Dining with the unknown

My recent series of posts covered a home-thrown dinner or party, giving some ideas on how to handle it efficiently, from (food) preparation to enjoying the experience - and, if possible, what is left after it. Such a dinner is a great source of satisfaction, both for hosts and guests and I am a huge fan of it. In the same time, I love - with a love that keeps being renewed, by definition - trying new tastes at a different place every time and, to a certain extent, with different people. Not only because tastes vary but also because I perceive dining as the ultimate way of socialising. Dancing, clubbing, sports, any other activity might be better for some and I am myself supporter of trying the biggest variety of activities possible, but I am by now convinced that the best chats, meetings, deals, even bonds are created over food, with a drink on the side.

Firmly believing in this, a couple of months ago, I registered for Social Dining and participated in one of the dinners organised for the occasion in my area. Not only was I not disappointed, I actually enjoyed very nice Asian food and met fascinating people, some of which I kept contact with and met again to get to know each other better and further explore our common range of interests - we actually hit a theatre play last week!

I am not the kind of person that will go to blind dates and the rest, so this whole concept was quite new to me. I have to admit though that I more than welcomed the experience and it brought to mind an article I came across about a month prior to that dinner. It describes a come-together on a totally different level, of course, but the message is exactly the same with the one I gained from getting outside my familiar zone and group of people for a bit: the main point is not the food as substance per se but stretching our minds and networks. Katya Andresen could not have put it better: we have to put our brains on the right diet if we really want to make things happen in our lives and in the world.

And then, about ten days after that social dinner, I read another article from another high-caliber CEO, giving me to understand that there are more people out there, from all levels of hierarchy, who share my idea of dining as means to bring people closer and generate relationships or ideas based on them. Peter Arvai calls them "Dream Dinners" and encourages everyone to have them, without any reservation, believing that there is more there for one to learn than through any other experience or manual. For him, and I wholeheartedly embrace his words, having dream dinners means being vulnerable on both sides and uncovering something meaningful in our relationships.

I wouldn't know if this way of dining is only a trend. To my eyes it should not be considered as such but, if this is the case, then I really hope it spreads. It seems to me anyhow that more and more people, in different areas of the world, understand the value of it. Only yesterday, an article on social dining networks appeared on The Times of India mentioning at least another four websites working in a similar way as described on LinkedIn, spreading their own positive message too. I am not so naive to neglect the fact that many of these meetings aim to business deals and profit but, well, if it is to be done, better do it with taste. Literally.

How would you value such an experience? Have you ever found friends through food? In a world where, at its biggest part, eating is no longer connected with plain survival, is it perhaps the time to reconsider our habits? 

Give it a thought and who knows, I might see you around a table somewhere out there!