One thing we sorely missed during the pandemic was having dinner at a fine restaurant. I always said I’d rather have one meal at a 5 star restaurant than five meals at a franchise operation. Consequently, we were excited when the governor dropped the mask mandate last month, and we could finally make a reservation at a popular local restaurant. We’ve been out twice now, and come away disappointed. Eating out is losing it’s luster. But why?

Slow service. Maybe it will change when the federal unemployment bonus comes to an end. But right now, there really aren’t enough cooks and wait staff to serve a good meal in a timely manner. Many were staying at home because they couldn’t afford to go back to work. As a result, cooks and servers who did come to work were stretched to the breaking point. Both times, we waited almost two hours to be served our meal. Meanwhile, we’re chomping away on bread to quell the hunger pangs, and drinking too much wine on an empty stomach. Resulting in a headache that made it difficult to get to sleep.

Prices. Yes, prices have gone up. Not just a little, but a lot. A bottle of wine could usually be purchased for thirty some dollars. Now, in that same restaurant, you can’t get a bottle for less than sixty dollars. Entrees are at least 30% more costly. When they bring the bill, you blink. Was the food really that good? Actually, it wasn’t as tasty as it used to be. The steak was a bit overdone, and not nearly as tender. Not sure if they’re buying lower grade meat, or an overworked cook didn’t have the time to take it off the grill at the right time.

Eating out is losing its luster. Wait staff is overworked and masked. — Eating out is losing its luster. Wait staff is overworked; prices are high, and masked servers are a downer.

Masks. Servers are still required to wear masks. Unless you have young ears, you have to ask them to repeat themselves and speak more slowly. And you can’t help but feel sorry for them, knowing how hot and sweaty masks can be when worn for a period of time. Masked servers are a downer, and detract from the overall ambiance.

Yes, eating out is losing its luster. But we’re not ready to give it up. Being optimistic, we hope that when they’re operating with a full staff, the service will improve. And we’ll be exploring other local restaurants who may not have such steep price increases. And maybe, one of these days, we won’t have masked servers.

Before the pandemic hit, my husband took me out every Sunday for brunch. It didn’t seem like anything that spectacular—just a way to make the day a bit more special, and relieve me of having to cook a meal. And then the covid-19 pandemic gripped the nation. At first, we weren’t too worried here in the Heartland. Only one or two new cases a day. And then it began to skyrocket. Hundreds of cases, numerous deaths in what we had considered our safe little city. The Sunday brunches we had taken for granted came to a grinding halt. And now, finally, after sixty Sundays of frying bacon & eggs, fixing toast, peeling oranges, making hot chocolate– my days of fixing Sunday brunch at home had ended. Hallelujah!

And yet, as I was preparing to get dressed, I was surprised to feel a bit of social anxiety. What should I wear? There were clothes hanging in my closet from two summers ago, that I hadn’t worn since. During that last, lost summer, I wore nothing but old jeans and shorts and t shirts. After all, I was wearing a mask. No one would recognize me at the supermarket. . There was no point in wearing makeup, or caring about my appearance at all. Now, I was going out in public, barefaced. . It gave me a bit a stage fright.

Surprisingly, my old pants and tops still fit. I’ve gained a pound or two, but not enough to bump me up a size. That was a big relief. But was my summer apparel outdated? Were people still wearing culottes? I finally decided on an outfit that hadn’t been worn since the summer of 2019. Consequently, looking at myself in the mirror surprised me. I looked okay. When we were ready to leave, my husband and I eyed one another with approval. It had been a very long time since we had been that “dressed up.”

Finally, after sixty Sundays, we were able to eat at a restaurant without wearing a mak

Finally, after sixty Sundays, we seniors could go to a restaurant without wearing a mask.

The restaurant was nearly full, and few customer’s wore masks. The wait staff was still masked, and I felt sorry for them, knowing how hot and sweaty they feel after an hour or so. Otherwise, things seemed pretty normal. There were no surprising new fashions to make me feel out of date. People were dressed much the same as they had sixty Sundays ago. Men in shirts and shorts, women in slacks and sundresses. Little kids so excited that they could barely finish their meals. As we walked out the door, a wave of contentment washed over me. Finally, after sixty Sundays, things were getting back to normal.

Tag: eating out

EATING OUT IS LOSING ITS LUSTER