Growing up in a family that was first generation in the 50s and 60s provided a diet with little interesting food and was repetitive. My father was English/Irish. My mother was Sicilian. Believe me the mix was not made in heaven!
After I went to college, I met a sort of Professor Henry Higgins, but for food, not elocution. He escorted me to a private dining club, white tablecloths, and candles, with a key code to get into the restaurant. He wore a black suit with spats on his shoes, a shorter term for spatterdashes, and became a fashionable article of attire for gentlemen.
As a club member, the waiter was deferential but made some suggestions for the evening’s meal. We started with escargots, a delectable bibb salad with fruit, and a filet mignon. He demonstrated cutting from the middle and eating the best part first since I would likely become full.
While I have eaten in many fine restaurants through the years, this entire meal experience was the most delicious and one I will never forget! I have returned to the restaurant location since then; the building is boarded up, its elegance long forgotten.
Life Gets Better 