html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> From the archives: 'Cause the Ethiopian place was closed.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

'Cause the Ethiopian place was closed.

Last night, Anand and I got gussied up and went to a show and a nice dinner. Oh yeah! I forgot about going to nice dinners. I haven't been going to nice dinners, pretty much since I've been single. My friends and I always go to the linoleum-floored ethnic restaurants, which I only today realized are the "hanging out" of going out to eat. I love hanging out and I love those restaurants, with the cheap and delicious food. But I forgot. Eating at a nice restaurant feels grown-up and lovely and feminine.

I should eat at nice restaurants more often. I don't, because they feel like dates. But I should remember that it is the occasion that determines whether it is a date, not the nature of the menu. I should also remember that I am not poor any longer. I should definitely remember that I like the tablecloth and bread, and polite waiters in a pretty place, and ordering a dessert with different layers.

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sometimes, however, the linoleum-floored ethnic places have the best food.

6:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

what I like about the nicer places as an experience, is how you can carry on a real conversation, without wondering if every other word is missed in the general hubbub of those the other types... this is why I miss my beloved La Cocina de Taos... very dark, boths that were kinda niches really... and out of tourista season, you could linger long over coffee without someone bugging you till you leave...

9:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

At least women can invite other women out to nice restaurants. Hetero guys generally don't invite their pals to places with table cloths. Or, put another way, there best be a TV with sports on mighty close by.

At the same time, I've been out to nice places with platonic female friends and, when the waiter is making presumptions about the romance quotient, I always wonder to what lengths a gentleman should go to disabuse him of that notion...

Excuse me, I have a plate of nachos and a baseball game to attend to....

2:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hetero guys generally don't invite their pals to places with table cloths. Or, put another way, there best be a TV with sports on mighty close by.

Or a dancer with clothes not on.

7:19 PM  
Blogger Marc said...

Specifically, if you still live in Sacramento, you should go to Biba's. It's a truly fine restaurant, a cut above just Nice, the food is just wonderful and well worth the price, it's a Sacramento institution, and it has a great backstory. Seriously, you're cheating yourself if you live in Sac and don't go there at least once. Biba will probably be hanging out there and you can chat with her. Some good vegetarian options (especially if you eat fish), check out the pastas for that. Beware of pancetta though -- it's Italian for bacon.

6:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pancetta isn't exactly italian for bacon, but yes, it's a bacon-like food. (Like prosciutto) - but anyway - what restaurant did you visit? We got some good'uns here in town and I always appreciate a recommendation!

4:57 PM  

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