| Common for men, uncommon for women, now more | | | | As a larger segment of our population grows older, |
| than ever, more women are venturing out on their own | | | | there's been a need to cover the blurring of activity |
| void of the traditional packs of women or only with a | | | | that constitutes engaging dining and socializing, and to |
| date. The Baby Boomer & Gen X women who | | | | bridge the gap between the standard restaurant |
| are 35 and over have hit their stride and are more | | | | review and that of a nightclub review. In other words, if |
| independent and affluent than any generation of | | | | it is fun to go to a certain establishment, and if so, the |
| women ever has been. They're not going to the bars | | | | specific nights that are most active for singles. Many |
| for ladies nights anymore either. They have the | | | | restaurants have a night that's often livelier than others |
| inclination, the attitude, and the moxy to go it alone to | | | | where singles feel more welcome than being stuck in |
| fine dining venues, and won't let being alone stop them | | | | a small corner table all alone albeit for a magazine, or |
| from enjoying life. Affluent, well-educated single | | | | worse yet for a woman on business, to order room |
| women have become a demographic group that more | | | | service due to being alone. |
| and more restaurant owners are trying to attract as | | | | The solutions |
| their spending habits are as much for clothing and cars | | | | To address the gap between restaurant review and |
| as for sushi, steak and fine liquor. | | | | bar review, new sources of information are cropping |
| The concept | | | | up. Several websites have sections for "single friendly" |
| While men have never been adverse to venturing out | | | | establishments, lounges, and are designed to |
| alone, women have traditionally waited for Room | | | | specifically target the best restaurants on the best |
| Service if traveling, taken a quiet table in some off | | | | nights of the week. Other regional sites have cropped |
| beat spot, grabbed a quick bite, waited for their | | | | up as part of traditional newspaper and magazine |
| girlfriends, or just didn't go out. Until recently, many | | | | sites, but it can be hard to really ferret out the |
| restaurants conveyed almost a sense of pity when a | | | | information and get "in the know" so to say. If you |
| single woman walked in the door. Other establishments | | | | were to call a restaurant, most will say every night is |
| have had an almost sense of astonishment at the | | | | good in order to get patrons, but we know this just isn't |
| lady's bravery. Now, many are offering welcoming | | | | the case. For a single woman venturing out on your |
| atmospheres, communal tables, and letting women | | | | own, nothing is worse than to decide to go out to a |
| know the best nights to visit their engaging | | | | fine dining venue and find 40 tables of couples |
| establishments, not just to dine on fine entrees, but to | | | | squirreled away quietly talking. Then, to find out from |
| relax and meet people. | | | | the bartender that last night was the hot night. |
| Until recently, most fine dining or restaurant reviews | | | | At a recent women's networking function held recently |
| have been tailored more for where to go with a date | | | | at a Ruth Chris's on Long Island, one of these sites, |
| or business associate than on the concept of going | | | | ElleEatist got an overwhelming "Finally! What a great |
| there as a single. They talk only about the food and | | | | idea!" After this one rather small event attended by |
| little about the atmosphere. These reviews often use | | | | just 20 women, the site received a spike of interest |
| the puffery and stuffy references to things such as | | | | with several hundred hits alone that night due to pass |
| the aged quality of the steak or the pizzazz of a | | | | along readership. It seems that they've been waiting |
| sauce. Sure, this is very important to a foody, but for | | | | for this for several reasons - the site identifies places |
| affluent single women, most want to know more | | | | to go when they travel on business; with precious little |
| about the crowd, the friendliness and comfort level of | | | | free time, they want to know where to go to socialize |
| the setting. | | | | & when; and lastly, several said it's a great |
| The other review category is for bars or nightclubs, | | | | resource for where to go for first dates or meetings. |
| which rarely talk about the food but the party that | | | | The sites traffic picks up as the weekend gets closer. |
| starts late in the evening for a much younger audience. | | | | |