I've reached an age when dining with friends at fine restaurants is cherished- alas, a rarity in these days of pensions and grand children . These night's out are always anticipated with genuine pleasure, warm feelings and now, hope. My hope is not that we'll all meet as scheduled, at our age that's a given, but that the chosen restaurant will provide both ambience and food worthy of our desires.

Not too long ago, I'd assume our fine restaurant to have quiet dignified service, allowing our party to engage in conversations whose gamut could be explored in thoughtful, concentrated pleasure: the pleasures of self expression, discovery and confirmation (think "Scaramouche" or "Eigensinn Farm").

What is a diner to do today? Everywhere we turn there's crowd noise and/or Muzak.

Is it really possible for a chef to spend 10 years apprenticing in France, Germany and Switzerland only to return to Toronto and, under pressure from partners or some marketing fad, open a restaurant where the noise and Muzak levels are equivalent to attending World Cup Game? Has no one heard of acoustic baffling or tapestries? Surely their cost is below or on par with stainless steel and glass.

I know food and noise have always been profitable. "Fran's" for instance. But we all knew this about "Fran's" and dove in with relish, particularly in the days of "Toronto the Good" when "Fran's" was the only place open after 9:00PM and we were hungry for stuff.

I've always posited a rough equation: Price equals quality - and quiet. Now, who can predict? Too often our the $150.00 + per person meal is served in a nightmare of noise. We cannot appreciate ourselves, our friends or the food.

An analogy: A fine meal is like a concert of fine music. First the Overture, the Amuse Bouche if you will. It allows us to settle and prepares our palette/ear for the main course. With the Main we expect complexity, a subtle mixing of ingredients that catch our attention and whose compositional elements yearn to be analysed and shared. Then perhaps we'll get lucky and have an encore.

All of this needs subtlety, space, contrast and quiet. A time and mood to reflect. If it's constructed intelligently, we'll be satisfied and, very important, we'll return. If it isn't, our senses expire early and we go home early.

There are too many of these obnoxious purveyors of unexciting food and conversation killing noise levels. They have turned themselves into neighbourhood hang outs with endless happy hours with "world class" prices.