We went to an event two nights ago…it was the circus, but it could have been the Opera or the theater or a concert…and afterwards decided that we wanted a late supper, a glass of wine and a little civilized conversation with our friends.

We tried a number of restaurants in our area..Pastiche, Zin Burger, P.F.Chang, Jasper and so on, only to find that most stopped serving at 10 o’clock; some even earlier.

I understand that summer traffic is slower, and that keeping kitchen staff on (even if only for light meals and bar service) is expensive if restaurants are all competing with with one another– but come on, Tucson is not Dismal Seepage Ohio, we shouldn’t be condemned to fast food joints for a civilized end to an evening.

Here’s something I think our restaurateurs should consider:

Why not identify three or four areas of restaurant concentration around the city   and select a volunteer establishment in that area  that will stay serve until midnight. Make it Friday Saturday and Sunday or Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for two consecutive weekends and then pass the flag to another restaurant. It seems to me that the Tucson Originals gang are a perfect fit for this sort of project and I e-mailed them to that effect. ( See below )

Advertising will be the key, of course. Perhaps cross recommendation on each restaurant’s web site to whatever house is open late those weekends.

After-show suppers and conversation are part of civilized living in cities. Do something about it.

********
Almost immediately I got a return e-mail from Jonathon at Jonathon’s Cork