Anniversary

Since Bryce leaves for 6 months tomorrow and will miss our first anniversary, we decided to celebrate a little early. Last night, he took me to eat at Toarmina's. It is an Italian restaurant in downtown Landstuhl. Bryce and I always talk about how nice all the restaurants are. If there was a Toarmina's in the States, people would walk in thinking the plates would be $50 each. Well, over here in Germany, all of the restaurants are nice. This is my reasoning...It is a treat for the Germans to go out to eat. It is a social experience for them. When Germans go eat at a restaurant, they will stay there for hours. For Americans, it is a treat to go to a nice restaurant. So I think thats why all of the restaurants are nice.

Here is a little bit of the German Culture in eating out...

When you get to a restaurant, there is a coat rack where you are supposed to leave your coat, scarf, etc.

Once you get a table, the waiter will bring the menus and once you are ready to order, you are supposed to close your menu so they will know you are done looking at the menu.

The food is brought out to you when it is done cooking which means not everyone's food at the table will be brought out all at once. Once you have your food, you are supposed to eat it immediately even if no one at your table has their food yet. The Germans want you to eat your food while it is hot.

Once you are done eating, the waiter will pick up the plates but they will not ask if you are ready for the check. They will never ask you. They expect you to stay for awhile since eating out is a social experience. If you are ready to leave, you have to tell them you are ready for the check. Sometimes, if Bryce and I are in a hurry and we ask for the check when they come to pick up the plates, they look totally surprised and probably wonder why we wanted to leave so early. Bryce and I have walked into a restaurant and have seen people sitting at a table who were finished with their meal and they were still there once we left.

Even-though the restaurants are really nice and the plates are presented very nicely, the prices aren't that bad! The main courses are usually around 8-12 euro which is about $10-15 a plate.

Coke is the same price as water...sometimes cheaper. Last night at Taormina's, The coke was 2,50 euro and the water was 4,00 euro (periods and comas are opposite in Germany).