For The Table
A very elaborate dinner I made recently for some friends.
Something you’ll learn pretty quickly if you go out to a restaurant with me, more so somewhere where we will be ordering multiple courses, I love to share. I’m big into sharing. If we are new friends, we will go through the menu together. I will ask you about every single offering.
I will say something like, “Do you like tomatoes?”
“No…but if you like tomatoes, you should get them!”
Then I have to give you my whole speech. No. We eat together. I do not want to sit here and my tomatoes by myself. Dining out, eating, is such an intimate experience. We talk about things we like, we talk about things we’d like to try. Sometimes this recalls, “Oooo I love burrata! I had this amazing burrata at _____ forever ago!” And you enjoy each other’s memories and experiences.
I recently went on a dinner date. We had never eaten together. I had given him the choice between three restaurants, and he had picked what was essentially a gastropub attached to a brewery. I actually had asked him if he had any allergies, but he said he ate most everything and would be fine. It wasn’t until we sat down that he revealed that, oh, actually he has pretty severe celiac’s disease.
I laughed to myself, “Wait, why didn’t you tell me!? I obviously would not have mentioned coming to a bread factory If I knew you were allergic to gluten! I’m not that much of an asshole!”
“I looked at the menu! They serve wine too! There are things I can eat here, don’t worry. Feel free to get whatever you want!
No. If we are eating together, we are eating together. I will be okay sans bread for the evening. We went through the menu. I asked him about everything. I wouldn’t be making any assumptions. I took great care to choose things that either didn’t need to be modified, or the modification would be simple enough that the kitchen wouldn’t be(Caesar salad minus croutons.)
Cocktail from one of my favorite haunts, Willow Bar.
(Contrary to popular belief, wait and kitchen staff are often very understanding of accommodating allergies and dietary restrictions. Sometimes it’s easy to make something gluten-free. Sometimes it’s not. Sometimes they are have the ability to create an off-menu vegan vegetable plate - I worked at a restaurant that did this! Sometimes you’re at vegetarian at a BBQ place where you’re stuck eating coleslaw and french fries - did I mention I was a vegetarian from 13 to 17? You’ll never know unless you ask. If a restaurant doesn’t allow modifications to the menu, it will usually say so. Especially if the allergy is life-threatening, it’s best practice to make a note of the allergy when making the reservation. That way you don’t die and also no one gets fired when they just didn’t know. Also, if you have any allergies, please tell me because I want you to be/feel safe always!)
I can’t imagine anything lonelier than two people eating together and enjoying things separately. If I get a certain cocktail? Oh my God, you need to taste this! If I try the crudo first? Ooooooo, this is good! Try it!
More recipes from Ottolenghi’s Simple. Different dinner.
It’s communion. Sharing a meal is the elevation of the carnal into the spiritual. Dining together is the consecration of a habit into a ritual.
What’s mine is yours. I will take care of you. We will take care of each other, even if only for now in this moment.
I want you to experience joy and pleasure in my presence. I want you to experience new things. I want you to show me new things. I want to show you how much joy I receive in being with you in this space – stopping, sharing, savoring, surrendering.
Let’s share something soon.
Hi! I’m Anna Carter, a GFE escort in Manhattan, NYC. I’m originally from Atlanta, GA.