Covid Chronicles. Chapter 51: Dinner at Vin Santo

Read chapter 50 here

Photos by  Retiring Guy

 

Monday, June 8 

Friday, March 13. The Sport Bowl. That was the last time that JoAnna and I went to a restaurant. To dine in. A fish fry, of course, considering the day of the week. Even then, five days before Governor Evers’ first safer-at-home order, we felt unsure about our decision. It didn’t help that most of the tables in the uncomfortably quiet dining area were unoccupied. On a typical Friday evening, the Sport Bowl is packed, tables at a premium, multiple conversations creating an aggressive white noise. We ate our meal in relative silence, even though there was nothing on the multiple TV screen to distract us. College conference tournament games, as well as the NBA regular season, had been canceled the previous day. The world suddenly seemed to be spinning in a different direction. 

We continued to order carry-out from some of our favorite restaurants, but after March 18th, dining out was no longer an option. Not until May 26th, when Dane County moved into the first phase of reopening. The easing of restrictions allowed restaurants to operate at 25% capacity. At the time, JoAnna and I decided the risk was too high, our feelings colored by reports of packed bars and restaurants where social distancing was impossible and masks were almost nonexistent. (You probably heard about it. Memorial Day weekend in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, was national news, thanks to large influx of Illinois residents still under lockdown.) 

Then social media intervened last Wednesday. 

“Dianne Hesselbein posted a picture in Facebook of her and Bob having dinner at Vin Santo,” JoAnna announced. 

All of a sudden, I felt as though the word ‘caution’ had been eliminated from my vocabulary. 

“Actually, I’d be willing to go out to dinner there,” I offered. “We could consider it a delayed anniversary celebration.” 

Vin Santo has long been a special event destination for us: birthday, anniversaries, milestone events for the boys. 

I expected JoAnna to dismiss the idea as if waving away a pesky fly. Her response surprised me. 

“Should I call for a reservation?” she asked. 

“Let’s check with Andy to see if he wants to go with us,” I suggested. 

In a surprise outcome, he, too, threw caution to the wind. 

As it turned out, Andy ended up having other plans — disc golf and grilling out with friends. 

Previously available at Vin Santo's website

JoAnna and I enjoyed a most memorable dinner. The food as service were up to their usual high standards, but what made the occasion extra special was snapping a string of 83 days of home cooking leavened with at least a weekly takeout. The masks worn by restaurant staff and removal of perhaps a half dozen tables reminded us that the first phase of reopening is still a long way from the way we were three months ago.