Dining out alone...I invited a guy to sit with me at my table..

[HipChick]

Too forward?

He was cute, but I was so tired, that I just went back to my hotel room..

[ThoughtCriminal]

2. Flirting aside - I wish a few restaurants would try seating like a railroad dining car

When you go to a popular restaurant, there are many people waiting to be seated, and most of the tables have empty seats.

On a train, you get placed in the next available seats. It is a wonderful way to meat people and most of the time lots of fun. Sure, sometimes the table companions may be on the dull side, but I've found that to be the exception.

So what I would like to see is more eating establishments offer that as an option. When you leave your name, they ask if you would be willing to join a table. Less waiting, more fun, more profit.

Anybody know of places that do this outside of Amtrak?

[Aristus]

4. A lot of restaurants in Europe seat that way.

A patron may walk up to a table with available seats and ask: "Is this free?" (In German: "Ist hier noch frei?"

If you're comfortable with it (and most Europeans are; they don't have our personal-space issues), invite them to join you.

[Mopar151]

5. The No Name in Boston

A fish joint, right on the pier - no sign - just look for the line out the door.

www.nonamerestaurant.com/

[petronius]

18. And on the other coast, we have the Samoa Cookhouse

http://www.samoacookhouse.net/

If I had a jet, I'd eat breakfast at Samoa and fly to Boston for late lunch at No Name - and probably stop in New Orleans for dinner on the way home...

[elleng]

6. On a train I took many years ago,

the maitre d' sat me with a handsome young man (about same age as me at the time.) Definitely deliberate, and definitely worked!

[ThoughtCriminal]

13. North by Northwest

The maitre d' has never seated me with Eva Marie Saint, but I'm not exactly Cary Grant either.

[elleng]

14. ALMOST!!!

I'm DEFINITELY not Eva Marie Saint!!!

[hay rick]

3. Still saving yourself for MiddleFingerMom. Fess up.

[MiddleFingerMom]

7. Leave her alone -- can you blame her?

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[hay rick]

9. The propeller beanie makes your ass look large.

Tea for two?

[harmonicon]

8. No, but I think it depends on the kind of place.

I don't eat out a lot ever, but I've definitely invited people to join me at bars. The last years, since so many of my friends are coupled up, I'd go out to bars alone (granted, places where I'm a regular and know the staff) and just chat with other customers. I never met a serious girlfriend that way, but made a good few friends.

All that said, this was when I was living in England. It took me years to become that forward - or, as I think now, not shy/paranoid, as most Americans are raised to be.

[fbguy_144]

11. well said.

[geardaddy]

10. Not at all.

As long as you were comfortable with it.

[hunter]

12. I once ended up having lunch with Robert Ballard, the guy who found the Titanic.

Totally random, a crowded place, I was at a table for two with an empty seat, and he asked if the seat was taken.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ballard

So I'd say no, not "too forward."

Random people are always interesting. Everyone has a story.

[Blue_Tires]

15. I interviewed him once...Good guy....

[bigwillq]

16. I think it's fine.

Nothing wrong with it.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

17. Not at all

I like to think at my age, I could sit down to eat with a woman I didn't know and get along just fine. Mostly 'cause I'm old!