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Monday, September 22, 2008

Eating alone

My friend told me I should blog about this topic when I was telling him about how weird this restaurant made me feel because I was eating by myself.

Saturday afternoon I was lounging out at home relaxing and working on some homework, I had got a craving for some shrimp cocktail Mexican style, you know cocktel de camaron! just to make it clear I am not the talking about the plate of shrimp you dip in cocktail sauce.

I decided to go by my self since nobody was around to go with me and since it was just a few blocks down I decided to walk.

I love walking, but I have been lazy with walking to places around town like I did as a youngster, I would ride my bike but I got two flats, not good and I been wanting to by a new used bike or a not so expensive new bike hopefully soon, anyhow having a car makes one lazy and I am guilty of that sometimes.

I grab my camera and head out the door, I walk down the street exactly 2 1/2 city blocks.
I see the place and start taking pictures of the front of the place it really has this cool ocean theme mural on the outside. I proceed to walk in but I noticed a sign that said CASH ONLY being that I always use my darn ATM card I had to walk another block tot the liquor store on the next corner to pull out money.

I head back and go inside, there was a few people when I walked in and a couple of groups eating at the booths against the wall.

At the bar in front of the kitchen was three men drinking some Modelo's and talking with the waitresses.

I walk to back towards the wall and sat in this HUGE booth made for 5 to 10 people! I though it was funny since there where smaller tables, but that one had the best view lol.
This waitress comes up to me with her mini dress and scrunchy curly hair, she had these long ass nails with diamonds on them pretty fancy I say.
She had TWO menus in her hand even though she only seen ME go in the place, right away she assumed I was probably going to meet up with someone. I told her it was just me and I only needed one menu, she say's "estas sola" I go "si" she just gave me a kind of confused look and said "ok."

She goes back towards the kitchen bar area and since I got the best view of everything I see I am getting stared at by the men at the bar, I mean being a girl I guess it's nothing new but they where killing my dining experience by staring so obvious!
I was sitting towards the way of the bathroom so they all kept going to the bathroom at least two times each while I was there it was starting to get annoying.
I ordered my shrimp cocktail it came fine,but miss long nails was not very nice she just was bland and not to friendly.
I got to admit I was taking pictures of the food and that might of caught some attention but I was doing it as low pro as I could.
The cocktail was okay but it was better the last time I had one there, that did not help at all with the eating experience,I did not even eat it all the way just because I started to get annoyed with the gawking.

I payed, and before I left I gave a dirty look at the men for ruining my food, the waitress didn't get tipped either since she simply was not friendly sorry lady!
I eaten solo many times but it is usually during lunch time at work, so I guess it's suppose to be different other times?

My friend said eating alone is a sign of a strong person, I am strong but I think eating alone being a women is way different then eating alone being a man.

I did not want to blog the place after all so I erased all my pictures, I just felt it was not worth going there again, but fuck it if I want to eat alone I can they can assume what they want. I just will take a book or something next time and ignore the burning on the side of my face! lol

So I was wondering:

How do you feel eating alone? is is a good experience or do people assume your lonely or weird?

Do you think it makes a difference being a man or a women eating alone?

Have you had any interesting experiences?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sucks that the value of a woman is based on if she has a man or not Fuck that. Reading; not breeding!!!!

El Random Hero said...

Damn I hate it when people have staring problems. I mean, I know I'm fine and everything but have some fucking respect no ? Shit I would have told them vatos to step off, but I feel ya. I myself eat alone all the time, but I take my food to go because I kinda feel like a loser if I'm eating at a restaurant alone, that's just me. And you're right in that it's different for both sexes. A guy eating alone is nothing but a woman is another thing. Depending on the place and the vibe, I would ask to join her and keep her company. I see a lot of woman eating alone where I work at, but that's because they're on their lunch break, like you and YES guys stare at them too. It sucks being a woman sometimes.

Sal said...

I think that maybe it was just the restaurant that you went to.

Sometimes guys don't know how to approach a lady and just act weird (they might of just taken a trip to Highalandia, cause it seems like they were trippin by the way you say they were acting)

I don't like to eat alone at place, unless they are busy and I have a place to hide out.

There is a difference between a woman and a man but not at a corporate type restaurant...like dennys or Ihop...but it really all depends on the enviroment and the people that work there.

Next time just go to La Estrella and have some sopes:) I always ate alone there and they never bugged me.


Evilchavo Out.

Doña Junta said...

Yeah I do notice a diffrence with corprate resturanst,this resturant was a Mexican resturant and most of the people inside where gente like me, unfortunalty there is a problem with how paisa men act towards women that is one thing I can say I don't like and never will, I usually would say something but I did not want to cause a disruption lol..
Evil Chavo where is La Estrella?

Sal said...

La Estrella is at 938 s. Lorena Street in East LA....closest intersection is Whittier Blvd and S. Lorena Street.

They have good food at good prices.

Probably not walking distance for you but when I visit from Arizona , I always make it a point to stop and get some sopes for the road.

The waitresses have been there for a long time(Since I was a teenager) and are nice...with no attitude.

Evilchavo Out

Anonymous said...

I use to be embarrassed to eat alone shy I guess. My hubby would say "what did I eat for lunch" and I would tell him nothing, and he would say why, and I would tell him that I didn't want to eat alone. He told me just do it, it will make me a stronger person..so I did, at a very small place, I did feel funny like if everyone was starring at me..it was weird. After I was done, I said to myself...that wasn't so bad. Then I started going by myself more and more. Now I'm confortable eating alone..sometimes I take a book to read but most of the time I'm too busy eating lol.

Anonymous said...

Ha HA... I used to eat there alone all the time when i would do my laundry next door.Its okay just read a book or something.Maybe cause you chose the seat to look at the restaruant. I always choose the small both that looks out the window because I like to people watch on the street.

Anonymous said...

I honestly dont get annoyed when people stare at me! I love that feeling when your able to stare back and intimidate them!! But i do agree that paisas have a staring problem, specially when it comes towards women, all in a perverted way!!! I love eating by myself, y saboriar la comida en paz!! I love being alone at the grub spot, eating, drinking, waisting quarters on the jukebox, bumping ramon ayala!! But over all i dont think its weird eating on your own, but i do think its different for women!!

Clementina said...

While I enjoy eating good food with people I love, I do not mind eating alone. It gives me a chance to savor the food, imagining who cooked it, where the recipe came from. There is a whole world in a plate of frijoles. If anyone stares, bueno, francamente me da igual.

Anonymous said...

I have eaten breakfast alone and for some reason I think that seems to be okay. A cup of coffee and a paper and a little danish..no problema. I think if you had been there curing la cruda no one would've minded you!

Anonymous said...

ive never really eaten alone but i could only imagine how awkward one might feel doing so and being a female. idk i always seem to get uncomfortable when walking in somewhere alone bc i feel like people are always staring at me, ESPECIALLY older mexican men and thats sooo uncomfortable.
ive never eaten alone like i said but i honestly dont think i could ALTHO i will go to the movies alone n i dont care what any1 even my closest friends think even after they call me weird n they tell me they could never do that lol.