Perhaps you’ve noticed: I like to stress that eating is an experience.
I don’t mean to suggest that every meal should be treated as an overly sacred ritual. Sometimes eating is simply for sustenance or for fuel; other times, it is for our souls. Either way, I believe we should always appreciate – or at least acknowledge – the non-edible elements that make up our time at the table.
let’s play a game. this is the ceiling. are we in a bar? a restaurant? a diner? on the moon? it’s up for debate.
For me, those components define the concept of atmosphere. A compilation of ingredients, beyond those that sit on our plates, they complete the memories we make each time we pick up our fork.
Atmosphere tends to have connotations of expense or gourmet – and though it is certainly essential to that higher-end experience [take my weekend, for instance], romantic lighting and tiers of servers barely scratch the surface of my perception of atmosphere.
For instance, in college, my friends and I often frequented a little Thai restaurant called Spice, a cramped, lounge-looking space with lightning service, single digit prices, and delicious spice, per the title. We’d sit in the window on white plastic chairs, taking advantage of the lunch special: a free appetizer, a side of rice, a mugful of steaming curry.
These days, I almost never do lunch out, and for better or worse, I tend to eat at my desk. The dishes are tupperware, the fork and spoon recycled. I take a break from work, read my email, concentrate on my food. I am trying to get in the habit of getting some fresh air after lunch, as the air and the walk always rejuvenate me, and I know I’m entitled to the time.
There are other times when I need to eat on the go, and the pieces involved might be a ziploc bag, mixed varieties of raw and roasted nuts, a subway car, some antibacterial hand lotion. There might be crowds, and I might be standing with one hand gripping a pole. If I’m eating in this situation, my stomach will likely be growling.
puzzling appetizer in a puzzling atmosphere: sweet potato tamales with cilantro butter….that came out 90 seconds after ordering.
Then there are the atmospheres you can’t quite figure out. Katie and I shared a post-work dinner last week at Galaxy Global Eatery, a confusing establishment that we decided was part diner, part dive bar, part organic eatery. Hence the ceiling pictured above.
The dark interior and decor left us pondering where exactly we were, but baffling environment and mediocre food aside, the company was an essential and fabulous aspect of the ambiance.
galaxy entree: vegan caesar salad: romaine hearts, avocado, cornmeal crusted tofu, capers, hemp dressing
Companions, or lack thereof, are that final key aspect of atmosphere: shared laughter can make dim lighting seem brighter, solitude creates a time for quiet reflection. A meal with a fellow food photographer can make public awkwardness a bit less…well, awkward – even when the other elements bewildered us to no end.
What is your ideal atmosphere for a meal? What was the atmosphere of your last one?
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Ideal atmosphere is outside with beautiful scenery in gorgeous weather. Last atmosphere was at my desk :(
I’ve been to Spice! They have an amazing eggplant dish.
I love to eat anywhere I feel relaxed. I’m not a fan of pumping music when I eat! My last meal was eaten at my desk, Google-reading. There’s only so many hours in a day!
my ideal meal atmosphere – early morning, breaking dawn, somewhere quiet with a cup of coffee and a sweet-tasting breakfast, possibly curled up in a fluffy blanket or hugging a pillow; my laptop nearby and good music playing – right now i’m loving owl city.
as for a more sociable meal atmosphere, i love diners and home-y sunday-breakfast-y places with those i love. :)
<3
Ideal atmosphere: a picnic on the beach at sunset.
Most Recent: my yellow kitchen.
Sweet potato tamales!? Those look great!
Hope you’re having a good week thus far :-D
We must always dine together from now on, okay? Ideally, I’d like a warm environment with simplistic design and cultural accents, mmmm :)
The last one was in front of the TV…semi uncomfortable…rushed…listening to loud cats…not the ideal one :)
who knows what is ideal to me….i get confused over everything….a bit of peace would be nice :)
Nice sweet potato!
I can’t stand it when restaurants are so noisy that you are yelling, or so quiet that you feel like you have to whisper. I need just the right amount of white noise :) My late meal was with my roommate at a mexican restaurant next to our apartment that we had never tried. The seats were uncomfortable, the tables were too close and the service stunk. All in all, two thumbs down … better luck next time!
this post is amazing! i completely agree with you- eating should sometimes be so much more than just a meal :) like my ideal atmosphere is just a quiet restaurant with a close group of friends that i can just talk to and laugh with. the atmosphere of my last one- well, college cafeteria, enough said! i actually like the atmosphere, though, bc you always see people you know! it is fun!
i love environments where you can be surrounded my freinds, or people who share the same style and vibe. funky beats, good food. smiles, music… :)
What is on that plate? I am in awe.
Haha, I could tell immediately from the ceiling that you were at the Galaxy Global Eatery. I used to eat there all the time before concerts, back before Irving Plaza became the Fillmore.
Your vegetarian tamales look great!
As for atmosphere, good company is truly what I rely on for a nice dining experience. Eating pizza on the steps of a NYC Brownstone with my best friend is one of my fondest dining memories.
I’m all about atmosphere too. I just ate breakfast at a hotel in a cute corner table that I spent 5 minutes picking out. Which table? Do I want to be near a window? The TV? haha. I think overall, the type of atmosphere I generally like is cafe/coffee shop-ish. I am all about a cozy, cute atmosphere as oppossed to a stiff formal atmosphere, you know what i mean?
Looking forward to this weekend giiirllL! Bring on the YTTP!!
love that blue ceiling and caesar salad!
the atmospheres I prefer are places with dim lighting, warm colors, comfy seating (preferably a booth!), and next to a window. I love people watching!
I use to not care so much about the atmosphere around me while I was eating… mostly because my eating was always on the go or spent watching TV or doing something.
Now, I really need things to be quiet and peaceful around me when I eat, as I tend to get a little overwhelmed when too much is going on around me. That’s probably why breakfast (my last meal) is my favorite meal of the day… lots of peace and quiet with no other distractions or craziness going on.
I’m with you! Companionship is the best, and if you’re solo, it should put you at ease.
Hope to see you again soon!