Over the years, several posts have resonated and consistently get hits, like how to eat a Concord grape, or cooking capon.
This is about a woman eating alone in a restaurant. My adopted grandmother told me today she would never go to a restaurant alone. In business, one must, and in a safe environment when I’m not cooking, I go out.
Yesterday, I went to a local eatery that knows us and has for years but no-one on duty was familiar. As it filled up, I immediately got a table, ordered and was tended to. When the bill came I thanked the waitress for treating me so well, and mentioned that the first time we visited my husband and I sat at the bar and shared the bruschetta I had alone for dinner. Jim was out of town.
She came back and took a locals discount off the bill (I didn’t have my locals card with me and never mentioned I had one).
Women are afraid to go out to eat alone. I go. I’ll go to the movies alone. Being alone is not a problem for me. When restaurants see a table of women they think they’re all going to argue over the bill, figure out who has to pay $,15 for the blue cheese dressing and they’ll leave no tip.
Alone, they think what a sad creature, no man wants her. She’s just going to order an appetizer and a glass of wine and tie up a table for an hour. I stayed less than an hour, did just that and tipped 25%, cash.
I not only go to restaurants, I review them. No-one knows that. When a restaurant treats me well on a first visit, alone, that is a blessing to their mother, wife and all women. Treat us well, we’ll order well and leave you a nice tip.
They used to put me in the smoking section, or right by the kitchen’s swinging doors. No more. If they try to do that, I leave. I’m too old to deal with their crappy attitudes.
Women in cliques, we’ll talk about that later. Right now it’s a woman dining alone who just wants to feel safe, have a nice meal, and be taken care of by restaurant staff from kitchen to front of house, manager and waiter.
It’s scary being sent to a new city and having to negotiate business. The last thing a woman alone should be thinking about is how her per diem is being used and how badly she’ll be treated if she eats at a restaurant instead of getting pizza delivery or overpriced room service food.
Treat us better, people! We represent over 50% of the population but are treated as underlings. Restaurants who get this will shake things up and make a difference for us women and for their bottom lines. I offered this story to a site that posts many of my reviews and they didn’t get back to me so… sorry!
Go out to eat! Don’t stay in your home or hotel room. Get known by the local proprietors. Don’t bring a book. Just be you. GO! Dee
Cooking with Dee 