Ambiance

What kind of dining experience do you crave? Are you just hungry and want to grab a quick bite? Do you wish to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion or holiday? Depending on your intention, choosing a restaurant becomes a conscious, deliberate decision.

So, you want to celebrate a kid's birthday, and you figure that a child-friendly kind of place would be a great place to go. The Rainforest Café with its bright colors, animal statues, and artificial tree canopy overhead might come to mind. Or what about Red Robin with its balloons, loud music, and memorabilia artwork on the walls? The menu includes chicken fingers and mac n' cheese. What's not to like for a ten-year old?

How about celebrating the weekend? Places like the Texas Roadhouse come to mind if you like steaks, country music, peanuts in the shell, and a casual vibe.

However, if your aim is to hit it out of the park with an unforgettable romantic date on your wedding anniversary, nothing beats choosing an upscale restaurant. There's just something special and memorable about dining in sumptuous surroundings. White tablecloths, linen napkins, subdued classical or jazz background music, discreet waitstaff dressed in black, wood crown molding and wainscotting, an ocean or mountain view, etc., all set the mood for a lovely, relaxed evening.

One of my best memories of an anniversary celebration was when we ate at Franck's in Holladay. Not only was the food superb, but being seated in front of a window with a glimpse of the mountain and watching the sunset as we leisurely ate our gourmet meal leant to the beauty of the moment.

Another meaningful, memorable, and pleasant memory of an anniversary dinner was when Brian and I ate at the Palisades restaurant in Seattle. The restaurant is located on the water at the Elliott Bay Marina. It was still sunny out on an April evening, and the setting sun sent shards of light glinting off the metal on the sailboats bobbing on the water. It's a beautiful shared memory. The restaurant was elegant and romantic, the food delicious. They had one of my favorite dishes, Coquilles Saint-Jacques, with the scallops baked and served on their beautiful, red-edged shells.

So, although the taste and quality of the food is important when dining out, the setting matters. In some cases, having a stellar experience is all about the ambiance.