#dining solo

By SARA-AISHA KENT FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 21:05 EDT, 29 July 2019 | UPDATED: 21:06 EDT, 29 July 2019

He's been hard at work on his debut solo album in recent months.

And Louis Tomlinson enjoyed an upmarket dinner at Scott's seafood restaurant in Mayfair on Monday evening, taking a break from his music.

The singer, 27, rocked a trendy ensemble comprising of a grey jacket, matching T-shirt and black cropped jeans.

Louis flashed his socks under his ankle-grazing trousers while striding along in plimsolls.

The What Makes You Beautiful hitmaker appeared in good spirits as he left the upmarket eatery.

Louis' evening out comes after he insisted a One Direction reunion is 'inevitable', but he doesn't yet know when it will be.

The singer recently told ITN that none of the boys - Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Niall Horan - have a time frame for getting back together, but it 'will happen'.

He said: 'I do think it will happen. I'd certainly have something to say about it if it didn't. I think it's inevitable.

'When is the big question. That's something none of us really know the answer to at the moment.'

Louis added that it's important the band accomplish what they want to do as solo artists first before reuniting.

He said: 'I feel like what's most important is that when we do get back together, we're all on the same page and we've all done what we want to do individually. That's vitally important for when we get back.'

When asked about being associated with his days in the group forever, Louis insisted that would not bother him because he is 'really proud' of what One Direction did.

He said: 'When I look back on One Direction and the memories that we had, it's only incredible memories.

'I think we got to a place musically, especially on the last two albums, that we felt really proud of.

'We started off as a boy band and where we ended up musically was a very different place. I'm really proud of those times, definitely.'

Since leaving the group, Louis has joined the judging panel on The X Factor and has released several solo singles.

He has previously spoken of his desire to go on a solo tour and told how he plans to bring plenty of friends along with him.

He said: 'A lot of different stages of my solo career have felt the same, but different. I think the tour will be one of those.

'We saw a lot of each other on those tours obviously but I'll make sure I have plenty of mates out with me, it'll be a laugh.'

Louis' sister Félicité, 18, passed away earlier this year in her flat in Earl's Court, West London from a suspected heart attack.

The X Factor judge was extremely close to his sister and they regularly saw each other in London.

A family source told The Mirror: 'Félicité was an absolutely adored young woman who was loved by Louis and her whole family.

'They are all totally devastated, as you can imagine. She had so many friends and was such a positive happy person. It's a massive loss to the world.

'She was a lovable, caring, bright, passionate, popular and beautiful young lady.'

Louis was scheduled to perform his latest single Two Of Us as part of the BBC's Comic Relief live coverage just days after the tragedy but cancelled his appearance.

The singer's mother Johannah tragically died in 2016 at the age of 43 after a year-long battle with leukaemia.

Louis appeared on The X Factor three days after his mother's death in 2016 for an emotional performance of his track Just Hold On with Steve Aoki.

He was supported by his One Direction bandmates for his first solo performance away from the band, while X Factor head judge Simon Cowell, who put the group together during their time on the show, told him:

'The bravery of what you've done. I respect you as an artist, as a person and your mum was so proud of you and she was so excited for the performance. She's looking down on you tonight.'

BONUS CAPTION:

Look around you the next time you go out to eat. There, amid the dating couples, groups of friends, and families, you will likely find more than just a couple of tables occupied by a solo diner. Once upon a time we probably would have felt a twinge of sympathy and/or judgment for that person.

Must be a widow or widower. It could be this person is a loner, a social outcast. Maybe s/he is on business. Or perhaps they just don’t have anyone in their life.

Today the incidence of dining solo is on the rise, social aspersions vanishing into the rear view. Maybe this person just wants to be alone, or, in the event they truly are alone in life, venturing out into public because they want to do the same things everyone else does.

In 2000 Robert Putnam wrote of the declining social capital he saw around him. His Bowling Alone was not at all about bowling, but rather a metaphor of what he saw as a precipitous drop in social interactions, a trend he says started around 1950. If he were to update that book today during the social media era (a topic for a separate blog), he would likely say the matter has gotten far worse.

Well, that’s assuming you believe that every person needs to be with at least one other person.

One recent survey indicates that 60% of us have dined alone in the last year, a number that is even higher—68%—among Millennials and GenZs. While the stigma of dining alone is long since gone, and it is possible that some folks simply don’t like the hassle of cooking and cleaning up, there are some sobering facts to consider.

Such as the fact that 30% of Americans live alone, and only 37% of Americans aged 25-49 are married with kids. Those are two key trends right there, one signaling the need for (and opportunity to sell) housing, smaller food packaging, and even leisure trips aimed at this growing demographic. The other reveals that as Americans delay marriage and are having few or no children—the current fertility rate in the US right now is only 1.66—it means that barring an influx of immigrants, our population will one day start to decline.

I speak from experience. I have no problem dining alone, or even vacationing alone. I will boldly go wherever I please. In 2016 I went to Europe for two weeks, and had a blast. Two years ago, I drove into Canada’s prairie provinces, then across Montana. My wife just didn’t want to go. But I did. I came. I saw. I fell in love with some new places.

When it comes to restaurants, I am an old pro at the dining solo game. First of all, you can dodge lengthy wait times by heading straight for the bar, where it is nearly always open seating. If I don’t wish to be disturbed, I bring a book, flip open my laptop, or lose myself in my phone. If I wish to interact with strangers and waitstaff, I put down those things and fully engage.

And then there’s the fact that I am also a frequent ad hoc reviewer on Google. When someone sees you photographing menus, decor, and the food itself, they know you’re on a mission.

Of course, this can make things more challenging for restaurants, all of whom hate having a four-top table occupied by only one person. The result is a trend toward more two-tops, bar seating, and counter seating like I experienced a few days ago at a Lubbock ramen bar. Another option is very European in style, with long tables and even large round ones set aside for communal dining. I did this in Santa Fe a year ago, sharing a table with a bunch of strangers—either solo diners or pairs—and living in the moment. Could you do that?

Although I have never been a server, I can imagine it’s not a whole lot of fun serving a family with kids making a complete disaster of the place. When dining alone, I always engage with my server from the very beginning, assertively asking questions and making choices. I set the stage for what is nearly always a very good tip, and the server usually recognizes this.

These are very different times, and for my students, most of whom are not even a third of my age, you should feel confident that you can dine and travel solo. There’s no shame in it, and you may very well find yourself in this situation. Don’t hide in your home or hotel room because you are alone.

No. That’s your ticket to a good time. It’s OK now.

Dr “Table For One, Please” Gerlich

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