I am not a big fan of eating out in groups. To me a group I am comfortable with is no more than four people in total. I personally think four people are manageable. When having a dining experience with a lower number of people your minds tend to be in the same place with regards to overall dining experience.
Let's use a couple as an example. Going out with a couple is easy, you both know each other and are comfortable with voicing your opinion about what food type you want, athmoshpere, and price range. It's normally pretty easy. There are very little surprises. Even if you go and sit down and both look at the menu only to realize it was more than you bargained for you either suck it up, one covers for the other knowing they will return the favor or pay back, or you both leave.
Two couples get together. When the first couple invites the second couple out at the very least the first couple are pretty much in synch with their dining habits. Most likely one party of the first couple is friendly with the one party of the second couple and it was the two of them who agreed and planned this dinner outing. Therefore, the individual planning parties of each couple are now responsible for being sure their respective partners in their own coupling are fine with the overall dining experience. Yet again no problem!
Things start getting a bit tricky with five or more. Typically when I go out in a group that big it is due to a celebration. But is it every just five? No when you start inviting five there is always a last minute person. Here is a perfect example:
KB's friend had a birthday recently. KB not being one to jump on a group dinner invite was very cautious when the E-vite arrived. I typically hang out with the group of people on the E-vite and it is a fairly modest group. The entire E-vite consisted of 7 people. Yes more than KB's approved number in an outdoor dining experience. However, the guest of honor chose a very modest place for dining. KB didn't really approve of the venue for the food but understood the need to go there for two reasons:
Birthday Boy Love's IT
KB Loves The Budget
Now you are begining to think KB is cheap, far from the truth! I just don't like paying for overzelous people who forget there is a large group and top of the line Scotch ads up. (Another friend who should remain nameless has a habit of ordering top of the line cocktails at group functions knowing the cost will be spread over a larger number of people.) KB just prefers to save his $100 dinners with smaller groups, knowing the dinning experience will be much more pleasurable. You won't be talking over others to have convesation at the other end of the table, food will be shared (KB likes to get a taste of differnt items on the menue and smaller groups tend to feel the same.)
Think before you group dine!
1 comment:
I loathe going out with large groups to dine, especially women! (sorry gals, some of you get awfully cheap when it's time to tip!) I turn down invites now but a few years ago was asked to go to a birthday dinner for a friend for a mere $75 each. Add my husband and a gift and I'm spending more for the friend's birthday than my own husbands! Ah, no.
When I've been "forced" to attend a large dining party and have been financially challenged, I go to the waiter away from the table and ask if I can put all my items on a separate check. I do this especially if I'm at a party of people I don't know very well. The wait staff will do this for one or two people but not the entire table. The outcome otherwise is usually the people that drink the expensive scotch leave ahead of time and don't put in enough $.
Another option is to go to a restaurant that serves large groups "family style" and can offer a fixed price. I pay cash for my drinks as I order them, so there are no surprises when the bill comes.
But usually, I avoid large parties like the plague and prefer to celebrate with the person another time in a more intimate setting.
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