Neither would I. My scale has more markings than your scale (not better, just different).
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Great thread idea and question. When I was a kid, my parents always went to dinner on Saturday nights. Frequently I was taken along, which certainly developed my love of restaurants. They both worked office jobs and so our family fit that mold of ādinner out on Saturdayā. What a different life I have now!
Justin and I both work food service jobs. Iāll spare you a total rant about how scheduling goes (though I am sure some of you would be interested). In short, 95% of the time we are working Saturday nights. Some Saturdays I am out by 7 or earlier. Others times it is 9. For him, usually 10. Now, we are both young enough that going out at 10 PM is far from ālateā, but after dealing with the public all day, do I have the energy for it? Usually not. That combined with absolutely needing to go home and shower/change before heading to a bar/restaurant (adding at least another half hour) usually renders my Saturday night cooking at home. But we usually do cook something special. If its early enough, sometimes my mom joins us. As my dad changed jobs later in life, he too worked Saturdays (but was always off Sundays), and for some reason we changed things up in our house and made Saturday night the big, special family meal. That mindset still exists. I view going out on Saturday night as a luxury. And after working so many Saturdays, when it does happen, I look around the crowded, vibing restaurant and think, āGee, this is what itās like to have a life!ā 
Just two weeks ago, Justinās friend invited us out on a Saturday for drinks. He was out early, a rarity, and I joined them after getting out at 9 despite not really feeling it. We ended up at The Globe and then Dublin House until well after 1 AM. I felt like death the next day.
We are usually off Thursdays, and so for us Wednesday-Thursday is our Friday-Saturday. On Wednesday night, we go for a couple of drinks somewhere and then order Chinese takeout on the way home. Thursday used to be our night for dinner out pre-Covid, but now we usually just cook, which I am fine with. When we do go out on a Thursday or even Wednesday, at least in our area, places tend to have a decent enough crowd but without craziness or long wait times. Iāve gotten so used to it at this point. As Bourdain would say, āNo reservations [required]ā.
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I love how this thread is giving us all insight on our offline lives.Sunday seems to be the new default Saturday night for us older HOās
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@small_h Since youāre not from these parts (youāre still welcome), I figured Iād fill you in - most of the people chiming in on this thread live at/within a 20-mile radius of the Jersey Shore, so weāre talking about restaurants in beach towns much of the time. Many of these towns have a full-time population, but we definitely have a SEASON when it comes to the crowds. Having moved here after spending most of my life in northern NJ, I quickly discovered that what Iād wear out to my favorite bars (not fancy, not upscale, but not dive) in NNJ qualified for WAY overdressed here. Now I dress like a beach bum far too often and can easily spot āthe people from the burbsā who are on vacation or in town for dinner on a Saturday, and have to remind myself that my packed closets are full of clothes that should be worn or given away.
(Sidebar for NNJ folks: the one restaurant that was the exception was my beloved Blu in Montclair. I wouldnāt go in there like a beach bum, but in a snowstorm or on a random weeknight when it was just the locals/regulars, youād see someone in a Giants sweatshirt seated next to people who were fully dressed up for an upscale dinner.)
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I grew up in Ocean Township, and my parents still live there, so Iām at the shore a few times a year. Except for the explosion in population and the loss of the Long Branch Pier and its resident Haunted Mansion (sniff), things donāt seem all that different. We got dressed up to go to The Airport Inn (and later, Mumfordās), Posilipo (still there! holy cow) and the Molly Pitcher Inn (ditto! sheesh, NOTHING has changed).
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Ha! Then forgive meā¦ You certainly know what weāre talking about!
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I do. But donāt worry about it. Iām pretty solidly a Manhattan resident now.
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After the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, people were crazy about visiting restaurants and public places. I suppose many of us got bored sitting at home, haha.
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Well, I suggest you make friendly connections with the restaurant management you often visit so they will always find a good time for you.
Did you mean to respond to yourself?
