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Originally Posted by Jazzop
(Post 14555109)
When dining at top restaurants (Michelin-starred, and the ilk), I generally prefer to do it alone. Without another person at the table and conversation to distract me, I can focus better on the food and wine. My formation of taste memory is orders of magnitude stronger when dining alone.
I typically have the full tasting menu and enjoy discussing the wine pairings and such with the staff. Once I had a very enthusiastic sommelier in Europe who was so shocked that I was an American (apparently I didn't fit his negative stereotype) that he gave me a custom wine tasting with each course. "Here," he would say, "is the wine paired on the menu with this dish. Here is the one I prefer. And here is the one the chef prefers." 3 glasses of wine per course, for 8 courses-- I was hammered! If I had had a dining companion, the sommelier would have almost certainly kept his distance and done the cool, Continental thing, as protocol prescribes. And I probably would have ended up paying for two dinners and still not have gotten laid. If I eat alone, I tend to prefer upscale, traditional pubs (hardwood and fireplaces) and a book. The thoughts conveyed by the book are more elucidating that the average dining companion's, and as Jazzop pointed out, there is no disappointment when retiring to a cold bed. |
Originally Posted by acunningham
(Post 14562471)
7. As soon as I finish the last dish, the bill arrives. If I still have the menu, I'll probably have totalled up the amount anyway, unless in the USA where I'm never quite sure how much the tax will be.
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Originally Posted by Jazzop
(Post 14565121)
You do realize that your expectation is counter to traditional standards of good service? The waiter should never bring the bill unless specifically asked by the diner. This can lead to some funny stalemates in French restaurants.
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Mainly in Europe
Originally Posted by Jazzop
(Post 14565121)
You do realize that your expectation is counter to traditional standards of good service? The waiter should never bring the bill unless specifically asked by the diner. This can lead to some funny stalemates in French restaurants.
You reply, "No." And they will take that to mean, "Check, please," and the check will show up. However, in Europe, I would sit there for like 10-20 minutes waiting for the check to show up, and they never bring it. It was so painful. You gotta flag them down to bring that check over. So I think this applies more to European restaurants than to American restaurants. |
I will ask the front desk or Google for anyplace that serves meals family style, where everyone sits at large tables and shares the platters of food which are brought out from the kitchen. This presents a unique dining experience, not to mention the occasional friend or two one will make.
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Interesting how different folks are. I'd rather get takeout at the 7-11 for dinner than be seated "family style" with a group of people I don't know. The prospect sounds like something I'd do only if I were being punished for something.
Give me a small out-of-the-way table and a book/iPhone. |
Me too
Originally Posted by cblaisd
(Post 14567294)
Interesting how different folks are. I'd rather get takeout at the 7-11 for dinner than be seated "family style" with a group of people I don't know. The prospect sounds like something I'd do only if I were being punished for something.
Give me a small out-of-the-way table and a book/iPhone. |
When I'm travelling for work I prefer to have my evenings, including dinner, to myself. The situation I sometimes find myself in is spending a week in some location for work with a colleague (for example, if we are assigned to teach a training course together). After 10 hrs on your feet with this perfectly agreeable person, as soon as the class is over, he or she says, "when should we meet in the lobby for dinner? Half an hour?" So 4 or 5 nights in a row I have to have dinner with someone I don't know well and don't have much but work to talk about with, or I have to say I'm going to pass, and get that you-don't-want-to-have-dinner-with-me? look.
It's not them, it's me, I'm introverted, and at a certain point at the end of the day, if I can't be relaxing in my own home, I'd at least like to be relaxing by myself. Give me a magazine or a paper or a book and a seat at the bar and a game on TV and ... please just leave me alone for a while. |
Originally Posted by cubbie
(Post 14567707)
After 10 hrs on your feet with this perfectly agreeable person, as soon as the class is over, he or she says, "when should we meet in the lobby for dinner? Half an hour?"
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Originally Posted by cubbie
(Post 14567707)
It's not them, it's me, I'm introverted, and at a certain point at the end of the day, if I can't be relaxing in my own home, I'd at least like to be relaxing by myself. Give me a magazine or a paper or a book and a seat at the bar and a game on TV and ... please just leave me alone for a while.
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Is it being polite?
Originally Posted by cubbie
(Post 14567707)
After 10 hrs on your feet with this perfectly agreeable person, as soon as the class is over, he or she says, "when should we meet in the lobby for dinner? Half an hour?" So 4 or 5 nights in a row I have to have dinner with someone I don't know well and don't have much but work to talk about with, or I have to say I'm going to pass, and get that you-don't-want-to-have-dinner-with-me? look.
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Originally Posted by cubbie
(Post 14567707)
as soon as the class is over, he or she says, "when should we meet in the lobby for dinner? Half an hour?" So 4 or 5 nights in a row I have to have dinner with someone I don't know well and don't have much but work to talk about with, or I have to say I'm going to pass, and get that you-don't-want-to-have-dinner-with-me? look.
It's not them, it's me, I'm introverted, and at a certain point at the end of the day, if I can't be relaxing in my own home, I'd at least like to be relaxing by myself. Give me a magazine or a paper or a book and a seat at the bar and a game on TV and ... please just leave me alone for a while. |
Originally Posted by cubbie
(Post 14567707)
After 10 hrs on your feet with this perfectly agreeable person, as soon as the class is over, he or she says, "when should we meet in the lobby for dinner? Half an hour?"
Originally Posted by braslvr
(Post 14569351)
My.Worst.Nightmare. In the past I've gotten that 6 days a week for 4-5 weeks, and the worst part is them wanting to eat that soon after work. I don't care what time I finish work, I'm not wanting dinner for at least 2 hours after I start unwinding.
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Originally Posted by braslvr
(Post 14569351)
I don't care what time I finish work, I'm not wanting dinner for at least 2 hours after I start unwinding.
(But if it's not true, then you have to find out where they're going so that you can go somewhere else.) |
Originally Posted by kochleffel
(Post 14572885)
This is one of the best phrases for declining an invitation to join someone for dinner -- "I'm not going to be ready for dinner for quite a while, so please go ahead without me."
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