Now and then I veer off my chosen topic of decorating a casual, comfortable, low maintenance house for families. This is one of those times.
Me: "Ugh! I'm so frustrated! I can't figure out how to post this thing on your Facebook wall."
JP: "What would you like to say? I'm standing right here."
While Facebook, Twitter, email, Skype and texts all make it easier to stay in touch with people, they also tend to make those interactions less personal and the connections we make more superficial. So I'm happy to see a new lifestyle trend that at least partially counteracts that effect: The Communal Table.
Many restaurants are designing their interiors to include a long communal table, where you and your friends dine side by side with strangers. It's kind of like a dinner party, but without the host. My favorites are:
A bus that travels all over America throwing dinner parties in interesting locations.
Up to 100 people are seated shoulder to shoulder and enjoy a feast harvested from the local landscape and cooked onsite.
Camino A restaurant in Oakland, CA with long tables and church pews. You can't help but engage in a conversation with your neighbor about the Wood Oven Baked Bucatini they ordered.
Le Pain Quotidien
A bakery originated in Belgium whose philosophy is:
Friends and strangers alike come together around our communal table to break bread and linger for a while. Take a seat next to a neighbor, share the Brunette and be reminded that, even in the big city, we are a community.
I still have to decide to leave my house in order to enjoy this trend. But when I do, I like the idea that I might meet an interesting new person or be inspired to try something new. I might even "friend" someone. Print this post
1 comments:
Well, yes, I would have to agree that communication within the family can always be improved but then again, I must admit, even daily communication with my lovely and wise daughter would not be enough. Regarding communal tables....I do have this suggestion for her. Do you really know all of your neighbors? You may not have to go outside your home to get to know some interesting people. Move your kitchen table outdoors, end to end with your current outdoor table. Count the chairs and invite the neighbors especially those you do not know very well. Load the table with loaves of bread, your pretty mint water, a tub of soda, water, beer, and wine, get some awesome summer salads from your favorite restaurant or deli, cook up a mess of pulled pork in the crock pot overnight, and viola, an easy and awesome dining event. Or you could make it potluck, assign salads, desserts to guests. It is summer, it is casual, keep it that way. And if you do not like the idea of inviting the neighbors, well, just drive around Alamo and Danville and invite random people you see on the streets or at the farmers market. xoxo dad
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