Constantine’s II

Sometimes dinner is more than dinner. If you’ve read my other piece about Constantine’s in Gastonia, NC, pour yourself a glass of wine and get comfortable. My husband and I dine there frequently because it’s an experience, not just eating some food.

Patrick and I went Wednesday night to feed our spirits after a rough start to our week. Accustomed to the owner keeping late hours, we inadvertently showed up at closing time, but everyone, all preparing to go home after a long workday and night, was genuinely happy to see us.

Over the course of dinner, we learned that Firat is an environmental engineer who had a patent pending in Turkey for a solar panel he invented. This man is calling me ma’am and fetching and carrying for me with more poise and grace than usually resides in one body on a good day. We learn that Firat’s wife is here with him in North Carolina, and we made plans to have dinner with them as our guests at The New York Butcher Shoppe and Wine Bar in Cornelius (more about it and Tim Groody will be in a future piece).

When Firat brought our second serving of bread, he pointed out how the kitchen had lavished us with black and white sesame seeds, nearly covering the bread entirely, a gesture of good will from strangers we kept late at work.

I asked how we could show our appreciation, and Firat simply responded that he would tell them, and then I learn that nearly everyone in the restaurant is in need of English tutoring. I’m an English professor with a bit of ESL training, and I am going to help these wonderful people legally here from Turkey to master this beautiful language of ours while learning more about language and culture myself.

It’s always more than dinner at Constantine’s.