浪漫情侣大餐新概念

在纽约约会，就像无数电影、电视剧、杂志和博文中所说，并不是件简单的事情。照惯例，约会的晚餐必须达到某种标准：一家好餐厅（不一定要昂贵，但至少要环境优雅），有洁净的桌布，浪漫的蜡烛和亲切细心的服务。
DATING in New York, as countless films, TV shows, magazines, and blog articles have shown, is no picnic. Traditionally, the date night dinner must meet certain standards: a good restaurant (not necessarily fancy, but a refined one, at least), with a white tablecloth, candles, and gracious, discreet service.

然而，这个传统似乎正在改变：《纽约时报》文化类记者Melena Ryzik发现，如今，纽约人关于浪漫大餐的定义更加平易近人了。“时下正流行一种新群体，他们的就餐完全受心情引导，”Ryzik在一篇文章中写道。
Things might be changing though: Melena Ryzik, a culture reporter for The New York Times, has discovered that the new New Yorker's idea of a romantic meal is more approachable. "There's a whole new class of mood-inducing dining," Ryzik says in an article.

也就是说，“浪漫大餐”可以是一个汉堡，韩国炸鸡或者是一家地下酒吧。所有这些都可以成为浪漫的约会场所，因为有一种冒险、探索的感觉。
That can mean a burger, or Korean fried chicken, or an underground bar. All these are desirable, even romantic, date spots, since there's a sense of adventure or discovery.

没有桌布 No tablecloth

“如今，我们看到的是很多场所都被人们纳入约会场所的范畴，” Adam Rich在接受《纽约时报》采访时说。Rich是Thrillist.com网站的创始人。该网站专门提供针对新餐馆和酒吧的建议。“人们比以往更迷恋食物。因此，压力并不在于去寻找那些铺着白桌布，服务生也戴着白手套的餐馆。”
"One of the things that we're seeing happen is that a broader range of places are considered date places," Adam Rich told The New York Times. Rich is the founder of Thrillist.com, a website that offers advice on new restaurants and bars. "People fetishize food more than they did before. So the pressure isn't to find the whitest tablecloth and white gloves kind of place anymore."

Thrillist.com网站上公布了“10大流行餐馆”排行榜。上榜餐馆中的7家都是比较随意的场所，例如：有开放式厨房的日本拉面馆，只有公共桌子的三明治外卖店--很明显，这些店都没有白桌布和蜡烛台。
On Thrillist.com's list of "Ten Most Popular Restaurants", seven are casual places such as a Japanese ramen restaurant with an open kitchen, or a to-go style sandwich shop with communal tables-obviously no white tablecloth or candle holders.

这样看来，这种休闲式约会的新标准就可以概括为精致、餐巾纸和公共桌子。
It seems that casual is the new sophisticated and paper napkins and communal tables are the new standard.

像鸡尾酒酒吧、小酒馆或小餐馆这类的场所很流行的原因之一是：它们都是安全的选择，对那些刚开始约会的人来说尤是如此。毕竟，很多时候你与别人出去约会，但后来决定不再继续发展--或者对方很无趣，又或者你们两人不适合。
Places like a cocktail bar, wine bar, or small plate restaurant are popular for one reason: they're a safe choice, especially for those who just start dating. After all, there are times when you go out with someone, then decide not to go on: either that person is boring or you two just don't fit.
这种情况下，公共餐桌和开放式厨房都能减少沉默带来的尴尬。而且，公共餐桌还有个好处：如果对方很无趣，你大可以转身和邻桌的人聊天。
In such cases, the communal tables and the open kitchen can smooth over awkward silences. Also, communal tables have a bonus: if your date's boring, just turn and talk to the person at the table next to you.