I love the idea of being a regular. The truth is, there are few places and even fewer full-service restaurants where I could comfortably identify as so. I have a go-to in my neighborhood (more on that in another piece), and there are plenty of spots I'll hit every couple of months. But then there is another kind of relationship to a given establishment in which you're not a noted regular—i.e., dining there as often as once a week or once every other week—but more than a semi-recurring guest. It's when you're inclined to visit more than every so often, quick to suggest it if there's not a newer place you're wanting to check out, and drawn to it when choosing where to dine in the neighborhood it resides. I'm going to call this a standby spot.
In praise of the standby spot
In praise of the standby spot
In praise of the standby spot
I love the idea of being a regular. The truth is, there are few places and even fewer full-service restaurants where I could comfortably identify as so. I have a go-to in my neighborhood (more on that in another piece), and there are plenty of spots I'll hit every couple of months. But then there is another kind of relationship to a given establishment in which you're not a noted regular—i.e., dining there as often as once a week or once every other week—but more than a semi-recurring guest. It's when you're inclined to visit more than every so often, quick to suggest it if there's not a newer place you're wanting to check out, and drawn to it when choosing where to dine in the neighborhood it resides. I'm going to call this a standby spot.