Last year I posted on our restaurant pet peeves. Number one on the list was noise. I have some hearing loss, courtesy of too many fraternity parties back in the day. (I should have done a hearing aid inventory on my classmates at Reunion last year.) As a result, the cacophony of many restaurants drives me crazy.
Last night was a prime example. Julian, sweetie that he is, arranged a surprise birthday dinner for me with our friends at a nearby restaurant. Worst case scenario: It was Friday night and the joint was slammed with people. The lack of noise-deadening building materials and the presence of loud background music made it difficult for me to hear anyone, even those sitting next to me. What should have been a convivial evening with our closest friends was an uncomfortable experience. As we walked to the car after dinner, I remarked to Julian that my eardrums had finally stopped bleeding.
If one cannot enjoy the company of dining companions because of noise, the quality of the food doesn’t matter. My advice to restaurateurs who want my business: TURN THE *&^%$#@! VOLUME DOWN!!!
A postscript: I’m not alone. The Sunday Seattle Times had a feature article on restaurant noise and a sidebar of ten relatively quiet restaurants in the area. Needless to say, Friday night’s restaurant was not on the quiet list.
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