Every venture out for a meal needs a strategy:  picking the right time of day to avoid both crowds and extreme heat, selecting the best seat for social distancing, and then evaluating the establishment’s commitment to safety guidelines.

So far, it’s been a mixed bag.  The lack of enforcement regarding masks (for patrons entering, and the servers) has been my main concern.

The restaurants that follow the guidelines will see a shout-out on Twitter.

Unfortunately, those with lax standards won’t earn a repeat visit.  It’s just not worth the risk.

Business owners have an enormous amount of responsibility and stress this summer – and policing their customers and workers is one more annoying  task.  I get it (and see it in our business as well).

Yet the stakes are too high for all of us to look the other way.

Hopefully I will be able to post about more positive dining experiences in the months ahead.