Saturday March 14, 2020.

Why is this date stuck in my head? Well, it is the last time I ate out in a restaurant. That was 40 days ago. Other than ordering a pizza when Passover ended, I have not had any restaurant food in almost six weeks. It sounds insane as I typed that since I love going to restaurants and having great food experiences around our city.

I worked that Saturday. It was a crazy day as Covid-19 was exploding in Europe and the world around us was closing up shop.

It was a day full of all hands on deck, damage control, protecting our clients. As I mentioned in my previous posts, our Asia team had been going through this for a couple of months and now it was all over Europe. First Italy and then each country closing its borders and cancelling all flights.

I had made dinner plans with my friends a few weeks before and thought about cancelling during that week since it the reports of social distancing were starting but really on the cusp. I had tried to make a reservation at the restaurant, but it only allowed me to go on a wait list.

We arrived at the restaurant just after 6pm on a Saturday. I gave my name and asked if the wait list cleared (the restaurant was half empty) she said it had, but they were only seating half the tables to allow space for the patrons to maintain distance. The three of us looked at each other (the buzz words social distancing was not yet a thing) and sat at a table upstairs and began our conversation and meal.

This restaurant is my beloved brisket haven – Stack. A local establishment mid-town on Yonge Street. I was told by a local resident of the area that between Yonge and Lawrence and Yonge and Yonge Blvd there are more than 30 restaurants.

As we start to look at this pandemic and the closure orders extending again into late May, I wonder how many of these restaurants will be open when the time comes to re-open. Goway staff are regulars at several of the establishments in the ‘hood, and when we all return to the office, what will that look like.

Not just restaurants, but stores, small shops, fruit markets and more. Like any neighbourhood, these are places where the locals shop and quite often will stop in while walking their dogs, picking up their kids at dance class, grabbing a coffee after yoga.

Gives me pause to think about what restaurants will look like when they start to open. How many tables will there be? Will the menus be the same or will they be smaller and focus on a few key items to conserve food wastage and ordering from suppliers? Will you look at the glassware, plates and cutlery differently, wondering…just wondering.

I watched last week as the beach opened up in Jacksonville of the people running towards the sand and water like they had never seen it before. I am thinking that it will be an awkward start to beginning again. Much like after a big snowfall when Facebook is flooded with posts about what are the roads like, I think there will be questions, have you been here yet, or there yet? How was the seating, how many tables?

Until then I will dream about brisket with Memphis sauce and Parmesan fries. I know you are going to tell me I can have it delivered, but I will tell you it will not be the same.

For the last four days I have been craving french fries and gravy from Golden Star. A friend that is out shopping right now is going to help me indulge my craving. My mouth is watering now.

We can’t dip our toes into the water just yet, but hopefully soon.

Until then, stay home and healthy,

Lisa