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Marya Charles Alexander SoloDining.com is edited by Marya Charles Alexander, the "first & foremost" solo dining maven, according to Nation's Restaurant News, who "works both sides of the street" — counseling both restaurateurs and the public on all aspects of solo dining. A contributor to WHERE New York Magazine and ThriftyTraveler.com newsletter, she has written pieces on solo dining for publications like World Traveler (Northwest Airlines), Esquire, AARP's Modern Maturity, Sky (Delta Airlines), Frequent Flyer, www.journeywoman.com and Business Traveler International. She has two restaurant industry trade handbooks to her credit: 150-Plus Tips on How to Attract & Keep Solo Diners (1996; Pod Press), and Solo Diners: The Untapped Mega-Market (1990; Rockbridge Publishing). "One thing that has surprised me throughout the years I've studied the solo dining phenomenon," said Alexander, "is how few people know how to cope with D.D.S., or 'dread of dining solo.' When people call, asking for recommendations of solo-friendly restaurants, the conversation invariably turns to other questions. How can you avoid being seated in an uncomfortable location? Is it proper to read in a fine dining restaurant? How should a woman handle unwanted attention when eating out alone?" ("They Shoot Single People, Don't They?," an episode of Cable TV HBO's Sex in the City, contained two — count 'em! — instances of solo dining.) Alexander initially decided to write a book for anyone interested in taking control of this universal aspect of living — a book revealing her secrets of solo-dining savvy gleaned from years of personal experiences, the responses to questionnaires, feedback from radio talk-show appearances and her articles on the topic, plus other sources. Then, due to public response to the "Solo-Savvy Restaurant" Contest (celebrating the publication of 150-Plus Tips), she discovered that many people liked the idea of receiving solo dining savvy in a different format. Rather than sitting down to a "full meal of tips," they preferred the idea of "snacking" their way to understanding. And so she created the newsletter Solo Dining Savvy, retitled SoloDining.com, and expanded her concept to include a "living"-ever-expanding, continually updated-listing of solo-friendly restaurants across the U.S. and beyond-which showcases her discoveries and those of other solo diners. Restaurant listings provide explanations of available solo-friendly amenities, cuisine type and cost. All SoloDining.com publications, edited by solo-dining maven Marya Charles Alexander, reveal the secrets of how to make solo dining work for you. They include: tipping tactics; how to discover solo-friendly restaurants; the most effective ways to endear yourself to a restaurant and the ABCs of reservation making. Here you'll find the array of dining options available to solos, including food bars, dining counters, cluster seating, facilitated shared table seating, communal table variations, variously named: friendship, joiners, community, chef's, the "love boat," captain's; and more. ("More" includes sister website, SoloTravelPortal.com) Considering that solo dining has long been seen as "business traveler" or "single" stuff, someone might wonder why many people would be interested in solo dining savvy. "It's quite simple," says Alexander, "sooner or later, everyone faces the challenge of dining out alone. Even the very-married are affected. Erma Bombeck, the late humor writer, devoted an entire column to her gripes about being left alone to dine when her husband was out of town. Editor/Publisher Marya Charles Alexander put one of her breasts on the block (total mastectomy) on September 30, 2005. She shares encouraging details on cryoablation or cryosurgery. She wasn't a candidate, but one of your friends may be. Please click: cryoablation Sooner or later, EVERYONE — business and pleasure travelers, singles, those divorced or widowed, very-marrieds whose spouses are on the road, harried moms and dads, etc. — faces the challenge of eating out alone! THE How-to Booklet of Solo Dining Tips & Strategies: The Art and Satisfaction of Dining Alone — REVEALED! is now available for purchase in PDF format! If you have questions or comments about this Web page or site, e-mail: webmaster@SoloDining.com. © 2008 SoloDining.com Return To Top