees are lit up for a mile like, well, Christmas trees.

But every time I pass by 9th, (Avenue Liquor, Wine & Sub Shoppe, 878 Orange Avenue, Coronado, 619-435-4663), I hanker for their BLT sub.

Nathan the owner with his biggest sub ever. If you have to ask how much…

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Also, always liked the two brothers working here, Wassim and Wissam. What gets me is the language they speak. It’s Chaldean, which means basically Aramaic. Which is supposed to be the language Jesus spoke.

So Jesus may have said exactly these words the guys have taught me (This is how they sound, no official spelling here):

“Dichiwood?” (“How are you?”)

“Randa! Dichilébetha?” (“Good. How is your family?”)

“Randa! Bassima raba.” (“Good. Thank you so much.”)

“Abshéna.” (You’re welcome.”)

I mean, is that incredible or what? Carla doesn’t think it’s a big deal. For me, the words Wissam still uses zap you back to the exact time, place, people, 2,000 years ago. This is how Jesus, Joseph, all of them, actually spoke.The words they used. Not Greek, not Latin, for sure not English…and now the words you hear in a liquor store on Orange Avenue in 2012…

Okay, so I order up a BLT for Carla and me to share ($7.53, including tax). Wissam sets to, making my BLT. On wheat, with mayo, peppers, avo, tomato lettuce, a fine mess.

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Wissam cuts the sub

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Lays the bacon

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Into the oven for 45 seconds

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Melted pepperjack covers the bacon

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onion, tomatoes…

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Lettuce for my end only…Carla has a thing about lettuce

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…and plenty of mayo

Only thing is the bacon – he’s put tons of it in there –

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…doesn’t have the same salty bite or thickness I remember. Could just be me. I’ll ask the lovely Carla when I give her her half. Just lacks the heft I remember. Maybe the bacon’s cut too thin. Maybe I asked for too much other stuff. Jesus would probably say Quit your belly-aching. Be grateful you’ve got food at all. In Aramaic, of course.

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Meanwhile, the lesson for today.

“Leila saïda,” says Wissam. “It means ‘Have a good night.’”

 

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/feast/2012/dec/18/coronado-avenue-liquors-bltin-chaldean/