Dining out with friends does not have to be work. In fact, dining with friends is another reason to get together to celebrate new and developed friendships sometimes mixing in new friends in hopes all of you find enough in common to create new relationships.

And let’s face it. It is not the restaurant or food that brings us together. It is the camaraderie first and food second. The expenditure is for the entertainment you have chosen for the night. Separate checks for working adults is uncouth and annoying.

There are times when one may not feel they want to spend money dining out. Simply do not accept the invitation. And there are times where your group may institute sepearate checks in advance.

There is nothing worse than the friend who constantly avoids paying for something or alowing one of the other s buy his or her drinks or to share their appetizers.

Some people, and they will not be included often, find the need to show their power over waiters. They will ask inane questions about the wine list first. If good wine is important to you then you probably already know what you like . Interrogating a waiter or worse, a Sommelier, about ten different wines shows lack of understanding about wine in the first place. Let’s say you are in an Italian restaurant. They are not going to have big Bordeaux’s or Cabernet Sauvignon’s . Pretty easy to let your server know your preferences in another style and let them suggest something along the same lines. How tedious it is when one of the guests or couples annoy the waiter asking to sample three whites and three reds before making a choice. Think about it. Three samples equal one glass. That is downright cheap and show-off.

The food at the chosen restaurant may not be the five-star you get at La Grenouille but it is probably not horrible or the friend who suggested the place would not have chosen it. One can always find something on a menu to satisfy. If it does not blow your skirt up simply eat something else the next day. Food is only with us for about six hours or so. No tragedy there.

Then there are the friends who are staring down in frownful disdain at their delicious Pasta Carbonaro that may be the best ever made. You ask “Are you enjoying your dinner?” They might reply “It’s tolerable.” “Tolerable?” you may ask. “Do you not like it?” “Oh, its ok.” “Then what is the matter?” you ask. “Well, we cook at home.”

What in the world does that mean? We all cook at home. But dining out can be just as, or more satisfying as at home. It is just a meal and it is with friends. Why the fuss? No one is comfortable and most likely in follow-up conversations about that night before that couple will be left out in future.

Then there is the one who does not drink. Most of the time what they meant was they drink at home before going out to save money. Then just do not go out in groups. It is disconcerting when the check comes for everyone to have to take the list to mark what they had, their tax and their gratuity.

I give a lot of successful dinners parties and organize restaurant dinners with interesting friends to make a night of it with great conversation and a plethora of hearty laughs. Let it be that.

The last part of this life lesson for today is this. If someone invites you to be their guest at dinner do not forget to invite them another time soon. I have heard excuses “We cannot afford to take people out.” Really? “Do you go out on your own for dinner?” They answer, well of course. We love going out!” Do the math. If you have been taken to dinner then you did not spend any money at all. Taking them out the next time equals out to an accounting of zero.

We are funny society. My best and most fun times in the world are dinners with intersting friends with differnt ideas who like to share. We laugh and learn and enjoy the culinery delights that bring us joy.

Bon appetite and until next time.