Regulars
wbenetti and I have two regular places that we go for dinner. (And no, one of them is not ColdStone, as much as he'd like it to be.) The first is Aoba Japanese Restaurant in Sterling, VA. We're both huge fans of sushi, and their speed, quality, and service are perfect for a local, neighborhood sushi joint. The second place is a new one: Hamburg Doner in Leesburg, VA. Since going to Germany and Austria last year, we've fallen in love with their version of fast food and, of course, with the German beers. It has about 18 different bottles of imported German beer and two on tap.
The reason why I mention both of these places is that in addition to wanting you to frequent them (if you're nearby) so they stay in business is that at both places, we've become regulars. And that's what I'm thinking about today. I really like going to a place and having them know what I want. It helps that I'm completely predictable, of course. I always get the salmon special platter; it's just what I do. But more importantly, I like knowing the people, and being friendly with them, and having them take an interest in us in return. The head waitress at Aoba noticed that wbenetti was getting more trim, and she comments on it. The woman who helps run Hamburg Doner knows we like to take our times figuring out what beers we want and usually want to try something new.
That sort of care and interest in us as people is such a significant thing given our increasingly cold retail and service world. Okay, it's true -- if I'm just jetting into the super market, I don't want a 15 minute chat about how the weather is. I know there's a limit. On the other hand, as needsunshine and I discussed, it'd be awfully nice to live in a place where people knew you and cared and whom you cared for in return.
So, yes, it's nice to be a regular somewhere -- to have someone actually be interested when you arrive and know who you are. And if you get a few perks in exchange for your continued patronage, well, so much the better.
P.S. We spent wbenetti's birthday at Hamburg Doner. It's a beer garden style place, so everyone sits communally on these outdoor benches under huge umbrellas while they eat their doners and have their beers. That night, a couple sat down at the same table, and we ended up chatting with them. They had lived in various parts of Europe for a dozen or so years, and we talked about where we'd all been and the food and the beer. Lots of talk about beer. Another friend of theirs stopped by, so it was a five-way conversation for a good half hour. It was brilliant. For the very first time, that really felt like we were in Munich. Random people joining together for friendly talk with and about beer. Perfect.
P.P.S. And if you only have $40, make sure you choose the beer over the pizza. needsunshine and I went to see NIN at the Virgin Festival on Sunday, and we only had $40 between us. (We had to spend another $20 to bribe our way into VIP parking. Yes, it was worth it.) We bought beer first and went with a Hoegaarden. Pricey, but worth it. We then had to decide what to do with the rest of our money. We could either have a slice of pizza each and share another Hoegaarden or have another Bud Light each and share a slice of pizza. Of course, you know which one we chose, and we ended up spending $40 exactly. Perfect!
P.P.P.S. Speaking of Virgin Festival, if you're at a festival concert, and the main act is something like NIN, don't go into the pit or the front with flip flops, Birkenstocks, or slip on tennis shoes. My weapon of choice are steel toed, 10 hole Doc Martins. It gets rough in there, and you don't want to have to worry about a broken foot -- especially if it's me stomping down on you to get myself a better view.
The reason why I mention both of these places is that in addition to wanting you to frequent them (if you're nearby) so they stay in business is that at both places, we've become regulars. And that's what I'm thinking about today. I really like going to a place and having them know what I want. It helps that I'm completely predictable, of course. I always get the salmon special platter; it's just what I do. But more importantly, I like knowing the people, and being friendly with them, and having them take an interest in us in return. The head waitress at Aoba noticed that wbenetti was getting more trim, and she comments on it. The woman who helps run Hamburg Doner knows we like to take our times figuring out what beers we want and usually want to try something new.
That sort of care and interest in us as people is such a significant thing given our increasingly cold retail and service world. Okay, it's true -- if I'm just jetting into the super market, I don't want a 15 minute chat about how the weather is. I know there's a limit. On the other hand, as needsunshine and I discussed, it'd be awfully nice to live in a place where people knew you and cared and whom you cared for in return.
So, yes, it's nice to be a regular somewhere -- to have someone actually be interested when you arrive and know who you are. And if you get a few perks in exchange for your continued patronage, well, so much the better.
P.S. We spent wbenetti's birthday at Hamburg Doner. It's a beer garden style place, so everyone sits communally on these outdoor benches under huge umbrellas while they eat their doners and have their beers. That night, a couple sat down at the same table, and we ended up chatting with them. They had lived in various parts of Europe for a dozen or so years, and we talked about where we'd all been and the food and the beer. Lots of talk about beer. Another friend of theirs stopped by, so it was a five-way conversation for a good half hour. It was brilliant. For the very first time, that really felt like we were in Munich. Random people joining together for friendly talk with and about beer. Perfect.
P.P.S. And if you only have $40, make sure you choose the beer over the pizza. needsunshine and I went to see NIN at the Virgin Festival on Sunday, and we only had $40 between us. (We had to spend another $20 to bribe our way into VIP parking. Yes, it was worth it.) We bought beer first and went with a Hoegaarden. Pricey, but worth it. We then had to decide what to do with the rest of our money. We could either have a slice of pizza each and share another Hoegaarden or have another Bud Light each and share a slice of pizza. Of course, you know which one we chose, and we ended up spending $40 exactly. Perfect!
P.P.P.S. Speaking of Virgin Festival, if you're at a festival concert, and the main act is something like NIN, don't go into the pit or the front with flip flops, Birkenstocks, or slip on tennis shoes. My weapon of choice are steel toed, 10 hole Doc Martins. It gets rough in there, and you don't want to have to worry about a broken foot -- especially if it's me stomping down on you to get myself a better view.