CHOOSING WISELY
The first of a three-part series devoted to
The fine art of selecting an appropriate restaurant
Part I: Personal Recommendations
Choosing an appropriate dining spot for a given evening would hardly qualify as one of life's major decisions. Like all of life's decisions, however -- whether great or small -- choosing wisely has its rewards... choosing poorly its punishments. Those who approach restaurant dining with a "life's a crapshoot" attitude are living a self-fulfilling prophecy -- in other words, they're likely to "crap out" more often than not.
Restaurant dining should be an immensely pleasurable experience. But hoping for the best doesn't make it so -- some careful planning does. A crapshoot life may well be, but that doesn't mean you can't stack the odds heavily in your favor.
One suggestion for choosing an eatery comes immediately to mind: Give a friend a call and ask for a recommendation. Word of mouth is all well and good... provided, of course, that the mouth in question happens to be trustworthy. Since asking for a personal recommendation is somewhat akin to playing Russian roulette with your innards, I would offer the following rule of thumb: No matter how reliable you consider the person making the recommendation, no matter how closely you feel his/her tastes coincide with your own, when sailing off into uncharted culinary waters, it pays to do your own reconnaissance.
If possible, make it a point to stop by the establishment in question for a cocktail after work, or at least for a brief look-see. Strike up a conversation with the bartender. Peruse the menu, the wine list... and don't forget to take a gander in the restroom before departing. You'd be surprised what a sharp pair of eyes and ears and an acute sense of smell can tell you about a restaurant -- even before settling in at table.
Perhaps a great many people consider it a waste of time and effort to pay a visit to a restaurant beforehand. Obviously it is not always possible or necessary to spy out the land in advance. On the other hand, if you are planning a uniquely romantic and/or outlandishly expensive evening, doing so is most certainly a sine qua non. No matter how glowing the recommendation, there is no substitute for seeing a place in the flesh. Even if the establishment passes muster, you may still deem it unsuitable for the particular occasion you have in mind.
Better to spend a little time and effort at the outset than to make a reservation sight unseen and arrive at the appointed hour expecting fish... only to find fowl.
TO BE CONTINUED...go to Part II
Bon Appétit!
