What happens around a table stays around the table. No, this is not an ode to “instagramie” pictures of food. No. This is the essence of what it is like to have a great meal whether it's in a shitty stall in the middle of Kuala Lumpur or in an overpriced restaurant where waiting is always a given. The laughter that is released after a beer (of your choice) and whatever ends up in the center of your table makes it all worth it. This is how it must feel to love going to church. Sitting around with family and friends and enjoying each others company to the fullest. Talking nonsense, re-living anecdotes, creating memories over whatever food you feel you needed to eat that day. Some of these pictures are the aftermath of a delicious meal full of grilled artichokes, bone marrow, raw fish, late night tacos, or whatever the Malaysian dude decided he wanted to include in my noodles (and lets not forget the booze). Soooo much mezcal. Some images are the beginning…. the “oh yes” sweet feeling of knowing you’re in for something good. Endless possibilities as you open the menu or listen to today’s specialties, all these, waiting at your fingertips. Hmmmm what should I order….maybe the hardest question I have ever had to answer. Can I order everything? I usually go with my gut feeling (even if that means Pasta Bolognese at a predominantly Mexican food restaurant) or if I’m feeling adventurous I let the waiter choose what I should eat. It’s when I’m feeling invincible, risky, and what I want is not on the menu. Some of my best meals will be forever remembered in these blurry and frankly shitty pictures and I love it. I can almost feel I’m there. Either waiting for that juicy New York steak or praying that I get some sort of protein I can somewhat recognize. In the end when bellies are full, napkins have been surrendered to the top of the table, conversations are still flowing and wine keeps being poured I find my happy place and smile. Smile for the glorious time I just spent not looking at my phone, not worrying about work or life for that matter, but rather making other people laugh when I tell that embarrassing story that had happened to me a few days ago. Maybe these tables remind me of the little things that are really important. There is no one present that I don’t want there. Everyone is here to enjoy each other, and of course the food.