Immediate Seating Available…

Having arrived a few hours before, I showered, changed clothes and went to a mid-town restaurant in NYC.  I'm having dinner on my own because, sadly, my daughter had to cancel to be with her daughter. I was seated at a small table against the wall facing the dining room.  On my right was a four-top and against the opposite wall there were two two-tops.  To the left stretched the rest of the dining room.  The two-top to my right was too close to observe but the others were in the perfect position.   My server is perfect.  She is interesting and interested.  She guides me through the menu, I make my selection and for the rest of the evening we talk about restaurants --- she loves her job.

The Four Top:

It is two couples.  My assumption is they are married and have known each other a long time.  One of the men is telling a story, he is very animated. His wife has heard this story before and is looking at her phone under the table, the way kids do when they think you don’t know.   She is bored and is contributing nothing to the conversation.  The other man has checked out as he has a rhythmic nod which he hopes will indicate he is listening without requiring a response.  The other woman wants to find a part in the play but cannot find an opening or a partner to converse with.  She is resigned to listen to the mansplaining coming from across the table.    I think they're happy to come to this restaurant, but they are just waiting to go home.   A good rule…. Make sure you and your partner always have new stories or make up new ones for the dinner party.  You never want to be the one telling your partner that you have heard that one a million times.

The Two Tops:

The two tables where you want to be.  There are no phones on the table.  The couples are leaning into the center of the table wanting to hear every word.  They are interested in their partner.  They are animated and happy to be at the same table – in conversation

It’s always a new

This is the amazing thing about restaurants.  The people at these tables concluded their diner about the same time.  They got up, said their good-byes, and as soon as they had sat down, they were gone.  The bussers quickly cleared the tables and reset the stage for a new play to begin.  I mentioned this phenomenon to my server and she agreed. “The amazing thing is by the end of my night there will be two more plays to observe.”  It is what she liked most about her job.  No two tables are the same. The play is always new.  There is drama, sadness, comedy, and all the emotions we humans can offer.  The curtain goes up on a new play throughout the evening.   

The canvas has been cleaned and reset, and those people were never there and yet for them they are still talking about their experience. It is a play that gets rewritten every night on the same stage.

Open Auditions……Table for 4 @ 7:30pm