Sideswipe: February 25: Dining out on Trump 24 Feb, 2021 04:00 PM 3 minutes to read Donald Trump only visited one DC restaurant in his four-year term. And it was the steakhouse in his own hotel ... when the star appeared, you had to stick to the script. A "Standard Operating Procedure" document, recently obtained by Washingtonian, outlined step by step exactly what to do and what to say anytime Trump dined at BLT Prime, the hotel restaurant. As soon as Trump was seated, the server had to "discreetly present" a mini bottle of Purell hand sanitiser. (This applied long before Covid, mind you.) Next, cue dialogue: "Good (time of day) Mr President. Would you like your Diet Coke with or without ice?" the server was instructed to recite. A polished tray with chilled bottles and highball glasses was already prepared for either response. Directions for pouring the soda were detailed in a process no fewer than seven steps long—and illustrated with four photo exhibits. The beverage had to be opened in front of the [germophobe] commander in chief, "never beforehand". The server was to hold a longneck bottle opener by the lower third of the handle in one hand and the Diet Coke, also by the lower third, in the other. Once poured, the drink had to be placed at the President's right-hand side. "Repeat until POTUS departs." (Via Metafilter)