This Food Blogger Says No To Phones In Restaurants (Sometimes)
Photo: laist; Prince & NPG
I missed a blowout on Saturday. According to laist.com, Prince played a secret 4-hour show at the Hollywood Palladium. With five encores, it must have been fierce. Besides picking up guitar shredding tips, there may be another lead restaurants can take from the funk master.
What rocked me in the article was Prince reportedly trying to sing out:
Put your phone down. You can’t get down with technology in your hand!
With signs reading “NO PHOTOS. PATRONS TAKING PHOTOS ARE SUBJECT TO EJECTION” and security guards removing violators, Prince meant business.
I’m writing about this on DeathbedFood® because I’m with Prince.
This anti-phone stance may seem funny coming from a food blogger. I live to snap shots of great food like the DeathbedFood® chocolate banana croissants at Rustic Bakery. I wouldn’t have a food blog if I didn’t love sharing those treats. At the same time, I believe special fine dining restaurants should be off limits to allow all diners to savor the experience.
In 2006, I had a 4-hour lunch at The French Laundry. I wasn’t wedded to my cell in those days. It didn’t occur to me or anyone else to line up their “Oysters and Pearls” to get good lighting. Free of the photo snapping and social media distraction, I was immersed in the ambiance, the ballet-like servers and the masterful food art in every course. The lunch may have been once-in-a-lifetime but the experience will be seared in my memory forever.
Some restaurants get it. The new LA restaurant Bucato is “No Mobile.” Who knows, maybe Prince will get wind of it and drop by the Culver City hot spot next time he’s in town – without his phone.