As someone whose job requires scrolling on social media and replying to Slacks for hours on end, any chance to unplug is welcome. It’s why I stick to reading physical books, handwriting journals and scrapbooking photo albums. It’s also why one of my biggest pet peeves involves QR codes, specifically when I go out to eat. There’s nothing that kills the mood more than walking into a restaurant, dressed for the occasion, only to be forced to pull out my phone to scan a QR code menu.
The QR code menu made total sense during the pandemic to lessen physical touchpoints. But it’s been years, and restaurants are still opting for digitization. We returned to regular programming when it comes to concerts and air travel but somehow forgot the cost-negligible act of printing physical media.
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There’s life beyond the infinite scroll. We put together a toolkit of habits, routines and products to help you live more intentionally.Maybe it’s my own nostalgia for another time (I did grow up on early 2000s movies where every main character in New York City worked at a magazine). But it can’t be disputed that the cold, mechanical glare of a blue screen can never compare to the natural romanticism of paper in the format of love letters, novels and diaries. It feels nice to hold something! To leaf through a real page! We forget that restaurants are in the business of tactile pleasure: It’s why we collect matchboxes and postcards and, if we’re lucky, a custom pen pocketed on the way out.
And I know there’s a difference between a cozy neighborhood bar versus a sought-after restaurant, and I can’t expect the same attention to detail across the board. But dining out, even at the divey-est spot in town, is one of those rare excuses in modern life to remain offline, especially in the company of others. Sharing a meal should be a time to be engaged, both in conversation and with food. Personally, I don’t want my phone creeping into yet another aspect of my life.
In the same way that great lighting or a particularly comfortable seat sets the tone, there’s only more to gain by adding a more beauty to any experience. I recall eagerly flipping through the hefty, leather-bound menu at Raf’s, where doodles of dogs are snuck between cursive lettering. I’m always amused by the last page of Kings Co. Imperial’s menu, which features a step-by-step comic of a bunny and a goat demonstrating how to eat soup dumplings without burning your tongue.
Nothing about these menus is particularly groundbreaking, but they’re choosing to be creative when it isn’t required. In an era obsessed with efficiency, that choice feels increasingly rare. We’ve gotten too used to speed and convenience taking priority over beauty and pleasure, and I simply refuse to accept it.
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