Indulge

Chef Cristian Orozco is walking toward our table, cradling an edible relic from his childhood with both hands. He’s placed his special dessert in a small wooden box and is trying to make sure it remains perfectly level. His eyes are ricocheting up and down—dish to floor, floor to dish—as he navigates the narrow walkway

I have become, to the delight of some and horror of others, an exceptionally nosy diner. If I’m not chewing; I’m snooping. Once seated, I will immediately begin flipping over tableware—bread plates, ramekins, chopstick holders—searching for the names of designers and manufacturers. I run my fingers across the seams of napkins, looking for tags. And