Identikit of fellow (s)adventurers in the starred restaurant

The evening from the divine caterer in the starred restaurant is underway, the dishes arrived confirming the setting and quality of a stellar cuisine with very unearthly quantities. It is time to turn our gaze on the room and turn our attention to the other patrons.

Try sketching the sketch of fellow (s)adventurers.

It is worthwhile for you to take your mind off food issues for a while and start looking around. Finding out who your fellow adventurers are should not be a big problem because, just if the day is particularly favorable, you are unlikely to count more than twelve people at the tables. (One Saturday night last March, a “divine restaurateur” in Milan reached a record 23 diners.)

Test yourself and recognize:

1. a “divine restaurateur” away, rated half a point lower in the latest edition of one of the guidebooks on duty, who came to see for himself the bad faith of his reviewer;
2. the “wannabe divine” restaurateur who came incognito to learn;
3. the “divine” wine producer and his area representative who came to let the “divine restaurateur” taste the entire production of the new vintage;
4. the archrival of the “divine” winemaker who arrived too late to break out his bottles.

What about the others? focus-but yes, it’s them:

1. the editor of the Espresso Guide;
2. the blogger with a million followers who is enjoying the proceeds from hundreds of free hosting;
3. the friend of the editor of the Gambero Rosso who “lends a hand for the Guide.”
4. PR with a very important Japanese guest;
5. the would-be playboy who tries to break her down with a dizzying dinner;
6. Michelin Guide inspector in disguise.

The true patron

About only one, however, you will have no doubt. The one who got there because he wanted, once in his life, to try the delights of the divine restaurateur. Who scribbled through all the guidebooks for months, printed out the comments and ratings that appeared on Tripadvisor, clipped the reviews from whatever newspaper and periodical happened to fall into his hands, did not miss any episode of the gastronomic programs of Rai, Mediaset, La7 and even TV2000. That he saved the nest egg and then jumped in. You will recognize him by the way he endures, now unresponsive, every plate uncovering, by the way he desperately pleads, but only with his eyes, for a top-up of bread at the silver tray, by the way he brushes, between courses, the curls of butter lying in the crushed ice, by the way he looks deeply and wistfully like you. When you have spotted him, give him a smile: it doesn’t alleviate hunger, but it helps you survive.

Freely excerpted from “RuvidaMente.com,” courtesy of author Stefano Milioni: https://www.milioni.com/controcucina/il-divino-ristoratore/