Introduction to Dining Out
The waiter has disappeared, the bread he left in the basket on the table is cold and stiff, and the restaurant is so loud we take out our phones and text.
“Why do we even go to restaurants?” my wife writes from the other side of the table. “We could have stayed home, we could have saved a lot of money, we could hear each other talk, I could have cooked something nice for us.”
Heard, chef.
Understanding the Purpose of Restaurants
I remember the scene in “The Bear,” where aspiring Michelin-star Chef Carmen “Carmy’’ Berzatto is explaining to his brother, Mikey, why he wants to open a restaurant.
“People go to restaurants to be taken care of, right?” Carmy says. “They go to restaurants to celebrate, to relax, to not have to think about anything else for a minute.”
Mikey gives him a look, furrowing his brow.
“We could do this, right?” Carmy persists. “We could take care of people. We could make it calm. We could make it delicious. We could play good music. People would want to come in there to celebrate, right? They’d want to come in there after they had great days and they’d want to come in there even more after they had s— ones. We can make people happy.”
Mikey gives him another look. Then, after a while, he smiles.
Scene from "The Bear" on FX featuring Jeremy Allen White as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto. (FX/Courtesy)
Personal Experiences with Restaurants
I remember the time I was 15 with my family at The Shed in Santa Fe, one of my favorite restaurants growing up in New Mexico.
There may be other things to order from the menu at The Shed, but I’ve only ever ordered the No. 8. Two soft blue-corn burritos rolled with pinto beans, cheese and onions in a red chile sauce that comes out of the kitchen bubbling on the plate.
It’s New Mexico heaven to me. Heaven served with a crusty chunk of garlic toast to scrape up any sauce you may have left on your plate. Which I’ve never left on my No. 8 plate at The Shed.
Courtesy
Creative cooking at The Shed, on Palace Avenue just east of the old plaza in Santa Fe. One of my favorite restaurants growing up in New Mexico. (Mark Gauert/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Creating Lasting Memories
“You must have really liked that!’’ my Uncle Urban said from across the table. (This was before texting, or impossibly loud restaurants.) “If I ordered you another, would you eat it?”
“I think I would!” I said, before I’d even finished the last crust of red-chile-soaked garlic toast. This was when I had the metabolism of a roadrunner, the state bird of New Mexico.
So Uncle Urban ordered me another No. 8, and I became the stuff of family legend by eating two plates of soft blue-corn burritos at The Shed in one sitting. The same day Uncle Urban became my favorite uncle.
Years later, when I was introducing my fiancee to my family around the table at The Shed, my mom and dad told her the story. “I can’t believe you did that,” she said, looking sweetly at me from the other side of the table.
The Role of Restaurants in Our Lives
We both ordered the No. 8, and I could tell she’d started to believe because she finished her plate before I finished mine. I was just about to stick a fork into my last bite when she reached across the table and forked it into her mouth. That was the day my fiancee became the stuff of family legend, finishing her plate and mine.
“He must really like her,’’ my mom whispered to my dad.
“I guess so!’’ my dad said.
Long after we got married, my wife and I kidded each other about that. About how I liked her so much I didn’t mind that she’d finished the last bite of my burrito at The Shed. About how she still owed me a bite.
Many years later, we were celebrating our anniversary at The Shed. We’d just finished our No. 8s when the waiter arrived with another plate for me that my wife had ordered on the sly.
“We’re even now,’’ she said, looking sweetly at me from the other side of the table. And she smiled.
We split it. The best anniversary gift yet.
Conclusion
The best restaurants – the ones we hope to find – know why we go to restaurants. That our best memories sometimes happen in restaurants.
“Why do we even go to restaurants?” my wife writes from the other side of the table. “We could have stayed home, we could have saved a lot of money, we could hear each other talk, I could have cooked something nice for us.”
We go because the best restaurants know we come to celebrate, to relax, to not have to think about anything else for a minute, like Chef Carmy says on “The Bear.” The waiter doesn’t disappear right after you sit down, the bread in the basket is warm and fresh, the dining room is lively — but never so loud that you have to text across the table.
The best restaurants — the ones we hope to find — know this. That our best memories sometimes happen in restaurants. That restaurants are special places.
That they can make us happy. Sometimes for the rest of our lives.
Mark Gauert is the editor of City & Shore magazine, which is published by the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached at mgauert@cityandshore.com.
FAQs
Q: What is the main reason people go to restaurants?
A: People go to restaurants to be taken care of, to celebrate, to relax, and to not have to think about anything else for a minute.
Q: What makes a restaurant special?
A: A restaurant is special when it knows why people go there, and it provides a warm and fresh environment, with good music and delicious food.
Q: Can restaurants create lasting memories?
A: Yes, restaurants can create lasting memories, especially when they provide a special experience, like a favorite dish or a romantic anniversary celebration.
Q: What is the role of restaurants in our lives?
A: Restaurants play a significant role in our lives, as they provide a space for celebration, relaxation, and socialization, and can create lasting memories and happy experiences.
Q: How can restaurants make people happy?
A: Restaurants can make people happy by providing a warm and welcoming environment, delicious food, and good service, which can create a sense of comfort and joy.
