6 June 2021

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. (Past hosts include: Our first - Judd Corizan, Mr. L, Kwizgiver and Bud).  Cheers to all of us thieves!

 

 

Stolen from the Queen's Meme

 

 

 

1. When is the last time you went out to a meal with someone special? Tell us about it.
It's been more than a year since we've been out to a meal, except for one night when we met friends at the train station (they were changing trains and had 2 hours to kill) and went to a pizza place, which had tables outside.

2. Show us a picture of your favorite cuisine.

3. What is the funniest thing a man/woman has said to you lately?
Ned just returned from 3 weeks working in Hawaii and has been telling us funny stories about his time there.

4. What makes a gentleman a gentleman in today’s dating world? Are there any left?
It's been nearly  6 decades since I was part of the dating world.  I know my husband is a gentleman, as are my sons.

5. Is there anything you won’t tolerate when out to dinner with your significant other?
I can't think of anything

6. What type of ambiance do you enjoy in an eating establishment?
Comfortable seating, quiet enough that you can hear your friend(s) speaking (I remember eating in a fancy restaurant in New York that was so loud you couldn't hear anything...and they told me that was typical of NY restaurants).  I like a wait staff that is aware of your needs, but doesn't interrupt you with asking every 5 minutes if you need anything (they do that at the Olive Garden and it drives me crazy).  And a wait staff that keeps your water glass filled.

7. Tell us about the worst public dining experience you ever had, whether it be a date or with your family.
Some 20 or so years ago we went to a Russian restaurant with a bunch of people---we were a group of about a dozen.  They had no place for a big group so had us wait in the bar area, which had no chairs.  I ordered a Manhattan and the bartender didn't know what that was and had to look it up in a book, and then couldn't make it because he had no sweet vermouth.  We were finally taken upstairs to a big room which was empty except for our table and another table of Russians having a celebration.  A very loud celebration.  At one point they did karaoke on a stage that was right in front of our table.  It took forever to get our food and they mixed up several of the orders.  I think the food was good--I can't remember--but the whole ambience thing was terrible.

8. What is the lamest or rudest thing a man/woman has said to you lately?
I haven't seen a lot of people in the past year and nobody that I can think of has been rude.

9. Are you a good tipper?
I had a son who was a waiter and he taught me to be a good tipper!

10. Do you ask for doggie bags when you leave food on your plate at a restaurant?
Definitely.  Sometimes for me, sometimes for the doggie.  Many years ago before doggie bags became common, we went to a prime rib restaurant with my grandparents.  My grandmother had a beautiful piece of prime rib and couldn't eat it all and asked if she could take home the leftovers for her dog (which she did not have).  They took her plate away and brought back a big bag of meat they had taken off of lots of plates.

11. What is your pet peeve about restaurants and dining out in general?
I am a big water drinker and I hate restaurants that forget to refill your water glass...or that give you an 8 oz glass, which is about enough for two swallows.  And forget to put ice in the glass.

12. Do you prefer to order yourself or do you ever let your significant other order for you?
Definitely prefer to order myself.

13. Describe your most intimate romantic dinner ever. (fantasy or real)
Well it wasn't romantic but one of my most intimate dinners was with my son.  When the kids were little Walt and I each took one child out to dinner, each month, alternating months.  The child got to pick the restaurant, but it could not be a fast food joint.  I remember one time we went to an Indian restaurant because he wanted to taste Indian food.  When you have one on one dinners with a kid, especially when you don't have the chance to speak to them at home, you learn all sorts of things over your dinner.

14. Do you enjoy piano bars?
If we went to places like that I'm sure we would.  I can only remember being in one place that had a piano bar and it was fun, but that's just not our scene.  My father had a brief job as a pianist at a piano bar once.  I got several friends to go with us to support him, but he wouldn't talk with us or play our requests because he had to deal with the paying customers.  Which we were.

15. If you could go anywhere in the world for dinner, where would it be and who would you be with?
Hmmm.... Scoma's or the Franciscan Restaurant in San Francisco.  Both specialize in crab (and are very expensive).  I would be with Walt, who loves crab as much as I do.