The Observer Newspapers | Restaurants Offer Warm Welcomes to Seniors

August 22 , 2008

Restaurants Offer Warm Welcomes to Seniors

By Luci Koizumi
Senior Columnist

Rising food and gas prices are hitting families hard. Many are seeing the value of their houses decline. Some worry about possible job loss or cutbacks. So it's not surprising that optional expenses such as restaurant meals are one of the first budget cuts made. It doesn't take a survey to see that many local eateries are less crowded. With business slowing and commercial rents rising, several in the area have closed recently, including Hard Times Cafe and Boardwalk Fries and Burgers in the Herndon Centre and the short-lived Saffron Garden in downtown Herndon.

For seniors, a side effect is that restaurants seem to be working more actively to attract their business. Restaurants that already offered senior discounts, such as Silver Diner, are also offering smaller "senior" meals. Glory Days in Reston and many other local establishments allow seniors to order from the children's menu, and this is a real benefit for those who want a smaller meal.

Even higher-end restaurants (McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant, M&S Grill and El Manantial in Reston and Euro Bistro and Cantina d'Italia in Herndon) are willing to divide an entree between two diners or pair an appetizer with a side of vegetables or small salad. Cafe Antonios in Herndon offers half-portions of its pasta entrees at lunch and half-portions ofÊits salad entrees at lunch and dinner. And, of course, nobody has to request a container for leftovers any more, and nearly all restaurants will offer to box up leftovers.

For the health conscious, most restaurants and some fast food outlets will substitute a vegetable or fruit for fries or other starchy sides. The crab dip sounds good, but it is served with bagel chips. Celery instead? Sure. In the mood for shrimp, but not battered and deep-fried? They can be broiled instead. The menu lists a Reuben sandwich special. Possible to get just corned beef on rye, mustard only? No problem. These examples are not from cafes considered especially senior-friendly, such as Virginia Kitchen, but sports bars Glory Days and Jimmy's Old Town Tavern.

Because seniors aren't usually limited to a traditional lunch hour, they help to fill in the less crowded times both before and after. A recent experience with a late lunch at la Madeleine showed that some managers are taking notice. My friend ordered a ready-to-serve hot specialty. My "duet" (half sandwich and petite salad), a standard menu item, shouldn't have taken long either. Because of customers asking questions of the cashier, and others cutting in line to request beverages, my friend's entree was rapidly cooling. Meanwhile, some confusion between the kitchen and salad server delayed my order. No big deal, but annoying, and I suggested that my friend go ahead.

By the time I got to the table, she had eaten half of her now cool food, so she asked if the rest could be reheated. The server returned with a complete new serving. To our further surprise, a few minutes later the general manager stopped by our table to apologize for the "poor service and confusion" and gave each of us a personalized letter inviting us to return for a complimentary meal of our choice. We will return, but we probably won't take advantage of the offer because we did get what we paid for (more in my friend's case) and we certainly appreciated the manager's gracious gesture. It said, in effect: Good service isn't just for the young and pretty, the well-to-do, or demanding.

This is also a great time to try various cuisines. Customers unfamiliar with Thai, Ethiopian, Indian, Turkish, and Mediterranean dishes will find staff willing to offer appropriate suggestions, explain what is in the dishes, and which are not as spicy. The new Masala Wok in Herndon indicates on its menu dishes that can be made vegetarian or low-carb with stir-fried vegetables instead of rice.

Summer is an especially nice to time to visit the cafes at the Lake Anne and South Lakes village centers, which provide water views and people-watching in addition to casual dining indoors or outside. Some restaurants also have music in the evenings or feature displays of art by local artists. The weather is warm but so are the welcomes.