Figure 1http://www.ffonts.net/No-Talking-Allowed.font
Last week on my way to work, I heard on the news about a restaurant in Greenpoint Brooklyn that sold Prix-fixed four-course dinners of locally organic ingredients for $40.00 wow!
What a wonderful thing, I thought, sort of like; farm to the table kind of thing; but the reporter kept talking and then I heard the caveat of this culinary feast. The chef implemented a no talking allowed rule for the entire dining experience. My first thought was… well I laughed, but before I made any decisions about it, I needed to know more. Apparently, the chef is borrowing from a Buddhist experience he had when he participated in a no talking breakfast in a monastery in India. So on occasion, the restaurant that is called Eat holds these eat don’t speak meals.
At dinner that night, I explained to my husband and the kids what I heard on the news. After I was able to verbalize the story, read about it and learned more. I told my husband I need to write something about it…first is to explain how we feel about not speaking during dinner here at Mangia, Mangia…No Talk, and second but basically the real reason is to defend and protect my blog’s name! I have to; I’m a Mama Bear when it comes to this baby!
Folks, I want to say that at our dinner table, we are loud and obnoxious but we are not; every meal one of us always says… “Mangia, Mangia…No Talk!” I start serving the meal and explain what is being served and of course if there’s a story to tell about it. Hubby is hungry and is not saying much, Amelia always whispers something like yup I want that; I’m hungry, James without fail every night will not start eating until he smells what is on his dish….and last our Teddy is waiting to see if anything ends up in his dish. Our little ways makes us laugh we come together every night and reconnect and we do that verbally with words and laughter.
These talks are everywhere we go, at friends’ homes, at my sisters’, and at restaurants. Yes, what we say (Mangia, Mangia … No Talk) before every meal is never ever executed at all, because it will never work. During dinner with my family, we ask the kids; how your day was, now they also ask my husband and me about our day. Not only are we feeding our little monsters but also we are teaching them social skills at the table. Imagine that!
We connect with each other when we sit at a table to break bread. If we don’t speak when we are eating how can I say try this; I just made it and it is reminiscent of an afternoon I spent with my grandpa. How would we know that malt vinegar is tasty on steak fries, or that potato chips need to be crushed into any sandwich, because it’s awesome!
We are all on the same level at the dinner table because we have the same common goal and that is to be fed and be acknowledged. Does that make sense?
Look, I get it; it’s trendy and hip yet let’s think about this for a moment. Can a chef really put into place a rule to be quiet so that the diner can savor the meal? Actually, the chef can. Yet, is the diner really savoring what is being tasted or is the diner just following a rule.
I’m a wife, mom, sister and friend that loves to cook and feed everyone that comes to my home; that is my gift to those who visits and at times I am rewarded with a moment of silence because I know that without forcing the code of silence it comes naturally!
Mangia, Mangia…No Talk!
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I love good food, but meals are more than what is put into one's mouth. Families reconnect over dinner, and memories are made. Despite your blog's title, I always imagined lively conversation around your table–with occasional, natural moments of quietness.
Thanks for stopping by Kristi; yes you are right we are chatty, talkative, we laugh we giggle, we play games, we talk…at home and at restaurants. We wouldn't have it any other way; and on occasion there is a silence when a first bite is taken and I know that my job of cooking a home cooked meal is rewarded because that natural silence even if it's for a moment means that the first taste is enjoyed naturally without demanding silence.
🙂
Marisa, loved this post! I come from a huge family and we all talked around the table during dinner! When my husband comes home he usually goes to the Tv and turns if on and I am behind him turning if off I want to connect with each other and want to start early so that this baby (God willing ) and grow and be a part of our daily conversations .. like the Waltons!!!
It's ridiculous how my life is different today 4 years ago it was me and hubby, now I have two children that have a love of food but more than that a ritual to sit at the table and eat with a family ….we talk we laugh its great. Silence dinners such as the restaurant in Brooklyn won't work for us but when it's forced how do we know that the savoring of the so called meal is genuine…..Marissa that baby will be yours before you know it and you are going see her do something that totally remind you of you and you are going to say omg she's mine till the I will pray!
Marisa, we have an Italian restaurant in Nashville called Mangia! I don't know anything about it but when I saw it I immediately thought of you.
When my husband and I go to a restaurant alone it is so hard to get him to talk. But I can just imagine his reaction if he were told at a restaurant not to talk! I would hope that they don't allow cell phone calls among diners also. I would love for that to be a rule at all restaurants but one of the pleasures of any meal should be good conversation.
I love it that you connect the food you serve to the stories of your family growing up, and that you want your children to know them. And some day they can pass them on to their children. And moments of quiet can be nice too when it means that it is a comfortable silence.
Delighted to see you posting again!
Dewena I thought the same….ban the electronic gadgets, we don't allow our kids to bring theirs when we go out. Nick & I are the same if we out by ourselves we talk but our silence is comforting you I'm with him longer than I wasn't so we are comfortable…thanks for coming by, next post will be very racy ooh lala! Lol!
"Mangia, Mangia…No talk is such a cute tradition. I love that it goes back to your grandmother and have no doubt it will be said (though not implemented) at your children's households in the future.
Thank you for stopping by you are always welcome!