The joy of dining out alone

I recently found myself alone in New York City--a wonderful situation when you're a mom who almost never steps out of the house without a kid tugging at her leg. I was there to speak on a panel featuring travel industry experts and to do a segment on summer travel for NBC New York.

From the moment I stepped off the plane, it seemed as if every hour was filled with one work commitment or another. I hardly even had a moment to miss my kids who were back at home with their dad. But on my last night, I was completely free and so I decided to treat myself to a dinner out. Some people fear dining out alone-they worry they might look sad and dejected without a companion. Me, I love it. I can order anything I want. No one can say, "We can't both get the pork chop so why don't you get the roasted chicken." I like to look for restaurants with a bar because it's more comfortable to eat alone at a counter rather than at a table. Often the bartender or the lone diner sitting next to you will strike up a conversation. I also always bring reading material, typically a stack of magazines.

So where did I go? Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, which dishes up inventive antipasti and pizzas served in the Italian equivalent of a brasserie in Greenwich Village. I pulled up the last stool at the bar next to who I think was a professor at New York University, just a few blocks away. At least that's what I was able to pick up from the neighboring diner's conversation with the bartender. On the other side of me, a couple dreamily stared into one another's eyes.

While flipping through gossipy celeb rags, I savored a bowl of penne topped with a heavenly sauce of roasted tomatos, capers, chiles, and anchovies. Dessert? Of course! I enjoyed every single bite of the banana toffee and caramel gelatos layered with brown butter pecan crumble, mascarpone cream, and a coffee bourbon sauce.