Roll Call

In a hearkening back to Medieval times, when, in the exchange of goods, you didn't deal with representations of items (such as paper money or checks or internet sites), but the items themselves, the Met Food on Henry Street in Carroll Gardens has come up with a straightforward approach to check out. Instead of constantly referring a laminated price sheet which lists the cost of every kind of bread, a cashier has simply nailed each different sort of loaf to a board, placed right above her register, and tacked the corresponding prices right on to the bakery.

Ingenious, and charming. But I'm thinking any nighttime mice and rats are looking at the board and yelling: "Partytime!"