Sitting at the counter

Sitting at the counter of a diner or restaurant for some reason always intimidated me. I don't really know why.This was all brought to a head when Ennie and I went to Jim's Open Kitchen one morning with a huge line of people waiting for booths. At least we weren't the only people with the same phobia.The thing with counters and bars is that you're forced to interact with someone more than when you're sitting in the cubbyhole of a booth. That's a good thing though! At Jim's you typically get better service since everyone is buzzing around looking after everyone at the counter.At Outback today we had three people behind the bar all making sure we were good and happy. The culture just seems different. Bartenders' tips all seem to go in the bucket. There's less of the territorialism that regular waitstaff has.To top it off you get better TVs (if the joint has them) and you can be entertained by the bartenders... er... interact with the bartenders as well.  :-)If you fear the counter, give it a try!