Dining out alone is extremely underrated
Summary
Dining alone isn't just acceptable, it's underrated, according to a straphanger who's become a true believer in solo restaurant meals. The rider tells Kareem it's all about not waiting for other people to get hungry, cutting straight to the chase when appetite strikes. Their conversation spirals into the finer points: bar seating versus claiming a whole table for yourself (the "crazier level"), and whether to bring a book, newspaper, or just scroll TikTok while eating steak frites. Both agree that flying solo is the fastest way to become a regular at any spot. The rider confesses to doing a 90-minute tasting menu completely alone, which taught them one thing: it's really hard not to check your phone constantly.
Full Transcript
So what's your take? Dining out alone is extremely underrated, if not better than going out with groups of people. 100% agree. I love dining alone.
Why do you like dining alone? I don't want to wait for people to get hungry. So it's a scheduling thing.
No, no. If I'm hungry, I'm just going to go eat. Same. I don't need to like say like, "Let's do lunch." And I don't mean to turn this into an interview, but what's better for you—sitting at the bar or sitting at a table?
I don't mean to turn this into an interview, but what's better for you—sitting at the bar or sitting at the table? Like that? I used to think it was the bar, but now I'm starting to think the next crazier level is sitting by yourself at a table.
Well, you know who's a big fan of sitting by himself at a table? Keith McPn. He is famously sits alone, like, Christmas Eve. I saw that with a Pink Martini that he has every time. I think that more people need to stop waiting around and stop being embarrassed to sit at the bar or table with a nice book.
Actually, no book. A newspaper. Yeah, no, no, no, no. Sit on your phone.
See, the trick is to do it without your phone. That's not a trick. No, it's like hard to do that.
No, I know that. Why do I want to challenge myself? I'm trying to enjoy my steak frites while looking at TikTok. You engage with the food and engage with people on Instagram and you engage with you boost your engagement with the server, with the wait staff. No, I think it is a great way to get to know the staff, and it's the fastest way to become a regular at a restaurant.
That is 100% correct. That is the fastest way to become a regular. I did a tasting menu, like, an hour and a half long tasting menu by myself. That was a little insane, to be completely honest with you. But you savor the food in a way that's completely different.
Did you learn anything about yourself? Um, that it's really difficult to not check your phone all the time.