The Joy of Eating Together
Welcome, welcome, welcome. It’s Friday’s Pizza—or, for us this week, Saturday’s Pizza—but more on that in a minute.
A couple of weeks ago, we ordered takeout from an Indian restaurant we hadn’t visited in almost 12 years. Back when we lived closer, we’d go often, chatting with the owner, getting to know his family, and watching our kids grow up alongside his. When we walked in after all those years, he recognized us instantly.
It was a nice surprise to see a familiar face after all this time. He was eager to catch up, to talk about his family, to talk about our children, to reminisce. But then the conversation turned. Since COVID, he said, fewer people come in to eat. They take their food and go. The dining room that was once full of conversation and laughter now sits quiet while rows of takeout bags wait for drivers and pickups.
“I miss the connections,” he told us. “I used to love seeing people sitting here, eating the food I had prepared.”
I kept thinking about that conversation this week while reading this piece in The Atlantic about how loneliness is reshaping the way we eat. It shared how, in the early 20th century, most people ate at home almost every day, often with family or friends. Eating out was a rare occasion. But today, communal dining has dropped significantly, and more meals are eaten alone or on the go. The New York Times talked about Project Gather, a simple idea encouraging people to invite others to eat together, even just once a week (sound familiar?). And the BBC dug into the deep history of feasting together—how eating in groups isn’t just a nice tradition, but something fundamental to who we are.
It’s something we think about a lot with Friday’s Pizza. Since we started, we’ve seen how food brings people together—not just the ones we already know well, but people we might not otherwise cross paths with. Something happens when there’s pizza on the table. People start talking, and instead of focusing on what makes them different, they find the things they have in common.
This week, we’re hosting Saturday pizza night instead of Friday. Regan just finished his first week back at law school, and we weren’t sure how tired he’d be, but he’s doing well—so tomorrow, 18 people are coming over.
Our French guests, who are staying with us for a few weeks, told us their favorite pizza (other than four cheese) is an olive oil base with mozzarella, goat cheese, rocket, and honey drizzled on after it comes out of the oven. We’re giving it a go. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
In the meantime, here’s one of our favorite pizzas: Kālua Pulled Pork Pizza. We recreated it in memory of our favorite pizza from The Pizza Corner in Hawaii—a popular spot that, like so many, sadly closed during COVID. It was always packed and was the place we went to every time we visited. Their garlic knots and dipping sauces were to die for.
When was the last time you ate dinner in a group at a friend’s house? What made that night memorable?
Comment below and tell me—I’d love to hear about it.
See you next Friday (or maybe Saturday, depending on your time zone!).
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
You are welcome here.
Rachel
