"Mr. Wizard" writes:

Go and be happy; but you really need to make some friends.

Wrong attitude.

Just because one wants to dine alone doesn't mean one doesn't have friends.
That's one of the reasons people are hesitant to eat alone - fearing people
will think they're "losers" or such. Ridiculous.


Connie
************************************************** ***
My mind is like a steel...um, whatchamacallit.

Vox Humana wrote:
"janos petrik" wrote in message
om...

I've never gone to a restaurant alone. Should I call in advance and
ask if they accomodate single diners?

There's a new restaurant that I'd I'd like to try that doesn't require
reservations for lunch, but the truth is that I'm not comfortable
going to a fine restaurant by myself. Is there some kind of etiquitte
involved?

Could any restaurant owners, managers, wait staff members reply? I
know it must sound silly to some, but it would help me greatly.



You can request a table for two. Make sure they leave two menus. To make
yourself look less conspicuous, carry on a conversation with your invisible
friend. Order for "both" of you when the waiter comes. At the end, tell
your "friend" you had a wonderful meal and urge him to leave a big tip when
he pays the bill.


I can't tell if you are trying to be funny or sarcastic?

Anyway, the plethora of advice to this poster's question has ranged from
very good, to down right sick and stupid!

I was a waiter for 7 years, and it was not those single patrons that
bothered me (mind you, some left excellent tips that parties of 4 would
never give,) it was those romantic couples which used to linger on for
hours over a bottle of wine, while I worried over the money lost and the
crap tip they were going to give.

As for the owner, business is business. Most parties of two order the
basics. Matter of fact, a single patron usually orders a glass of wine
(not a bottle,) which is usually consumed quickly along with the meal.

That most restaurants live on a thin budget is bull. That is, most
restaurants that start out (the first few years.) After that, a
restaurant either goes bankrupt or makes good dough. How on earth can a
restaurant exist for years and years, if it's not making profit. So the
moron that made that statement should think twice before posting horse
shit like that.

Finally, go eat by yourself, take a magazine (my favorite since you are
not obliged to follow an order of the pages,) and smoke your figgin
cigar if you smoke ; )

Regards,

R

"ConnieG999" wrote in message
...
"Mr. Wizard" writes:

Go and be happy; but you really need to make some friends.

Wrong attitude.

Just because one wants to dine alone doesn't mean one doesn't have
friends.
That's one of the reasons people are hesitant to eat alone - fearing
people
will think they're "losers" or such. Ridiculous.

Jokes are lost on the jokeless

"Richard Periut" wrote in message
...
Vox Humana wrote:
"janos petrik" wrote in message
om...

I've never gone to a restaurant alone. Should I call in advance and
ask if they accomodate single diners?

There's a new restaurant that I'd I'd like to try that doesn't require
reservations for lunch, but the truth is that I'm not comfortable
going to a fine restaurant by myself. Is there some kind of etiquitte
involved?

Could any restaurant owners, managers, wait staff members reply? I
know it must sound silly to some, but it would help me greatly.



You can request a table for two. Make sure they leave two menus. To
make
yourself look less conspicuous, carry on a conversation with your
invisible
friend. Order for "both" of you when the waiter comes. At the end,
tell
your "friend" you had a wonderful meal and urge him to leave a big tip
when
he pays the bill.


I can't tell if you are trying to be funny or sarcastic?


Don't you hate that on Usenet?

Vox Humana wrote:

"Richard Periut" wrote in message
...

Vox Humana wrote:

"janos petrik" wrote in message
e.com...


I've never gone to a restaurant alone. Should I call in advance and
ask if they accomodate single diners?

There's a new restaurant that I'd I'd like to try that doesn't require
reservations for lunch, but the truth is that I'm not comfortable
going to a fine restaurant by myself. Is there some kind of etiquitte
involved?

Could any restaurant owners, managers, wait staff members reply? I
know it must sound silly to some, but it would help me greatly.



You can request a table for two. Make sure they leave two menus. To

make

yourself look less conspicuous, carry on a conversation with your

invisible

friend. Order for "both" of you when the waiter comes. At the end,

tell

your "friend" you had a wonderful meal and urge him to leave a big tip

when

he pays the bill.



I can't tell if you are trying to be funny or sarcastic?



Don't you hate that on Usenet?


