The Joy of Sharing Our Food When We Dine

Sharing large plates with people dear to you might actually play a small role in your attempt to lose weight because sometimes you are unintentionally always having to choose if you should strike a conversation or grab your justifiable portion. We rarely see groups of people eat quietly nowadays. Communal eating should be fun so I guess that answered the question we tend to ask ourselves – Are we going to eat or talk to each other first? The leftovers lying lonely on the table before we leave is the only witness to our honest answers.

Anyone who is possibly tired of sharing food is most likely just tired of not being able to eat.

If there is any joy in communal eating, it is possible it had nothing to do with the food.

Not that people care less if the quality of the food is great or not, it is just that the magic that the people we are with can bring really plays a huge role in our overall dining experience.

The food sharing craze initially just came as a practical way for both the chef to showcase everything he got and for the diners to experience having a piece of everything just in smaller amounts probably with the intention to order again a larger plate of whatever becomes a personal favorite.

Well it did not work out fine for some.

There are instances when not everyone was given a chance to sample everything because sometimes either there is not enough for everyone, or they are burdened with the pressure to become hosts for the evening that they never really had a chance to eat.

Still, we can’t deny that communal eating allowed humanity to develop new etiquettes that have become handy so everyone can survive this craze.

First, you all can be in a group without having to order food to share.

People still have that freedom to order enough food for themselves since he is the only one who really knows what he wants and how much of it he can consume.

The burden of having to get his share quickly or the embarrassment of being the last one to grab and incidentally having to empty the plate to the shock of the next person in line – no one needs to be in that awkward situation anymore.

We can all just focus on the little joys of eating together, without worrying about things that we shouldn’t all be worrying about in the first place.

There is never a gathering of all sorts in the absence of food. Food is simply everything and it definitely helps strengthen bonds.

The way people act around food says a lot about what kind of people they are.

Eating together does not only showcase the food but the people. It enables one to get to know people and decide if they want to share food with them again.

If it is not a corporate sponsored event and just a small gathering, who were the people that helped split the bill?

If there is not much food or there is only enough for everyone, who were the people who had been considerate enough to get only a little or sometimes nothing at all so that others can eat?

Who made you feel comfortable?

If you’re with family, who never asked how much you make in a year or why you are not married yet or why your son is queer or not in college?

Who was kind enough to ask if you have diet restrictions or allergies?

Who cared to ask if you prefer a smoking or non smoking area?

Who wanted you to bring your kids?

Dining together can bring out the good and the worst in some people and the good news is, the latter are absolutely bearable and manageable. In fact they just become a form of entertainment because they are actually fun to observe. It would be boring if people will only be looking into the food and not the idiosyncrasies of guests.

As for those who made the day special and memorable not just because of their etiquette and manners but because they are someone who treats you like family, they are the reasons why communal dining is high fashion and not just like a bunch of piranhas feasting on the dead.

Places like TGI Friday’s are group sharing friendly with meals for kids and family sized platters so no one will be left with little or nothing to eat.

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse also has an overall vibe that reminds you of traditional family dinners.

At the end of the day, no matter how annoying group dinners can get, it is still the quality of the food that is going to save one from having a bad day or if they are having a good one, the food is going to magnify whatever good feeling one can get especially when they share their food.