Digesting the Return

Why do we keep returning to restaurants and bars? When there are so many establishments out there to try, why do we yearn for the familiarity of that same booth in the corner or the same pasta dish that fills our bellies to the perfect level?

Many shows set in NYC know about this. The cast of Friends had The Central Perk, Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer had Tom's Restaurant, and the cast of HIMYM (if you have to look it up, I pity you) have their bar, MacLaren's. Perhaps it was too expensive for the set designer to create a new restaurant, bar or coffee shop for each episode. But oh, how I envy them! To slide easily into your seat that always happens to be free and a friend of yours happens to be sitting there waiting for you with a beer. Because all of your friends happen to live in the same part of town and have the same schedule as you.

I have found this happening to me recently. No, my dear friends are not sitting at Five Leaves or Bareburger waiting for me to arrive and no, I don't know the servers by name and they don't know my name, but I keep going back. Every trip to Five Leaves is the same trip on repeat. First I get my cocktail. Then I get my fig, ricotta & honey appetizer. Then I get my Five Leaves burger. Then I leave and roll around McCarren Park in the hopes that I digest my burger one day. My only exploration of other menu items are from my dining partners, don't worry I practice safe dining. Then at Bareburger I get my beer. Then I get the fries and onion rings with extra chipotle mayo sauce. Then I get 1 of two burgers, the California or the Roasted Red Pepper burger, bison meat, medium-rare. Then perhaps there is a milkshake to share in my future.

Wait. I see a trend. BURGERS.

Don't worry. Like the characters of Sex and the City I do go to other restaurants and check out openings. Okay, maybe not trendy, Carrie-like openings where I wear some sheer shirt and long flowy skirt with my Manolo Blahniks and wink in a flirty fashion at the cute guy standing across the room. No, I'm the frumpster that shows up 6 months later trying the things that food critics told me to try while I wipe some fancy ketchup off my pants.

So in conclusion I'm on a mission to become regular. I mean a regular. Meh. B & A suggested that a bar would be the easiest the most advantageous place to become a regular. I will select my location. Pick my seat at the bar (not the corner, because that's just creepy). And start drinking.

They better have burgers.