Photo Credit: Ashton Macfarlane

TVs have become alarmingly present in many local establishments.

When you go to a restaurant, you expect to enjoy a good meal, lively conversation, and an escape from the outside world. It is difficult to conceive of an object more capable of destroying all three of these expectations than a television.

Unfortunately, many eatery owners adorn their establishments with sleek little flat-screens, destroying the sanctuaries that were once our restaurants.

A restaurant I often go to had a TV installed several months ago. No longer are we able to savor our asparagus risotto and braised lamb shanks. Instead, the sounds of the local murder report or latest heartthrob’s vocal audition drown out any attempt at conversation.

A large wall that is covered entirely by a mirror assures that almost all diners have a stunning view of the flickering box. Even with immense self-control, it’s nearly impossible not to occasionally peek at the TV, and I’ve watched many a diner cast furtive glances across the room or through the mirror to catch the climax of The Hills, or Randy Jackson’s final verdict.

Going to a restaurant should be a social experience based on personal interaction, and as much as our first-date-at-the-movies culture would like to persuade us, TV does not encourage this. There is nothing more mood-killing than to gaze up from your chicken marsala and see a rerun of Dancing with the Stars.

It is depressing that restaurant owners feel obliged to supply televisions to entertain their customers, as if they have no faith in diners’ ability to come up with their own conversations. It is also an insult to the chef, who now competes with the weather forecast for appreciation of his plat du jour.

I find it a relief to walk into a restaurant these days and hear only the buzz of conversations. That is what restaurants are about: sharing time with friends or family and enjoying great food that you haven’t had to cook yourself.

So restaurants, send your TVs back to The Situation Room where they belong, and allow us humble diners to enjoy our face-to-face conversations, and maybe those of the family seated next to us. In the words of comedian George Carlin, “The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going.” As long as they weren’t sparring over what channel was playing, that sounds like a place I’d like to be.