San Martin, 143 East 49th Street, New York, New York

San Martin is an excellent casual italian restaurant on 49th Street, between Lexington Avenue and Third Avenue, in New York City.  Upon entry, you are standing in the bar, which, although small, tends to have more than its share of colorful characters.  The staff is extremely friendly and helpful.  The scent of fine expertly prepared dishes fills the room.

San Martin takes great pride in its martinis, as well as everything else.  When I ordered my regular (Ketel One martini, up, three olives, no vermouth), Carlos, the bartender, chilled the glass to a frostly perfection, poured the Ketel One vodka into a tall glass full of ice, and used a long spoon to manually and aggressively stir the contents to its optimal icy cold temperature.

Needless to say, the martini was fantastic and rates a 10 of 10.  Great job, Carlos.

I want to thank Roberto and Jeb for introducing me to San Martin and for making this venue one of our regular meeting spots.

Cheers