Back to Blog
![]() ![]() Others might worry that they’ll be judged or looked down upon for dining alone, as if it’s a sign of being undesirable or unpopular.Are they having a better time than you are? I’m not so sure of that. Some might feel awkward about being surrounded by couples and groups who are drinking, sharing bites, and chatting happily.It features sustainable fish, and it’s a small plate that works well at dinner for one.įirst, let’s review a few reasons why people might feel wary about eating solo in a high-end establishment. Seviche’s trademark dish, ahi tuna seviche, is a must-try. Let’s talk about solo dining today, and how we can make it easy.Ī fillet of Idaho Snake River farm-raised Riverence trout made a delicious entree at the elegant farm-to-table restaurant Barn 8 in Goshen, Kentucky. ![]() That might have been me, before I learned better. Others, though, finally acknowledged that this would feel uncomfortable and they’d prefer not to do it. Yeah, but that’s not what I asked, folks! A few said that, like me, they’d gladly enjoy solitude and a good book at a table. ![]() Quite a few friends repeated their preference for bar seating. Now a bit of aversion started to show up. So I asked the question again, this time specifically asking how people felt about dining alone at a table in an upscale restaurant, perhaps with a sommelier and maitre-d’. That’s the exact opposite of what I wanted to do. People spoke of the joy of sitting down at a restaurant bar and enjoying a sociable evening with the bartender and new friends. Mostly, though, I was getting answers to a question I didn’t ask. All of a sudden, Gen Z babies born at the dawn of the new millennium are old enough to go out to dine, pull up to the bar, and order dinner and a cocktail, a beer, or a glass of wine. ![]() This seems particularly true of younger friends, who find the very idea of feeling shy about dining alone a bit laughable. Most feel - as I do - that one has a complete right to dine alone, entitled to treatment just as welcoming as anyone else. Only a handful of friends remain averse to the very idea. What did I learn? To some extent, it appears that there’s been a generational change. Recently, sparked by a random recollection, I wondered if many food-loving types are still perturbed by the idea of dining out alone, so I put out a call for opinions on social media. After a day of constant interaction with people, though, I went into full introvert mode and really didn’t want to chat with the bartender or the guy on the next stool. It was fun, stressful at times, and at the end of just about every day filled with meeting, chatting with, and interviewing grassroots heroes, I was ready for some quiet time alone… and a good dinner with only my thoughts or a good book for company.īack in those days - we’re talking the ‘90s here - a lot of my friends thought I was brave, or maybe a bit addled, to do this thing, especially since I always asked for a table for one and declined any suggestion that I eat at the bar. It was a fascinating job that took me all around the country, visiting and reporting on creative grassroots organizations in all 50 states. Years ago, after I left the newly corporate Courier-Journal, I went to work for a national nonprofit based in New York City. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |