When you go into a restaurant, what is one of the first questions you get asked? Would you say that being asked if you’d like some water is a common question upon sitting down in a restaurant? In my experience, I would. I think that I’ve eaten in enough restaurants throughout my twenty-nine years and five months on this planet, to make the statement that being asked if I want water generally happens within the first five minutes of sitting down at the table. Are there times I can recall not being offered a glass of water? Of course there are. Sometimes water is poured into my glass automatically and I am not asked about it. Other times, I’m asked if I want “something to drink” usually followed by a list of beverages that includes sodas and juices. There is also almost always a drink menu that is pointed out by the host or server. Now, a lot of this drink nonsense has to do with the time of day. For example, coffee tends to be offered at breakfast and brunch times as well as for dessert along with tea. Coffee and tea are not normally suggested drinks when you order spaghetti bolognese for dinner. This concept tends to work in reverse as well. If you go somewhere for a pancake breakfast, it’s not very likely that you will be informed of a list of beers on tap. So, where am I going with this?
Last Tuesday, I took myself out to lunch. All of the background details are mundane, but to paint a quick picture, I had an orthodontist appointment and needed to return something to Bloomingdales afterwards. I figured while I was in Bloomies, I might as well grab a bite to eat, so I walked over to David Burke’s restaurant. Since it was about 1pm, the place was pretty empty and I was seated right away at the counter facing the exterior window. As I was skimming through the menu, I could feel someone looking over my shoulder, which is a really awkward experience when you are alone, so I looked up to see the waiter standing next to me. He didn’t say anything at first, maybe two or three seconds later (an actual long time to be looking at someone who is hovering over you). Eventually, the waiter began his usual spiel of reviewing the menu and then asked me the question that we are all asked just about every time we go into a restaurant. The question that we established earlier, to be almost a given when ordering food. “Would you like to start off with some wine?”
Yes, I typed that correctly. I was not offered water in the glass that was pre-set at my seat. I was not given the option of sparkling, flat, or tap water. I was not automatically poured a glass of water. In this particular situation, I was offered wine. At 1pm on a Tuesday afternoon. This isn’t Paris or Rome people. I’m in freaking Bloomingdales. No I don’t want to start off with some wine! That’s the weirdest question anyone has ever asked me. Yes I’m being dramatic and exaggerating, but I was so thrown off by this that I think I did one of those cartoon character double takes. The kind where the head looks and turns and then kind of spins around to look again in disbelief.
I kept it cool with my response by politely saying, “no thank you, just some water would be great,” and then I buried my head into the menu. Within a couple of minutes, two men wearing business suits sat down at the counter seats next to me and were offered the same thing. They also turned down the wine suggestion and although I couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying, I am 99% positive there was a brief discussion about the odd exchange that had just taken place.
My friend had come back over to fill my water glass and take my order. I asked for the tomato soup and a lemonade. I didn’t want to make this whole beverage thing too complicated, but I was really in the mood for a lemonade. It felt like a couple mere seconds had passed before I was handed a bowl of tomato soup with a side of a mini grilled cheese sandwich. As for the lemonade, I waited a tad bit longer for that. It eventually came, and I didn’t have to ask for it twice or remind the waiter, so I am not complaining by any means. I just thought it was super magical that my lunch was ready and being put down in front of me before I even finished ordering it, while the complexities of ordering a drink began to appear with full force.
Once all of the components of my lunch arrived, solid and liquid, I was thrilled. Everything was delicious. I even got to have one of those super famous David Burke popovers! At the end of the day, everybody wins. I enjoyed a good lunch, the waiter did his own weird thing, and you get to read about me feeling awkward. Cheers!
When you go into a restaurant, what is one of the first questions you get asked? Would you say that being asked if you’d like some water is a common question upon sitting down in a restaurant? In my experience, I would. I think that I’ve eaten in enough restaurants throughout my twenty-nine years and five months on this planet, to make the statement that being asked if I want water generally happens within the first five minutes of sitting down at the table. Are there times I can recall not being offered a glass of water? Of course there are. Sometimes water is poured into my glass automatically and I am not asked about it. Other times, I’m asked if I want “something to drink” usually followed by a list of beverages that includes sodas and juices. There is also almost always a drink menu that is pointed out by the host or server. Now, a lot of this drink nonsense has to do with the time of day. For example, coffee tends to be offered at breakfast and brunch times as well as for dessert along with tea. Coffee and tea are not normally suggested drinks when you order spaghetti bolognese for dinner. This concept tends to work in reverse as well. If you go somewhere for a pancake breakfast, it’s not very likely that you will be informed of a list of beers on tap. So, where am I going with this?
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Too funny!!
Hahaha. If not for these sometime strange situations in restaurants, I guess it would become boring. At least it ended well enough.