Day One Hundred and Ninety - My Dinner With Sydney

The very first entry in my "ideas for things to do for the year" was to eat dinner in a restaurant alone. Tonight I was given the opportunity for solitude and I ate dinner in a restaurant alone. It was actually...pretty okay. I didn't even bring a book or a newspaper and I managed not to feel so incredibly awkward. The other alone diners I saw were all about their books/newspapers - but come on - that's a total crutch - you are ALONE - suck it up! Enjoy the silence.

I decided to go to my favourite sushi place as it's still casual, but still a restaurant, not a fast food place. I was later than expected to the restaurant, but it was still very un-busy [which never ever happens]. The waitress offered me a seat right up front in the window and - tossing caution to the wind, I accepted. It was just me and some other lonely dude [okay, I'm projecting] sitting up front and centre for all of Bloor Street to gawk at. I used the opportunity to gawk back [it was really storming out so I got to see all sorts of bedraggled looking people which is always amusing]. The actually eating experience was fine, although I ordered way too much food [I'm used to other people eating my food]. It made me think about how when you go out for dinner it's rarely about the food - it's about the whole experience of being "out" and conversation and whatnot. When you're alone, it is entirely about the food. Luckily it was pretty good, though the tempura came way too late and I didn't feel like lingering so I barely touched it.