Page 10 - Boca Exposure - August '21

Page 10, Boca Exposure
Dining Out: Can’t I Share?

By Alan Serinsky of Bocaire Please understand, we are not of the group that orders asks. “Fine! Thanks,” I respond, as we sit there through
Country Club. Hungry Al’s love one plate and two glasses of water. Most of our meals this long pregnant pause. Finally I conceded and asked
for food started very young. consist of wine, appetizer, entrée and dessert. “What’s up?”
Never satisfied with his Mom’s Since we are veterans of this type of half-plate “You tell me,” he says. My response: “The waiter and
dishes, he started to cook his philosophy, we have honed our ordering skills with a the menu never stated there was a sharing charge.”
way through her Betty Crocker basic statement, such as: “We would like to share one His unhappiness was apparent. He proceeds to tell us
Cookbook. During the years entrée, please.” We don’t ask for anything extra, just a all about his food costs. About the extra vegetables he
to follow he spent many hours plate, a knife, and ruler to define the fraction of half. served and the time-consuming labor of dish separation.
working in restaurants, both as server and cook, attending Most of the time, restaurants and their waiters get it. “Thank you, but I didn’t ask for anything extra. Just one
cooking classes and traveling the world in an effort to expand But in some cases, especially in this case, they didn’t. entrée, two plates, and a couple of forks,” I reply.
his palette. As a professional writer, Hungry Al offers his Our dinner arrives and, as expected, there before us are It’s at this moment that an uncomfortable feeling starts
perspective on current food trends and guides you through two small half-fish filets of sautéed branzino, along with to set in for the whole table. Realizing that my inquiry
your local restaurant options. three glazed carrots, two asparagus, and a few broccoli was making a great evening turn somewhat sour, I simply
Food for thought: Share! Why is it so difficult? This florets. Not enough for the Hulk, but plenty for us. All conceded and offered to pay the sharing charge.
has been an issue with me for quite a while and I have yet was good: the company, the food and the service. Then his guilt sets in.
to come to terms with it. Let us roll back the reel just a bit. Check please! There in plain sight was my heartburn. He rises from his uninvited seat and arguably
There was a day when Hungry Al (that’s me) was always Not from the food, but with the dreaded added “sharing” confesses there’s no problem as he states, “I’ll just deduct
hungry. Yes … I could easily down six Vodka martinis charge. To give you some history, I must mention that I the sharing charge!” In the wake of his exit, I simply
and eat every course on the menu. Not a problem then. have dined at this establishment many times. I also have replied, “Thanks!”
But now … it’s a whole new plate. given this restaurant a super food review and have brought As with all uneasy situations, there has to be a silver
Yes, I could blame it on age. Or maybe my acid reflux many friends and family here. Never in the past was I lining ... or should I say, some “icing on the cake.”
problems. Ok, let’s go with just a bit overweight. The charged for a “share.” For me, it’s not to make an issue over eight dollars
bottom line is, I now choose not to eat a whole entrée. Something must be different. Restaurant mostly in mixed company. The lesson for him is not to lose a
This is also helpful considering I’m most likely going to empty? Bad tip night for the waiter? Food cost increase good patron over the same eight dollars. And in the end,
taste everyone else’s dishes on a typical review evening. this week? Or is my wallet noticeably busting at the seams if you’re going to make good for the sharing charge, why
So where is this all leading? and eight bucks won’t seem to break my bank account? “split” hairs over a few extra carrots and broccoli florets!
Well, it has to do with a particular evening out Hungry Al is hungry for an answer! So, I explained
with friends. We arrived at one of my favorite Italian my displeasure to the waiter and asked for management
restaurants (name not important), and this night, like assistance on this dilemma.
many, we decided to participate in the trend of sharing In moments the owner casually and abruptly pulls up
our plates. a chair at our table. “How is your evening going?” he
Guys And Dolls, Grease, Sister Act To Headline Lauderhill

Performing Arts Center’s 2022 Season

MNM Theatre Company will partner with North “The City of Lauderhill is pleased to be working “During the last year, we have been working behind
End Theater Company, the production division of Arts with our new partners, MNM Theatre Company and Arts the scenes, formulating our plans, and there’s no one I
Center Management (ACM), a multi-platform theatre Center Management, to present our upcoming Broadway would want leading this exciting new venture more than
management company, to produce the Broadway at series,” says Lauderhill City Manager Desorae Giles- Marcie. She is one of the most respected regional theater
LPAC series at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center the Smith. “After a year of being dark due to COVID-19, we producers in Florida.”
beginning of next year. The center has hosted numerous are thrilled to bring light and life back to the Lauderhill For information about tickets and subscriptions to
theatrical events and productions since it opened its doors Performing Arts Center!” Broadway at LPAC, call (954) 777-2055.
in January 2016, and has grown its audiences to include Arts Center Management is a multi-faceted theatre The Lauderhill Performing Arts Center is located
theatre patrons from not only Broward County, but from management, consulting, and production company whose at 3800 N.W. 11th Place, Lauderhill, FL 33311, in the
Miami/Dade and Palm Beach counties as well. main focus is to help theatres and theatre companies Central Broward Regional Park on the northeast corner
Grease will run from Jan. 14 to Jan. 30, 2022; Sister improve their programming and operations. The company of Sunrise Boulevard and State Road 7.
Act from Feb. 18 to March 6; and Guys and Dolls from was founded by ACM President Kevin Barrett in 2014.
April 1 to 17. Grease and Guys and Dolls will be directed Barrett began working with the Lauderhill Performing
by Jonathan Van Dyke, and Sister Act will be helmed by Arts Center in 2014 and was instrumental in bringing the
Michael Ursua. successful Broadway in Lauderhill series to LPAC.
MNM Theatre Company is an award-winning not- “It’s an honor to work with Marcie Gorman and her
for-profit 501(c)(3) theatre company whose mission is to award-winning MNM Theatre Company,” says Barrett.
produce high quality professional live theatre that inspires
audiences and enriches the cultural life of the community,
while creating Florida-
based jobs in the Arts. Save Up To WE ARE
Since the company’s
debut production of A OPEN
Chorus Line in 2014, 24/7
Marcie Gorman, MNM’s
producing artistic director 80% OFF
a n d C E O h a s b e e n
committed to providing
job opportunities for
Floridians, and as of
January 2021 MNM
Theatre Company had Your Rx Costs!
created over 800 theatrical employment opportunities,
both in front of and behind the curtain. Even with Medicare-D
MNM has produced large-scale musicals (including
Spamalot, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the
Forum, Hair, La Cage Aux Folles, Little Shop of Horrors) CALL US NOW FOR PRICE QUOTES AND INFO
as well as smaller, intimate productions (Side By Side
By Sondheim, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,
My Way, A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra), garnering 954-971-6895 • FAX: 954-972-9572
critical and audience acclaim, numerous prestigious South
Florida Carbonell Award nominations – and a win, and
multiple Silver Palm Awards. Their recent innovative CANADIAN
online production of Closer Than Ever received rave PO BOX 670393
reviews from audiences and critics throughout the United DISCOUNT DRUG
States, and kudos from the show’s creators, Richard Coral Springs, FL 33067
Maltby Jr. and David Shire.
SERVICES Email: cdds@bellsouth.net

Serving and Caring for our Customers www.cdds-online.com
Throughout the United States since 2003