Missed opportunities

One evening several years ago, I was walking along Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis and passed by the Dakota Jazz Club. There were a lot of people standing outside, and when I looked at the marquee, I understood why. Prince was playing that night. Amazingly, there were still tickets available, but they came with a steep price tag. I pondered the idea of whipping out my credit card and seeing his purple majesty in an intimate setting, but my husband had been laid off a couple of months before, so money was tight. I told myself that once my husband was back to work, I would see Prince at the next available opportunity. That chance never came, as Prince died a few months later.

Why am I writing about a musician on a website that focuses on food and cookbooks? It’s because I find some similarities between this experience and notable restaurant closings. I think about the missed opportunities I have had to dine at famous restaurants that have since shuttered their doors. However, unlike the chance I had to see Prince perform, there was really no way that I was ever going to be able to eat at El Bulli or Faviken. Yet I still feel a pang of disappointment when restaurants like them announce that they are closing.

I think it’s because while they are still around and I read about the innovative or luxurious dishes that are being prepared, I can imagine that I will some day make it there and be able to savor the experience, no matter how unlikely that is to happen. Of course, not all famous restaurants are prohibitively expensive, and I have been able to eat and drink at several iconic locations. For those experiences I am grateful, as I am for the inspirational cookbooks from places that I might never see. In the meantime, I’ll keep reading and dreaming.