Steve's Story - The Day Off

Steve Rosato is the manager of the Saratoga Olive Oil Co. store in Saratoga Springs. In these blog posts, he shares his wit, wisdom and experiences engaging with our wonderful customers.

Delightful discoveries

Three young ladies strolled into the Saratoga shop for the first time last week in pursuit of something to do on their day off. As they looked deep into the shop with curious delight, they were warmly welcomed and introduced to the vast array of olive oils, balsamic vinegars, sea salts, and even gourmet maple syrups, all available to taste.

As the conversation ensued, it was discovered they were emergency room ICU nurses from the Albany area, living through Covid-19 challenges they could never have imagined in nursing school, and were just looking for a day of respite.

As the staff proceeded to put on gloves to give tasting samples while wearing masks, these guests commented on how much they appreciated the safety measures and were so happy to see such an approach in a non-medical environment. From there, they gleefully sipped over a dozen savory, spicy, and citrus-based olive oils and vinegar combinations and proceeded to take full advantage of the discounts associated with buying 6-pack carriers.

Unexpected experiences

Upon checking out, the nurses commented that this was much more of an experience than they had expected and that it was the most fun they’d had in a long time. After asking for restaurant recommendations for lunch, these ladies grabbed some of the countertop brochures, ecstatic that they also can order online, in the event they can’t get back to Saratoga any time soon.

Upon exiting, they enthusiastically thanked me and the staff as if we were the attending healthcare workers and they were the patients being discharged. Truly an ironic, rewarding, and humbling experience.