Taking a Speaker to Floyd's

Wednesday 19 November

Our department has developed an ugly little habit (which we've learned to call "Dutch treat") of asking its members to take lecturers out to dinner and then stiffing them on the bill, despite the fact that money overflows the Classics coffers.  In addition, our college's financial office is so inefficient that no one has been reimbursed for these or any other expenses for months.  So today we rebelled and took our speaker Isabelle, plus Duncan and Steven, out to Floyd's Chicken. 

This is not really a hardship, as Floyd's serves THE BEST SPIT-ROASTED CHICKEN IN THE WHOLE WORLD, as actually recognized in Food and Wine.  It is also extremely cheap (like our department), though it doesn't serve wine or beer (like our university, where you have to get your dean to sign a release if you want to give the speaker a glass of wine).  

Barbara called ahead to reserve a couple of whole chickens, and our lovely hostess Reine added another half, knowing that five people would each want their own half. 

Indeed we all had the Floyd's Special, half a bird and two sides, which meant that the two of us could enjoy the dolma and pickled vegetables as well as the classic hummus and baba ghanouj with fresh pita.  And though we didn't have wine to make the conversation flow, we all had lots to say, especially after Holt showed the party how to make writhing worms out of the paper covers from the drink straws.