📘 Part 3: Eating out

This episode’s vocabulary

Processed food (collocation) – a food item that has had a series of mechanical or chemical operations performed on it to change or preserve it. Processed foods are those that typically come in a box or bag and contain more than one item on the list of ingredients.

Obesity (noun)- the fact of being extremely fat, in a way that is dangerous for health:

The National Institute of Health is discussing ways of tackling the problem of childhood obesity.

Gourmet (adj.) - producing or serving food that is very high quality.

Crammed full of people (collocation) – very full of people or things: a crammed train/room; The docks were crammed with/crammed full of people trying to board the boats.

Foreseeable (adj.) - A foreseeable event or situation is one that can be known about or guessed before it happens.

Celebratory (adj.) - celebrating an important event or a special occasion:

When we heard she'd got the job, we all went off for a celebratory drink.

Assimilate into (verb) - to become part of a group, country, society, etc., or to make someone or something become part of a group, country, society, etc.: you shouldn't expect immigrants to assimilate into an alien culture immediately.

Pricey/pricy (adj.) - expensive: It's a bit pricey but the food is wonderful.

Waiting staff  (collocation) – (British English), waitstaff (North American English), waiters/waitresses or servers (North American English), are those who work at a restaurant or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attending to customers by supplying them with food and drink as requested.

Be willing to - to be happy to do something if it is needed: If you're willing to fly at night, you can get a much cheaper ticket. You said you needed a volunteer - well, I'm willing.

To bond (verb) - to develop a close connection or strong relationship with someone, or to make someone do this: The aim was to bond the group into a closely knit team.

To tank (verb) - to go down in price, value, etc., or to become less successful:

The state was expecting an increase in tax revenues, but that was before the economy tanked.

Charge for smth (verb) - to ask an amount of money for something, especially a service or activity:  What do you charge for a haircut and blow-dry?

The virtue of smth - because of, or as a result of: I got this house by virtue of my job.

Proximity (noun)- the state of being near in space or time: The best thing about the location of the house is its proximity to the town centre.

A shame (noun)- If something is described as a shame, it is disappointing or not satisfactory:  It's a (great/real) shame that the event had to be cancelled. Have some more vegetables - it would be a shame to waste them.

Show off (phrasal verb) - to behave in a way that is intended to attract attention or admiration, and that other people often find annoying: She only bought that sports car to show off and prove she could afford one.

The hospitality industry - a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, theme parks, and transportation. It includes hotels, restaurants and bars.

A loner (noun)- a person who likes to do things on their own without other people: He was always a loner at school. Synonyms : a lone wolf :)))

A city dweller (noun)- city, town, cave, etc. dweller  - a person who lives in a city, town, cave, etc.

A hassle (noun)- (a situation causing) difficulty or trouble: I can't face the hassle of moving again. My boss has been giving me a lot of hassle this week.

Cater to (verb) - to satisfy a need or to provide what is wanted or needed by a particular person or group: Internet shopping caters to every conceivable need.

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Questions and Answers

Maria: Let's talk about eating out and food in general. Do people in your country like to eat at home?

Rory: Yes they do! Actually, they probably like to eat too much. I'm being quite serious now. People eat way too much processed food at home in such large quantities which is completely unhealthy. We have an obesity epidemic in our country. And this is one of the contributing factors to it.

Maria: What's the difference between having meals at home and at a restaurant?

Rory: Oh God, there's so many differences. For example, like, the richness of the food, possibly the quality of the food, although, I would... You know, if you put my mom's cooking up against the cooking in a gourmet restaurant then I think that they would come out quite equal. But I think the quality in restaurants is somewhat higher usually. And then the level of satisfaction because it's, like, you get nice meals at restaurants and then you save time as well. You don't have to cook.

Maria: How often do people in your country like to eat out?

Rory: Well, not terribly often. I don't anybody does these days because, well, compared to what they used to do... Because of course we're in lockdown now. Well, back home we're in lockdown, in Russia not so much. Restaurants used to be totally crammed full of people. But obviously now with the way that things are going with the economy that's not quite the case. And the restrictions are contributing to this too.

Maria: Is it possible that everyone will eat at restaurants instead of at home in the future?

Rory: Well, I think that the opposite is true for the immediate and foreseeable future to be honest. If we talk about Scotland at least, everyone's under lockdown. So, like, no one can go out and eat food and have a good time. Thinking about, like, when this is all over. How is it going to be? Probably, given the upward trend in the economy, people will be able to afford to eat out more. It's just right now that's not possible.

Maria: What are the advantages of eating at restaurants?

Rory: If you're lazy like me, then the key advantage is that you do not have to cook. Well, depending on who you're with it can be quite romantic or celebratory in terms of the atmosphere. And if you're anything like me, then there's always a chance of meeting new people. I think, even if I go out with, like, one person or group of people I always meet other people too. It's not like I ditch the people I'm with, it's we hang out with other people, or they sort of.. they're assimilated into our group.

Maria: Are there any disadvantages of eating at restaurants?

Rory: Well, it can be pricey. And there's the possibility that you could have bad service from the waiting staff. Although, I should say that in my experience and despite what I said about my birthday, this is not common. I think most waiters and waitresses are very hardworking people.

Maria: More and more people are unwilling to cook. Why is this happening?

Rory: Well, the convenience of modern food preparation processes and the excess of the actual food itself, probably, makes people less willing to engage in it. And you can get things delivered right to your door all the time. So this combination of factors makes it really addictive, I think. Why would you want to cook given all that?

Maria: Is it important to have a meal together with your family?

Rory: Oh, absolutely. It's like a it's a wonderful feeling in general. And then there are opportunities to bond and share things, not just food, but to have a laugh and have a good time with the people that are close to you. So yes it's quite good, in general.

Maria: Is it expensive to eat out in your country?

Rory: Well, probably more so now than before if you look at it from the economic perspective. So, there's a dearth of restaurants back home these days, since the hospitality industry has completely tanked due to the pandemic. They were hit quite hard. It seems like there is an increased demand. When people do go out, they can't right now, but when they are able to again then there will be an increased demand but there will be a more limited supply. So that means because of this they can charge more for the services they have, and so it will be more expensive. But I think as we begin to recover from the crisis this trend will reverse.

Maria: What kinds of foreign food are popular in your country?

Rory: Oh, well, all kinds, but I think European is the most common by the virtue of proximity and the recognition that comes from that. Sadly, there isn't much of a market for Russian or African cuisine which is a shame because, for example, I think everybody would like see anarchy. If they haven't tried it in Europe, I would definitely recommend that they do.

Maria: What are the benefits of having dinner together with your family and friends?

Rory: Well, like I said there are huge social benefits and an opportunity to show off your cooking skills if you're that way inclined. Obviously in my case it wouldn't be a benefit because I can't cook... I'm good at showing off but I'm not good at cooking.

Maria: Why does some people like to eat alone?

Rory: Some people are just natural loners, aren't they, and just like their own company. What's wrong with that? If I think about my case, in particular, I imagine other city dwellers are the same, if we speak about people who live in Moscow and other large cities, it's less of a hassle during the week that if you just eat by yourself and you don't have to cater to other people. That definitely has advantages to it. And why not? You don't have to eat with people constantly!