Fine Dining and Breathing Involves More Than Just Food

When one thinks of fine dining, the first thing that comes to mind is money. It’s been instilled in society that fine dining is supposed to be expensive. But what if it’s not the price or food that make a restaurant considered fine dining?

Fine dining is usually associated with small portions of food for an extremely expensive price. I visited the Merriment Social in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 20th, 2019, after being recommended to go there by a cousin of mine. The Merriment Social opened August 7th, 2015 and specializes in burgers as well as other wild treats such as, bruschetta, wings, croquettes, etc. Located at 240 E Pittsburgh Avenue, in Milwaukee’s Third Ward neighborhood. As soon as I pulled up to the location, I thought it would be pricey spot. Nothing in the restaurant is over $30. The outside has garage see through doors/panels which give off a pricey vibe, but once you’re in, you’re introduced to the main dining hall with dimly lit lights, groups of people dressed in nice clothes, a great looking bar with great beverage options, and a second-floor seating area that oversees the whole place. From the first few minutes there, I thought about leaving because it would be super expensive. Boy oh boy, was I wrong.

First off, the prices were great! They’re not dirt cheap, but they’re reasonable for a place that looks high end. Nothing more than $30, but only two or three items on the menu cross $20 mark. I had the basic Merriment Burger for $16, while my cousin who was there with me, had a Waffle Royal which was $27. His waffle plate was one of the pricier plates, but it looked well worth it. His plate had three stacks of waffles, drenched in maple syrup, bacon all over the surrounding area and a well-done egg on top to top it off, including some surrounding kale. My burger had two pieces of meat, bacon, cheddar cheese, chipotle sauce, a side of quite possibly the best fries I’ve ever had, and a well-done egg as well. Both meals were Instagram worthy! The drink options ranged from classic Coke products, to milkshakes, to wines, to liquor and beers.

Their drinks were also reasonably priced with most drinks not getting past $15. I’m not a foodie who pays attention to whether the food is cooked to my right tasting, but I judge food by how it looks, would I Instagram it, and then I follow up by how it tastes after the initial bite. Nine times out of ten, if it looks good to me, it’ll probably taste good. Too many times when I go out to eat my plate will look like the cooks just slammed everything onto the plate and just rushed it out. Sure, it still may taste alright, but a little effort into making it look appetizing would go a long way. The Merriment Social is a clean looking restaurant and their food reflects that cleanliness.

Food is important to defining a high-end restaurant, but atmosphere is probably just as important. What I liked about the Merriment Social is its aesthetic appeal. The interior design is very modern with its cobble stone walls, exposed piping on the high ceiling, the dim lighting, and the modern music that ranges from rock to pop to hip-hop, the music is not loud at all as well. Loud enough to hear it, but low enough where you can hear people as they speak. There is always a crowd of people interacting with each other. The environment is friendly where you can probably start up a conversation with anyone there easily.

The waiters and staff were extremely attentive to their customers. The manager would walk around asking tables how they were doing and even gave us a free slice a cake to try out. Great customer service goes a long way. When you make people feel welcomed at a business, they are sure to come back and recommend the place. Even the small details made the experience feel like a fine dining place. The black cloth napkins, the metal platter where the food was on, made it feel like I wasn’t at any ordinary restaurant.
Details like this is what truly makes a restaurant fine dining. Any place that has a chill atmosphere, with employees that make you feel welcome will get a great review from me. I’ll take great service with good food over poor service, whack atmosphere and great food.

The possibility of food tasting better when you’re having a great time is real. Good food with good music, friendly employees will probably make a meal taste ten times better. I’ve ate at many restaurants and, while I’m not a big complainer about how my experiences go, I usually go in straight to eat and out without paying much attention to anything else, the Merriment Social really stood out to me from the moment I pulled up outside. The food was great, but the overall experience sold me on coming back to the Merriment Social. On a scale of one to ten knives, I’d say the Merriment Social gets a solid 9 knives.