What would you do if you found a rare purple pearl in your dinner?
That's what Lindsay Hasz gets to decide after she bit down on one that was stowed away in a Quahog clam.
“I felt like I almost broke my tooth when I first bit it. It was pretty dark in the restaurant, so it was hard to tell what it was, but when I looked at it closer, it looked totally round and perfect. Too perfect.”
The pearl is appraised at $600 and is considered a "one in a couple million" find, according to Ted Irwin, a gemologist and president of the Northwest Geological Laboratory.
We've seen some pretty sweet restaurant give-a-ways, but this one tops the list. Definitely beats finding a hair or fly in the meal.
Owners of Montalcino Ristorante Italiano, where the pearl was nearly eaten, were quick to join the excitement.
“We only serve the finest for our customers. Coming to our restaurant is like winning the lottery!”
The restaurant is now seeing an increase in frutti di mare sales (the dinner Hasz found her pricey pearl). Montalcino is also getting some nice exposure on their social media accounts, including increased follower interaction and a share boost on their Facebook page.
So what is Hasz going to do with her pearl? She says she plans on turning it into a necklace and keeping it as a good luck charm.
Has something like this happened to your restaurant? Let us know in the comment section below.