Ah, the good ol’ days! This not-so-oldie from January, 2017, is the first in a series about dining out. Remember dining out? Whether you are avoiding dining out altogether these days or whether you’ve not missed a meal, I dare say the vast majority of us don’t eat in restaurants as much as we did a year ago. It’s a double whammy. We’ve come to love eating out in this country like never before, and the hospitality industry has largely filled the gap for traditional industries that—for one reason or another—do not offer the job opportunities they once did. Whether that latter situation is sustainable as an economic model or not is another issue entirely, but the pandemic isn’t helping. That reminds me! I’m getting my first round of the vaccine next week. I’m not sure if it’s because cartoonists are considered essential or because I’m so old. I prefer not to think about it.