It was like a breath of fresh air. Bigger than that, really. Mike and I had rushed from an appointment in Los Angeles to make a dinner reservation on time. We always want to be on time.

LA County is huge. And there are 12 million of us. Going six miles isn’t the same as it is in central Montana. It could take half an hour, depending on the time. I’m not complaining. After 11 years of living here, we feel pretty lucky. We know when not to get on a highway, and we have learned how to plan when to leave and when to stay.

That Friday night, the traffic was pretty light, or at least manageable. From Mid-City, we got to Echo Park with few problems. So few that we almost made it to Men & Beasts on time. Two minutes late. We apologized and were greeted with, “You all are just on time!” Immediate kindness. We felt welcome, which is always nice, especially after being in traffic.

The kindness was refreshing. As we sat at our table, I told Mike how lovely our welcome was and brought up my pet peeve. He already knew it and was happy that we did not arrive early, potentially setting up another chance to experience it.

It started last year. We had a reservation at a new restaurant, and we could not be any more excited as we walked in. It was a drive, but well worth it. We were ecstatic, until we weren’t. The joy left us as the host asked if we had a reservation (we did) and then looked up at us and said, “You’re early”.

What? We were so excited. We drove from some distance. We arrived ten minutes later and weren’t expecting to be seated; we were just letting them know we were there. We were all set to step outside and wait until they were ready for us.

The host’s response pissed me off. No welcome, no “We’re so happy you’re here!”, none of that. Just the obvious announcement to affirm that we were early. My goodness, what would they do with us?

We went outside and waited until 6:02 pm. Nothing from the staff. I went back in and asked about our table, and they said it was ready.

The meal was wonderful. The service was great. The only thing they missed was how they treat guests when they arrive.

This same scenario has played out a couple of times since, in different restaurants. I honestly don’t get it. Business isn’t fantastic for most restaurants. Make an effort and be a little more welcoming.

—

Go vegan. Vote. Be kind.