Hate? Don't know the meaning of the word : )

R

jmcquown wrote:

But no, heck no, go eat by yourself. Enjoy your food. Take a book or
just
take in the surroundings. Don't worry about what other people may think,
and certainly do NOT worry about what the wait staff may think. They are
paid to make *you* comfortable, not the other way around. Enjoy! Life is
too short!


I think it would be safe to say that the OP can be considered a poor
"lonely" troll, Jill... ;---)

--
Best
Greg

Mark Thorson wrote in :

A selfish person like you doesn't deserve to eat
in a restaurant. After eating your tiny one-serving
meal, you'll probably proceed to pull out a cigar
and stink up the place for everybody else. People
like you make me sick. Hope this helps! :-)


Plonk!


--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

janos petrik wrote:
I've never gone to a restaurant alone. Should I call in advance and
ask if they accomodate single diners?

Why woulnd't a restaurant accomodate single diners? I have dined
alone many a time. Its no big deal.

There's a new restaurant that I'd I'd like to try that doesn't require
reservations for lunch, but the truth is that I'm not comfortable
going to a fine restaurant by myself. Is there some kind of etiquitte
involved?

Yes. Don't spit up your food or talk to yourself.

Go and enjoy a meal at that restaurant by yourself if
you can't find anyone else who wants to try it. Restaurants
are in business to serve people good food. The fact that
you dine alone is irrelevant. Bring a book or something to
read if you want.

"janos petrik" wrote in message
om...
I've never gone to a restaurant alone. Should I call in advance and
ask if they accomodate single diners?

Don't. Eating dinner alone does not make you a social outcast.

There's a new restaurant that I'd I'd like to try that doesn't require
reservations for lunch, but the truth is that I'm not comfortable
going to a fine restaurant by myself. Is there some kind of etiquitte
involved?

No shirt, no shoes, no service. Pants on the other hand ...

Could any restaurant owners, managers, wait staff members reply? I
know it must sound silly to some, but it would help me greatly.

Just go and have a good time. If you find that your "booth" is lined in
white tile, I suggest you complain to management immediately, however.

Paul

Could any restaurant owners, managers, wait staff members reply?

Why? There are plenty of people here who dine alone and are quite
capable of telling you there's no special etiquette involved or
required.


I eat out alone all the time; just expect the server to put you at a smaller
table. I always take a newspaper with me when I go out to eat; I like to read
while I eat.

Michael O'Connor - Modern Renaissance Man

"The likelihood of one individual being correct increases in a direct
proportion to the intensity with which others try to prove him wrong"
James Mason from the movie "Heaven Can Wait".

writes:

I've never gone to a restaurant alone. Should I call in advance and
ask if they accomodate single diners?

There's a new restaurant that I'd I'd like to try that doesn't require
reservations for lunch, but the truth is that I'm not comfortable
going to a fine restaurant by myself. Is there some kind of etiquitte
involved?

Could any restaurant owners, managers, wait staff members reply? I
know it must sound silly to some, but it would help me greatly.

I sometimes eat out alone but for me it depends on the type of establishment.
I don't enjoy dining alone at high end types, they are usually rather devoid of
sound and tables are spaced apart enough that a single diner would stand out
and people being people tend to stare, plus even though it's not right the
fancy-schmancy restaurants, especially when busy, tend not to cater to singles
so well that they'll return because they take up a table that would normally
bring at least twice the revenue, and tips. Or they seat singles at a table so
small a cat couldn't curl up comfortabley atop, and its invaribly placed near
the terlits, with a steady stream of traffic passing, may as well be seated in
a litter pan. When dining alone I much prefer the tavern-like establishments,
I enjoy eating alone at the bar (it's not really alone) or a booth/table inside
the bar area instead of the main dining room... in fact even when in a group I
prefer the tavern atmosphere to the stuffy fine dining joints... the taverns
usually have better food too... I'm not bothered by naughty pine tables with
placemats, I can't eat linen. I don't know where you live and what's available
but when I lived on Lung Guyland my list of such eateries that I frequented was
long, especially those specializing in seafood out on the east end. But hey,
if you want to try out a new place all by your ownself then go for it. So far
since living upstate in NY's capitol area I've gone out to eat with a group of
locals on three different occasions, each place highly recommended... what do
hillybillys know from good eats... I'd not return to any. I really miss Lung
Island for its myriad excellent restaurants. Btw, my biggest pet peeve about
restauarants is seating, I mean the actual chairs, very few put any thought
into comfortable seating, and if after five minutes my ass and back aches I'm
not going to enjoy the meal regardless its quality... upon entering a new place
if I see they have those friggin' 3/4 size heavy wooden chairs with arms and a
contoured seat I politely depart... what makes them think I wanna sit for over
an hour with with restraining arms prodding my ribs to hold me in place with
that wooden wedge carved into the seat is jammed up my butt... I'd much rather
repose on a thickly padded bar stool.


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

(janos petrik) got ****ed off and typed
om:

I've never gone to a restaurant alone. Should I call in advance and
ask if they accomodate single diners?

If you just want to try the food go to the restaurant's bar. It's more social
for a single diner and most often they serve the same fair on smaller plates or
appetizer sized portions. When alone on business I've gone to some very swank
places with long waits, but was accomodated prompty in the bar.

Mark Thorson wrote in message ...
janos petrik wrote:

Could any restaurant owners, managers, wait staff members reply?
I know it must sound silly to some, but it would help me greatly.

You really shouldn't eat in a sit-down restaurant at all.
A fast-food place like McDonalds, sure, but not at a
real restaurant.

You are occupying a space that could and should be
occupied by two people. You are cutting in half the
amount of profit the restaurant owner makes. Not
only that, you are cutting in half the tips that the server
person makes.

You obviously don't realize that nearly all restaurants
operate on the barest of thin profit margins. In fact,
many are not actually profitable, which accounts for
restaurants being universally the form of business with
the highest bankruptcy rate.

You obviously don't realize the restaurant service
person survives largely on tips. If her tips are cut
in half, she can't make the rent or the phone bill.
You might be able to afford to spend $20 on a
small block of cheese (and then cut a quarter of it
away as rind and throw it in the trash), but for
your restaurant service person that might be an
evening's wages.

A selfish person like you doesn't deserve to eat
in a restaurant. After eating your tiny one-serving
meal, you'll probably proceed to pull out a cigar
and stink up the place for everybody else. People
like you make me sick. Hope this helps! :-)


You are clearly mentally ill and delusional. I imagine I have more
friends than you do, and of better character.

Move out of your mom's basement and see the real world.

"Mr. Wizard" wrote in message . com...
"janos petrik" wrote in message
om...
I've never gone to a restaurant alone. Should I call in advance and
ask if they accomodate single diners?

There's a new restaurant that I'd I'd like to try that doesn't require
reservations for lunch, but the truth is that I'm not comfortable
going to a fine restaurant by myself. Is there some kind of etiquitte
involved?

Could any restaurant owners, managers, wait staff members reply? I
know it must sound silly to some, but it would help me greatly.

Thanks all.

Go and be happy; but you really need to make some friends.


Somehow, I find it hard to believe that you have many friends. You
certainly have no sense.

Mark Thorson wrote in message ...
janos petrik wrote:

Could any restaurant owners, managers, wait staff members reply?
I know it must sound silly to some, but it would help me greatly.

You really shouldn't eat in a sit-down restaurant at all.
A fast-food place like McDonalds, sure, but not at a
real restaurant.

You are occupying a space that could and should be
occupied by two people. You are cutting in half the
amount of profit the restaurant owner makes. Not
only that, you are cutting in half the tips that the server
person makes.

You obviously don't realize that nearly all restaurants
operate on the barest of thin profit margins. In fact,
many are not actually profitable, which accounts for
restaurants being universally the form of business with
the highest bankruptcy rate.

You obviously don't realize the restaurant service
person survives largely on tips. If her tips are cut
in half, she can't make the rent or the phone bill.
You might be able to afford to spend $20 on a
small block of cheese (and then cut a quarter of it
away as rind and throw it in the trash), but for
your restaurant service person that might be an
evening's wages.

A selfish person like you doesn't deserve to eat
in a restaurant. After eating your tiny one-serving
meal, you'll probably proceed to pull out a cigar
and stink up the place for everybody else. People
like you make me sick. Hope this helps! :-)


You are clearly mentally ill and delusional. I imagine I have more
friends than you do, and of better character.

Move out of your mom's basement and see the real world.