The notebook thing is pretty good. I often check to see if the bar has a full menu and will sometimes just sit there if I'm not in the mood to sit around or need to get back to the hotel to do some work.

Otherwise, the solo thing hasn't been too bad. I observe that in places where I'm sitting alone waiting for staff to come by, the service is usually all-around a bit lax, not just for me because I'm by myself.

And yes, I do agree that dining solo is a good opportunity to build a rapport with the wait staff. I almost always ask for recommendations/favorites on the menu (food, beer, whatever), or ask "between this and this, what do you prefer." Usually gets good a good response, although I start to worry when they say they haven't really had anything on the menu for whatever reason (new, allergies, only like 1 thing, etc.).