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May 28, 2005

On traveling and dining alone

Jeff asked in a comment if I dine alone when I'm traveling, or if I stay in the hotel.

I go to restaurants. I ask the people I'm working with which restaurant they recommend, and I'll try it. I try to go to at least one pricey and wonderful restaurant each trip (unfortunately, in London, there are plenty of pricey restaurants, but I was unable to find a wonderful one!).

I often bring a book to read, and that seems to be a single to the host or hostess that I will be dining alone. I also try to get to the restaurant a bit before they start getting busy, so they won't have the excuse of many people waiting.

I have never had a restaurant not accommodate me. Almost all of them have a first come - first serve rule, no matter the size of the party.

In Baltimore, at one of the pricey seafood restaurants close to the The Inner Harbor, they suggested that I sit at the bar. I told them that I would prefer to sit in the restaurant since I don't smoke, and that I was on business, and their restaurant had been recommended to me, so wouldn't they please seat me with the diners as opposed to the drinkers.

They did.

I think mentioning that the restaurant came highly recommended really helps.

Posted by Beth at May 28, 2005 03:44 PM