To review: every other Tuesday is my day off and I’m trying to use this time to recharge my batteries. No work, no meetings, minimal errands. Last time, I biked to Tavern on the Hill for beer and hotdogs!Â
When I started being a bit more mindful of how I spent my days off I swore up and down that I wouldn’t work or do groceries, but I almost always end up doing a bit of both. This is what happens when you don’t work a traditional 9-5 job.
So I got work stuff out of the way in the morning so I could grab lunch at the Aquatopia Conservatory Cafe. It’s on March Road as you approach Almonte; a bit of a trek, for sure, but I was looking forward to a peaceful lunch. Here’s what it looks like on the outside, from the parking lot:
When you step inside there are some plant displays here and there, and a long counter and cash register. At first I was at a bit of a loss. Cafe sounds and smells were audible. Should I go straight in? Wait for the staffer to return to the desk? (I hate having to worry about these things, but I do.)
I opted to wait, and a young lady brought me around to the back. I was given a choice of seats and picked one near the back.
It’s a neat idea, that is, to have a cafe in a greenhouse. It’s a tranquil and pretty setting, for sure, with the plants, ponds, and sound of water spilling gently into pools. I had a bit of time to look around and absorb the views.
Sidebar: As I waited for a server to come over I thought a lot about my previous experiences as a solo diner. The way a restaurant treats its solo diners is a real test of their customer service skills. I don’t expect special treatment but I do appreciate when hosts and servers are mindful. For example, in one restaurant, I was seated at the head of a harvest table that stretched across the back of the room, even though there were plenty of other seats available at smaller tables. Newsflash, solo diners usually don’t want to be the centre of attention, eg. at the centre of a room, featured prominently at a massive table for 12, or plopped down next to the washrooms! I also appreciate it when servers whisk the extra cutlery away and pour me a glass of water, and generally speaking, not treat me like a weirdo for eating alone. (“WHAT? TABLE FOR ONE? Okaaaay.” It’s happened.)
But getting back to the Aquatopia Cafe, where I started to feel a bit neglected after awhile. No menu was forthcoming, not even an “I’ll be right with you” nod, which I appreciate and accept. Heck, I know people are busy! It’s a real art, isn’t it? Servers want to give people space and privacy, but it’s a fine line between that and neglect. And it differs from person to person. As a solo diner, my sense of time is distorted because it’s just me, alone. If I’m with someone else there is chatting and joking around, which makes one’s sense of the passage of time very different. Waiting for a menu for 15 minutes is different when you’re alone and hungry to boot.
ANYHOO, once the server eventually came around, my situation improved. I ordered an iced tea to start (it was excellent) and browsed the menu, which looked pretty good. I ordered the Delectable Pear & Brie, which is described as “sliced pear & brie cheese drizzled with a light honey mustard dressing on a dense, artisan cranberry-walnut bread.” Here it is:
