If you find yourself looking for somewhere new to eat, it can be hard to find restaurants that seem adequate. In fact, you’re probably regretting even looking for someplace new at all. You’ve begun cursing the friend who convinced — no, forced — you to go outside of your comfort zone of food.
“But I have such a good list of the best restaurants in Leamington Spa!” your friend argues. Well, you think to yourself, we had a perfectly good selection of local restaurants to choose from. It’s not like any place can compete with the traditional Sunday roast dinner that’s served at the little place on the corner.
It sounds dramatic to see it written out, but you know you’ve been there and thought that before. It does seem kind of silly that one could have such a personal connection to a restaurant or pub, doesn’t it? But you’d be surprised by how common it actually is.
One of the best things about local places is that you’re guaranteed to know people there. Sure, sometimes you have bad days and you just do not want to talk, but it can be pretty comforting to know that you can pop in to your local bar or restaurant at any time and not have to sit there alone.
It’s also the perfect place in between work and home. It gives you time to unload all the stresses of the workday — probably in a one-sided conversation with the bartender who doesn’t have a clue what you’re talking about, but lets you keep going because he knows you’ll tip him well. Maybe you just need a quiet drink to calm down and de-stress; maybe you need to have a few rowdy drinks with your coworkers to complain about your uptight boss. Maybe you could could give or take the drinking, but you just really can’t handle cooking a meal for yourself tonight (we’ve all been there, so no one’s judging you here).
It can be so difficult to find restaurants in new places simply because your local spot has become so comfortable for you. You might even refer to it as your “second home” every now and then. Sure, the drinks and the food are imperative for a good restaurant or bar, but it’s not so much about the menu — it’s about the people and the atmosphere.
We aren’t suggesting that you become a hermit in one chosen restaurant and refuse to leave; it can definitely be fun and exciting to find restaurants in new places. But what we are saying is that you shouldn’t feel weird about having an emotional attachment to that one place that just feels like home. Get more on this here.