Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published January 11, 2007 Click here for the current edition Avoiding The Draft The joke about New Orleans weather is that we have only two seasons: January and the rest of the year. But that's not really true this year. Fall weather started on the first day of fall, and winter weather started on the first day of winter. Weird. The winter weather is still going on, of course. We had ice--not frost, but actual, slip-and-fall-on-your-keister ice--on our deck last week. It's going to be pretty cold next week, I see. But we all know that this will pass soon. Those of us who have to take protective measures against the cold will push those projects to the back burner before we get very far with them, and not think of them until it starts getting cold again next year. But one such project really should move up the list for local restaurateurs. Because I have a long list of restaurants I won't dine in these days because they're drafty. The front door is th worst culprit by far. Many restaurants here have a single door to the outside. Open it, and the outside air comes in. Not a problem in April or even July. A little summer air might dent the air conditioning, but one hardly notices. But when the January wind is blowing and the outside temperature is in the forties, one does notice. One does indeed. Enough to ruin the meal. In places where cold weather is more of a factor than it is here, it would be unthinkable to operate a dining room without the insulating effect of some system of double doors. Revolving doors might be a bit much down here. But at least a small vestibule would be welcome. Not all of this is the restaurant's problem. Up north, where people are used to this, it's the height of inconsiderateness to hold open both doors in a double set. Here nobody thinks much about it--not because we're malevolent, but because we're not used to worrying about it. So, when they pulled out the double doors in favor of an anteroom in the renovated Galatoire's, it made a tremendous contribution to winter-dining comfort there. Anyway, while it's still on your minds, guys: do something about that single door, okay? The people at the first rank of tables are freezing. © 2006 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com