Service first, cocktails after

This post is going a little off-road, I'm not even going to really talk about cocktails. Instead? Service, service, service. I've always preached that mantra, and thought I was pretty good at putting the customer first. Until Wednesday evening.

After the Boston Bites Back event at Fenway, I stopped into Eastern Standard. Consider this analogy- I'm running a very good race on the track of "service," but the staff at ES has already finished, showered and talked to their adoring fans.

I walked into a packed house, ever graciously greeted by GM Andrew Holden, who took time to catch up even though he had 20 things to do. Next, I turned around, Naomi Levy had come around the bar to greet me with a hug while adeptly not leaving any customers lacking. Bar guru Kevin Martin, after I showed him a photo of the event at Fenway on my phone, had discreetly noticed I only had 20% charge left - "may I plug your phone in for you?" He's like a Ninja. Amber Schumaker, handled a large group of us with aplomb while also working the service bar, which means she was also handling most of the drinks going to the dining room. The point is, although the cocktails are as good as anywhere (if not arguably the best), the food and wine exceptional, they take care of their guests first and foremost, and have been doing so at a very high level for years.

When I grow up I want to be as good as this crew, except that doesn't really work, they're all at least 15 years younger than me.