Thia is an odd, hybrid post about a particular lunch, but globally about the practice of bringing a book to read at the table when going out to eat solo.
I've had a lot of positive experiences in bringing a book along, mostly resulting in brief conversations from others noticing what I am reading and engaging me in conversation. I really like this, and even though I have an eReader that I use to read unpublished material, I much prefer carrying a book. I guess I want to be noticed.
Yesterday, I went to Bawarchi in Fairfax for lunch. Bawarchi is in the same space as the now-defunct Karaikudi. At lunch, they only have a buffet, which I normally avoid. It was a small but mostly thoughtful selection aside from a couple of typical items I skipped. It was super satisfying. They had a fairly tame but well made mirchi ka salan, idli, curd rice, shredded pakora, dal, and a few other things that had a good amount of heat to them.
Even more interesting though, the waiter/manager (Jamal, nickname Jimmy) noticed a book I was reading. (Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie), which he asked about. He proceeded to tell me that he had written an autobiographical book about growing up in Bangladesh during a genocide against Hindus (Jimmy is Muslim) by Pakistan, backed by Kissinger and Nixon. He called it a civil war, and it was not only anti-Hindu but anti-intellectual. He wound up in NY waiting tables at famous Jewish delis, like Carnegie and 2nd Avenue, and got to know the clientele: Mayor Guliani, David Letterman, Jackie Mason, and they even followed him to wherever he was working. He also got to know some publishers who theoretically are giving him advice. He showed me three pages of his book on his iphone, and he also brought out a big, heavy book he had written in pencil as a kind of journal. It was dramatic stuff.
Anyway, it was quite a lunch. So maybe I will get a group together sometime soon for a weekend Chowdown? They still have kottu paratha, mutton varuval, and other Chettinad items that Karaikudi used to have. He says they have three chefs in the kitchen, one punjabi, one from the south, and a third to make the breads.
Back to Not About Food: I've read that, despite the proliferation of eReaders, book sales have not been slowed. Many people still prefer buying and reading from pages they have to flip. I know that's true for me, so I was wondering if other Chowhounds find that as well.
I almost always have a book with me, even when I'm with others. I never know when I'll have a few minutes to sneak a few pages in. And, if I'm eating solo, I love reading while eating, whether in a restaurant, bar or at home. I've also used an ereader in restaurants/bars but it's just harder to get the right angle.
As for book buying, check out the Home Cooking boards and the cookbook threads. There is a new thread every month as to which cookbooks we want or have bought. Right now, for October, the thread is 550+ long.
I loved Americanah, especially her experiences in the US.
Lastly, your lunch sounded delicious.
Love this story, Steve! Sounds like a good lunch and we're certainly up for a Chowdown.
We are definitely a book family, although I have nothing against the electronic readers. I'm not one to bring a book to a restaurant when I dine solo, though. I'm usually sitting at the bar, in which case I'd be chatting with the bartender and possibly other patrons. Absent a bar, people-watching (I'm an addict) usually fills any voids between courses, etc.
I met my wife while reading a book at a Tiki bar when I was doing laundry.
I lived aboard my boat and the laundry was above the marina restaurant. I was reading "The Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew" by Lyn Pardey when Janet sat beside me. We got to talking and have been together ever since. Lyn and I are now friends and we have the copy of her book that led to our meeting signed by the author as a very special keepsake.
I usually keep a book or two in the trunk of the car for unexpected reading when dining solo. When I traveled lots for work, I'd buy an assortment of that month's magazine & keep 'em in the car to read during coffee stops.
BTW, one good book on the Bangladesh situation is available at:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/201...
Always bring a book when I dine solo.
Have no interest in e-books.
I love books on paper but my e-reader is a godsend for borrowing e books from the library. It means I'm not stranded without a book to read at bedtime and late return fines are non-existent. I'm also a really fast reader so it's an easy way to take multiple books when I go on holiday.
I grew up in a book family. I married into a book family. Part of the attraction between my husband and I was our mutual love of science fiction and fantasy.
We do only ebooks and have for around a decade. We read on our phones and our tablets. We've lived in four countries in the last five years and there is no way we could bring that many books with us. As it is, we carry around hundreds to thousands of books with us everywhere we go.
I always bring a book with me whenever I go solo anywhere, and being clumsy, I'd rather drop a $10 paperback than an expensive ebook...ditto getting food on my reading material.
There's something about holding a book in one's hands and turning the pages. Also, when you're done with it, you can put it on your shelf as a "trophy" and pick it up again in a year or two, or pass it along to someone else.
Being able to rent and stream movies have not stopped people from going to theatres, and readily-prepared foods such as cake mixes have not stopped folk from cooking and baking food from scratch.
I'm glad that your lunch turned out so fruitfully! Good luck with your foodie endeavor!
Thanks, Michelly. I agree that it's so interesting to revisit books either completely or in part, and if people peruse my bookshelf, they can make all kinds of good discoveries. I am always drawn to bookshelves.
To follow up: a friend of mine already knew about the genocide and recommended The Blood Telegram, which was published in 2013 and recounts Nixon and Kissinger's involvement in the genocide. A lot is quoted from the Nixon tapes, and clearly Nixon was one weird President. Scarily weird. The book was both horrifying and surprising as the story morphs from the genocide to a potential showdown with the Soviet Union and China. Nixon and Kissinger were willing to risk a major war over their disdain for the Indian race. One of the best, most well researched books I've ever read.
Huh. I've always been interested in Cold War history, so I just downloaded the book from my public library! :D
I hope you enjoy it. I think it is a towering achievment.
Sounds like a great read. Thanks for this lead. Always wonder if these will ever reach mainstream education.
I used to take books to restaurants all the time, especially when I was living in NYC. At that time, I was reading a lot of travelogues (only means of "travel" for me then), and reading about certain country invariably sent me searching for the cuisine that represented it. A lot of fun memories during these exploration, including on-spot invitation to a Greek wedding at the restaurant; never thought smashing plates were that much fun!
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