#1 sign you're not getting laid
A new wine bar opened in my neighborhood recently. It's a tiny little place, and it's always quite crowded. Many times when passing by, I've seen strollers parked outside or peeked inside and was horrified to see baby bottles on patron's tables. Babies + Wine, huh? Turns out that it's a "kid-friendly" wine bar or as they call themselves "enoteca italiano," which means wine shop. They host a Wednesday evening event called Wine & Whiners that encourages parents to bring in their babies while they booze it up...er, enjoy a glass of fine wine, that is.
Would you order a toddler some pinot grigio and a capreze salad? No, not even if it appeared on the kid's menu. Oh wait, there is no kid's menu! No booths, no crayons and no loud music either. See, that's my thing. I love babies, but I don't want them on my dates, unless I am on a date at a diner. Babies not only don't and can't legally consume wine, they also cry, drool, scream and distract adults. It's bad enough in romantic restaurants or coffee shops, but no way will I tolerate it in a wine bar. I imagine most folks disagree with my view, which is okay. I recognize that my view may seem harsh to some. I am also in the minority when it comes to my beliefs about using cell phones in restaurants, eating meat, and bringing cheap beer to parties.
I recently had a discussion about babies in bars with my friend from Paris. He told me it's common in French culture to bring babies into cafes serving wine and he didn't have any problems with it. My perspective is that we are unfortunately not living in France. Where we live, people feel entitled to bulldoze into crowded restaurants with giant strollers and carry overstuffed baby duffle bags and let their bored kids cry and spill things, despite the intrusion of space/noise/comfort of the other patrons. One could argue that all other positive aspects of foreign cultures belong and should be adopted in the States. One could also argue, conversely, that obnoxious behavior on the part of Americans should be phased out of our culture.
I understand that all parents (and babies) are not the same, but in my opinion there should be a distinction between "kid-friendly" and "date spot." Kids can be a nuisance, interfering with the quiet enjoyment I seek in conversation and a nice glass of wine. If I were to complain about children being in restaurants like Al's Cafe or Goat Hill Pizza or T.G.I.Fridays, then that would be truly unfair. But this place is strictly a wine bar (serving 21+ drinks). For the cost of a nice glass of wine, you can get a babysitter instead. BURP!!!!!
Would you order a toddler some pinot grigio and a capreze salad? No, not even if it appeared on the kid's menu. Oh wait, there is no kid's menu! No booths, no crayons and no loud music either. See, that's my thing. I love babies, but I don't want them on my dates, unless I am on a date at a diner. Babies not only don't and can't legally consume wine, they also cry, drool, scream and distract adults. It's bad enough in romantic restaurants or coffee shops, but no way will I tolerate it in a wine bar. I imagine most folks disagree with my view, which is okay. I recognize that my view may seem harsh to some. I am also in the minority when it comes to my beliefs about using cell phones in restaurants, eating meat, and bringing cheap beer to parties.
I recently had a discussion about babies in bars with my friend from Paris. He told me it's common in French culture to bring babies into cafes serving wine and he didn't have any problems with it. My perspective is that we are unfortunately not living in France. Where we live, people feel entitled to bulldoze into crowded restaurants with giant strollers and carry overstuffed baby duffle bags and let their bored kids cry and spill things, despite the intrusion of space/noise/comfort of the other patrons. One could argue that all other positive aspects of foreign cultures belong and should be adopted in the States. One could also argue, conversely, that obnoxious behavior on the part of Americans should be phased out of our culture.
I understand that all parents (and babies) are not the same, but in my opinion there should be a distinction between "kid-friendly" and "date spot." Kids can be a nuisance, interfering with the quiet enjoyment I seek in conversation and a nice glass of wine. If I were to complain about children being in restaurants like Al's Cafe or Goat Hill Pizza or T.G.I.Fridays, then that would be truly unfair. But this place is strictly a wine bar (serving 21+ drinks). For the cost of a nice glass of wine, you can get a babysitter instead. BURP!!!!!
posted by Freewendy @ 3:06 PM
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