BiteClub

Bar & Communal table dining, now a fixture in most city’s hippest restaurants.

“Sharing a table with strangers can be riveting—who can resist eavesdropping on the adjacent couple? If you’re simpatico with your co-diners, such close quarters can even lead to shared desserts and phone numbers. But if the dining gods aren’t smiling (or if the hostess seats you next to some schmuck), you’ll have to endure awkward table talk, vile manners or unsavoury lechery.” Toronto Magazine.

Having recently had read a few restaurant reviews featuring this style of dining in Toronto, my memory sparked on some of my previous collective dining experiences.

Personally I love the idea (depending on my mood though) of sharing the table with total strangers, because I get to meet all sorts of people and can lead to some pretty funny & interesting situations.
Especially when I am eating with my friend Heidi, who loves to engage strangers, cab drivers, store clerks, hotel staff, bartenders, people waiting in line & the list goes on…

We have had some great experiences, met fabulous foodies & music lovers who became acquaintances and with whom once in a while I get together with for some live music, checking out new restaurants, shows or dancing in downtown Toronto.
All in all, communal dining can be fun.
Especially if the table or bar counter is large enough to provide with comfortable private convos & also have the option to be able to join in on another group’s discussion.

For some people I know, communal dining can be as appealing as communal bathing… perhaps not such a great idea. So it's always a good idea to make sure you know your group well enough to suggest group dining. It's a good practise to be nice & offer an option for a private table too & some restaurants have both.

In the spirit of that & veering to the nasty side of it, I have sat beside some unwelcomed situations…

• A couple breaking up, there was sobbing, nose blowing, blame shifting, bad in bed accusations by the girlfriend then followed by him saying, “I'm gay”

• Four friends discussing politics, religion & the evils of Walmart.

• Another couple making out like the fate of the human race depended on them mating for survival… this included feeding each other & a lot of finger licking, kissing food off each others faces & eating from each other’s mouths.

• The guy who ordered really spicy suicide chicken wings & pretty much perspired copiously during the entire meal while blowing his nose noisily & then stealing my napkins to provide relief for both his sweat beaded-glistening shaved head & his red snot dripping chapped nose & teary eyes, while constantly repeating “These are fucking awesome!!!”

• A drunk sitting beside me while I ate tapas at a bar, who fell asleep & leaned on me making my plate & wine glass slide right off the bar counter. Then when they finally got him a cab & removed him, he had peed on the bar stool.

• The man who told me & a friend that he would love to buy us a drink as he hadn’t seen such lovely women in so long because he just got out of jail.

• The elderly lady who dropped her teeth on her meal…splashed miso soup all over my arm. She tee heed & tried to wipe my arm with her used napkin while saying “sorry dear”

• The guy on the cellphone cussing for about 30 minutes.

• The young girls also on their cellphones texting each other & giggling over the cute server.

• The woman who slurped her soup loudly, chewed & talked with her mouth full.

• The little boy who hated Japanese food, screamed for Rotten Ronnie’s & then proceed to throw up the tempura shrimp his mother forced fed him under the false pretense of it being a chicken McNugget.

• The dog that ate my fish & chips while I was admiring the view seating at Granville Island’s market in Vancouver.

I could tell you more but in the spirit of not ruining communal dining for those of you who have never tried it, I’ll stop now =D
So yeah, ok by me if I am in the mood for people watching & I'm feeling sociable.
Aside from the mingling, for others, this type of seating arrangement is preferred as it can be a more casual, no fuss no muss outing.

But bar & communal dining has been around for eons & it hasn’t evolved simply for the sake of diners who don’t care about privacy & want less formal procedures. This type of seating can also be in the benefit of restaurant owners as it provides the establishment with extra seating, more covers, more revenue.

So it’s not all for my personal amusement after all & it does have its advantages, if you are the gregarious type, that is.

So what do you think, is it for you, any success or horror stories… any comments?