On the Menu: We'd order our lighting in restaurants 'medium'

[Food Network Fan]

On the Menu: We'd order our lighting in restaurants 'medium'
Sunday, December 16, 2007
By China Millman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Stacy Innerst/Post-Gazette illustration

Since I became a dining critic, the way that I experience restaurants has undergone some modifications. I've always tended to dissect the meal and the service, discussing what went wrong and what went right. But now even small aspects of the meal tend to get more than mentally noted. I lament that the dining room was too cold, or happily recall that music was played at exactly the right level. Lighting seems to be one issue that has popped up again and again.
During a recent review dinner, dining room lights were so dim that it was difficult to see the food. I wondered, do they realize that it's this dark in here? It seems they did. Our check was accompanied by a small pen-light to allow us to read the fine print.

[Food Network Fan]

I remember taking my daughter to a steak house once when she was small and when we went to the table she said, "oooo dark!!".