J. Soden spotted this story:
The owner of an Italian restaurant in New Mexico says he’s seen a surge in business after posting a billboard that featured a food-centric pun playing off the Black Lives Matter slogan.
Rick Camuglia, owner of Paisano’s in Albuquerque, posted what he thought would be a well-received joke on the marquee sign in front of his restaurant last week. It read:
“BLACK OLIVES MATTER — TRY OUR TAPENADE.”
“We’re currently offering a special seared ahi tuna with a black olive tapenade,” Camuglia told FoxNews.com. “My chef had prepared the topping and placed it in the fridge. He wrote ‘Black Olives Matter’ on the container and I thought it was hilarious. So we put it on the marquee.”
Eager to promote the seasonal fish dish, Camuglia also posted a picture of the sign to his restaurant’s Facebook page. (emphasis mine)
The post went viral. His phone rang off the hook. He received nasty, rude and crude comments But sales are suddenly UP!
“Our phone has also been ringing off the hook with people making reservations. People are placing carry-out orders in the high hundreds,” says the restaurant owner. “And they’re asking for black olives on everything. Black olives on the salad, ‘I’ll have extra black olives on my sausage sandwich’—we’ve had to order more from our supplier.”
Paisano’s has been family owned and operated since the 1970s. Unlike many traditional Italian restaurants, the Albuquerque eatery specializes in homemade gluten-free pastas. Now locals, and many others, just want more.
“We’ve had customers coming over from California, people even calling in from Australia.”
The local chapter of the NAACP said the sign was in bad taste given the bumber of black youths killed by cops…same old lie.
The owner isn’t deterred: “Our intention was never to offend or hurt anybody,” he says, “But all of this just says a lot about the state of our society when you can’t even make a simple statement about a fruit without people attacking you. People may need to recalibrate their politically correct meter.”
Yes indeed…and they need to rely on reality and facts. Activism based on lies gets people killed.
A tapenade is NEVER in bad taste! Here’s my recipe:
1 lb drained pitted Kalamata Olives
2 16oz cans black olives (Lindsay is best)
½ – ¾ medium onion, chopped fine
4 large cloves garlic, minced with garlic press – or more, if desired
1/4 to 1/3 C olive oil – to taste
1T lemon juice
1 bunch cilantro, very finely chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
Black pepper to taste
Drain all olives well and chop finely. (Food Processor may be used, but don’t chop too finely. Olive pieces should be small but still identifiable) Easiest to use food processor to chop onions & cilantro as well. Mix with all remaining ingredients. Place in covered container and refrigerate for at least 4 days before using to give flavors a chance to blend. Makes about a quart and keeps well in the fridge.
Mix with pasta, vegetables, use as a dip, or spread on toast or crackers. YUM!
Well, as long as we’re picking on olives—
http://hopelesslysane.blogspot.com/2016/07/go-home-olive-youre-drunk.html
And, keeping with the lighter side—
Looks like Tiger’s got ‘im by the tail. Never give up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSnelmtdzGQ
Funny!
The cat on the couch in the second video looks exactly like my cat…
J I have a problem. Cilantro is used a lot these days but I’m not a fan. Is there an alternative you would recommend?
Parsley would work, too. Italian parsley is similar to cilantro – has a bit more bite than regular parsley, but not as much as cilantro.
And you can NEVER have too much garlic!
Thanks…yep, garlic is good!
I think it’s funny. I can see why some activists would be offended since they think it’s a serious issue they are protesting, but this doesn’t really make fun of their cause so much as just play on the words…in this case I think they’re overreacting and they need to lighten up!
If it were the slogan for an anti-tax movement or environmental crusade, the play would be funny. But we’re talking about blood in the the streets here people. I think the play points up a degree of cynicism, societal degradation, that is not funny.
See, I think that would be worse. The fact that the slogan was made into a joke for something apolitical like a restaurant is the only thing that makes it funny for me. If it were being used for another political movement I’d think it was insensitive, but this is literally just playing on words to get people to go to the restaurant.
Oh please. Your side doesn’t care about “blood in the streets” or you’d have done something about conditions in Chicago over the last eight years!
The issue is denial of culpability, hatred of cops, division politics, and ginning up the black vote.
Thank you J. Soden for the recipe.
Tina, just leave the cilantro out or substitute any fresh herb you like.
Clearly the sign is bigoted, racist and xenophobic.
Oops, sorry, I just had a Libby-Chris moment.