The Dining Divas Return to Dining Indoors

It felt a lot longer than months. Thanksgiving had passed. The holiday season was missed. And our annual new year’s brunch was definitely not an option. Six months had gone by since the last time the Dining Divas got together, and we were especially happy to finally gather together inside a restaurant.
The last time we actually dined inside as a group, we were celebrating the Birthday Diva’s 40th. We had no idea that festive celebration would be our last for a year. So this past month, the location really didn’t matter, but the choice was perfect. Set in the middle of the Ellendale neighborhood in St. Louis, The Piccadilly at Manhattan, a third generation family-owned business, is St. Louis’ oldest restaurant.
Even with the recent warmer weather and a nice patio, we’d waited a year to enjoy dinner together inside a restaurant, so inside is where we gathered. Plus, the pleasant ambiance of the old building along with the familial scents of comfort foods made it the ideal setting for our reunion.
With St. Louis city regulations still limiting the number of guests at each table, we did have to split up into two tables, but that was okay. The majority of the group had already been vaccinated aside from three Divas who had only had one shot. So we made sure to separate the Non-Vaccinated Divas from each other. The separate tables worked out.
So much had happen since the last time we’d dined together outside. The last time the Grafton Diva planned to join us, she ended up in the emergency room. We were thrilled she was doing better now and could join us. The Unemployed Diva had found a new job and was no longer struggling to find employment.
And sadly, the husband of the Talkative Diva had passed away unexpectedly. A loss like this is hard any time, but during a pandemic, it’s been even more difficult. Unfortunately, a couple other Divas have suffered the same loss of husbands passing away way too young. This Diva husband was always the biggest Dining Divas fan.
It was such a treat to be back together with this group. Dare I say “normal”? And even though the food is always secondary, this time it really did feel like the food didn’t matter.
We had a lot of catching up to do. We talked about the Christmas deliveries the Elf Divas made during the holiday season and the amazing adventure they had all in one night.
Everyone shared their COVID vaccine stories, and mostly, everyone’s experience then and after were positive. And we introduced a new monthly “creative” concept.
Prior to the pandemic, the Dining Divas always passed the “dime bag” when we paid for dinner. The idea was that we probably have spare change in our wallets to drop in the bag, and after collecting all year, we’d donate it to a charity. Unfortunately 2020 was 2020, and we did not have many months of dining together. But we still donated the dime bag money to TEAM in Florissant.
Because we are already behind in our fundraising efforts for 2021, we decided to incorporate a “basket” of the month idea. Each month, a different Creative Diva puts together a “basket” raffle for the group.
Each dinner, one Diva will be drawn and win the “basket”. This month, we doubled what an average month from the dime bag collection would be, and we already have several volunteers to provide creative “baskets” the coming months.
As for the food, the Piccadilly’s limited menu isn’t limited on comfort. Several Divas enjoyed the fried chicken, meatloaf, and chicken pot pie, all delicious. And the wait staff was so attentive and patient with us. It was so good to see this neighborhood restaurant busy, and hopefully, surviving.
After decades of Dining Divas outings, a new appreciation for this group and these monthly dinners has returned. It was such a happy night and an important reminder of how lucky we are to have each other and their support…and for indoor dining!

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