To Dine Alone: A Choice

The Set Up:

It's Friday night. The work week wasn't too difficult and life really wasn't too stressful. There was even a nice little date squished in the front end of the week. All in all, not a remarkable, but just was. Though, it was payday and I didn't feel like cooking, so why not feed that sushi craving I'd been nursing for the past few days? I put out the call on Twitter for someone to join me and no one local was able to make it. No matter, I would venture out on my own and try a relatively new restaurant to my neighborhood, Social House, and have a nice supper alone.

I used to go out to eat by myself often when I lived in other cities, but the past few years in Minneapolis it seems I've gotten off that wagon. This meal would be just me, some delicious sushi, minimal checking my phone and soaking in the atmosphere while decompressing from the week.

The Scene:

Since I was dining alone, I requested a seat at the sushi bar, because taking up a 2 or a 4 top on a Friday night is inconsiderate. When I was shown to my seat, I was super pumped because they were showing what I initially believed to be House of Flying Daggers. Verification of this fact still remains inconclusive, but it was a beautiful Chinese film either way. I branched out and ordered a Kakkoi roll and Sake nigiri and it was beautifully presented and had great texture and flavor.



I fully enjoyed this beautiful dish.



One of the side benefits of dining alone is that you may incidentally hear other diners' conversations. People who are not familiar with Uptown inquiring which buildings are which. "How was your day?" type conversations. Chatter about food trucks. "See that poor girl over there. She's all by herself. Why would she sit where everyone can see her?"

Did you just hear the needle scratch across the record? So did I. I carefully glanced over my glass of delicious plum wine to see a couple that would be slightly older than my parents' age sitting across from a daughter type and 20s-ish granddaughter type. This glance confirmed that yes indeed, they were looking staring at me. Not to mention commenting about my dining alone not more than 8 feet from my seat.

Immediately when I heard them pitying me and saying how sad my situation must be, I got fidgety. I got nervous. I wondered if there were right and I should try to leave as soon as possible. Then...

The Decision:

...I realized that I owned this decision and whatever their opinion of me is, I wasn't going to let it ruin my night. Sure no one had been able to join me for supper, but I still chose to go out in pubic and have skilled people cook for me. Each day at work, I have to talk much of the day and I was treating myself to a bit of time where I did minimal talking and lots of just being. This is not a thing of pity, strangers at the next table, it's a choice. Please use your whisper voices if you feel the need to talk about a fellow patron right in front of her. Or better yet, you enjoy the company that you're dining with as I will be doing the same.