Spotlight on Dining DNA:
The Agile Improviser
December 18, 2009
With so many unexpected culinary adventures out there, why not be open to experiencing them all? As long as a restaurant has the basics—like a quality red wine or at least one good cut of meat—it’s worth the trip. That’s the mantra of the Agile Improviser: the diner who can relax and enjoy a meal, whether its an eight-course, haute-cuisine opus, or an eight-ounce, juicy burger.
Jeans and a tee-shirt are the usual staples of an Agile Improviser’s wardrobe (left over from his fraternity days, perhaps). But he likely has at least one good, tailored suit for those special occasions. Consider him a rising professional, or a connoisseur-in-training. On a whim he can go from being a casual hipster to looking like a V.I.P. member of the Euro-couture crowd. He’s a man in transition, on a fast-track away from fast-food. In the wide open, overwhelming post-collegiate world, there is much to be learned about food, style, and worldliness. He knows it, and embraces the learning experience.
It’s this self-awareness and desire to refine his own taste that keeps him mentally agile. As he takes a hesitant step away from the carefree days of his immediate past, the Agile Improviser has arrived at the sudden realization that time is fleeting. With the numbers 3 and 0 taking vague shape on life’s distant horizon, the Agile Improviser feels the need to take control of the man he’s about to become.
But, that doesn’t mean he’s all business. Quite the contrary: The Agile Improviser is trying to live it up and get away with as much carefree enjoyment as he can. Going from business attire to nightclub chic is simply a matter of taking off his tie and unfastening his top button.
The Agile Improviser is elusive by nature. He has relatively few commitments, making it easy to hop from L.A. one week, to Miami Beach the next. Since his tastes haven’t fully developed, it’s difficult to predict where you’ll find him dining or socializing. His youthful desire for comfort foods lingers, but more discerning tastes are taking root as well. You’ll certainly catch him testing out the trendy spots from time to time, possibly in search of protagonistas-in-training, but he also can’t resist the casual dining experience at a neighborhood legend either prior to or after the dance club.
In due time, the Agile Improviser will evolve. His palate will grow more defined, his tastes will be more specified. In a few years, he may become a Suave Sophisticate or a Global Gourmand. This particular strand of Dining DNA tends to be a phase—a stop along the way, rather than a destination. For that reason, it’s best for Agile Improvisers to celebrate the possibilities of their future tastes and the openness of their current palates while they still can.
Photo courtesy of:
Harry Vorsteher/Corbis.
Print ThisPosted in Agile Improviser, Dining DNA, Lifestyle, Restaurants |
