Community Tables

In the US, I was very accustomed to having my own table for meals. In Switzerland, especially in traditional Swiss restaurants, or even at events and gatherings, there are these long benches. I know now that when I see a bench inside a restaurant, if I am not a member of a party of 6 or more, I will be seated with strangers who will share the same salt and pepper with me, or ask me to pass them the sugar for their coffee. I have a cousin who also thinks that close-talking is a cultural thing here. Could be. I do like my space. My daughter calls it her personal bubble. "Get out of my personal bubble."

There is this one specific restaurant in Zurich that most outsiders seem to enjoy, and believe that this must be Swiss culture. The locals like it, too, but only once in a great while. They serve American-sized portions, so it's mainly to sell local food culture to the tourists. It's called Zeughauskeller. I like it. It's fun once in a while, but crowded. Sometimes it's fun to talk to strangers, but I have to be in the right mood... the mood that is ready to entertain others. My father-in-law judges a restaurant's quality by the size of its nightly crowd. Thus, this one would seem to be one of the top, even with its community table seating.