I want to go to dinner...

How funny is it that I never eat out? I'm not talking about a slice of pizza or going for a club sandwich I mean out to dinner. With wine and soft music a candle on the table maybe a napkin folded in a way I don't know. I want to go out.. I like food, wine, conversation. There's this part of me that takes over most of the time that thinks that the last place I want to be on a night off is in a dining room. I don't relax very well in them. I end up biting my tongue so I don't give the waitress advice on her wine service.

I'm almost always out with other people in the business, or family who don't really appreciate dining. Both scenarios have their drawbacks. I go out with one of my cousins who still thinks white zinfadel is wine. and won't eat anything more complicated than chicken breast. Or I go out with one of my white coats or more than one of my white coats and instead of relaxing and enjoying the evening I'm treated to a disection of what herbs may or may not be in the sauce.

But, regardless of this and the fact that grilled cheese sounds pretty good right now. I want to go to dinner. The last time I had a nice meal out was with one of my friends who was saying thank you for a little favor I did for him while he was under the weather. We had great wine. I had an awesome veal dish at this Italian place that had one of the most eclectic wine lists I've seen within a hundred miles of here. We blew three hours without noticing that it had gone by. It's good for you to go out every once in awhile. You tend to forget what it's like to be the one sitting at the table. You become very accustomed to being the one that is serving you forget what it's like to be served.

It makes me smile to realize that I can count on one hand how many times I've actually sat down where I work. The dining room that I worked in last winter for five months I never actually sat down in, and I didn't eat there either. In fact out of seven restaurants that I've worked in over the last few years I've had meals in two of them. One was a birthday party for my Best friend who loved my work and one was a wedding party for my sous chef. That's it. I wonder if that's typical or if I really am as anti-social as I seem to be? I worked with a chef a few years ago who used to throw wadded up paper at me through his office door to tell me to open up a can of spaghettios or make him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. white bread strawberry jelly. He had the most incredible osso bucco. I wonder if enough time goes by and it becomes impossible to be impressed by a dining room.

I like hearing peoples enthusiasm. For my decor or the ambiance or my piano player whatever it is that makes them happy. But, the thing is. I've worked in a restaurant where the dining room looked like the Titanic, with a three piece band and table side service. I've worked in the most amazing privately owned dining room that was completely original and amazing. I don't know if i'm able to be really impressed anymore. This makes me a little sad. Resigned yes, i guess it's bound to happen if enough time goes by. But.... I'd like to be impressed again. Just a little. To have something interesting to talk about the next day. I miss that.