Olives

I was asked if they serve olives "over here" in one of the comments. I started to answer, in the comment field, and as I wrote, I decided this was worthy of "above the fold" coverage. I guess that, in it self, speaks to the lack of exciting stuff around here...

I had some olives in Istanbul, but they just could not make a dirty (gin) martini. I had one in the coctail lounge and it was fine. In the restaurant, I ordered a "gin martini with olive juice and two olives". I went through the buffet and got some olives and cheese. When I got back to my table, there was my martini, without the olives, but there was a lemon in it! I sent it back and said I wanted olives. I reminded them I wanted gin. Remember, I had olives on my plate in front of me. They took it away and brought it back with an olive. The lemon was still in the glass! (I could have just plunked an olive in the glass...) I took out the lemon, tasted it (while the waiter watched) and it was awful. Now, these were $15 a piece. Even though Abbott was paying for it, I just could not waste the money, so I sent it back again. I told them "gin, olive juice and olives." They brought another with olives, but it was vodka. I told the waiter that I had just had a good one in the bar, but then I decided just to drink it and not make an even bigger scene.

Until this morning, I did not think this was newsworthy. Probably still isn't but I got a deadline to meet and I needed to publish something!

My business meetings start this afternoon - that will be good... for all of us.

When my bill came, the waiter apologized that he did not understand what I wanted and he did not charge me for the martini. That is customer service!