The Pause Between Courses

Every long meal has a moment no one plans for.

The plates are cleared.
The next dish isn’t ready yet.
Conversation softens. People reach for their glasses.

This is the pause between courses.

When nothing needs to happen

It’s a rare moment where no one is performing.
No one is hosting.
No one is being entertained.

Drinks take over gently — holding space while people settle into themselves.

A sip. A breath. A glance across the table.

Why this moment matters

Meals are structured.
Pauses are not.

And in that looseness, something honest shows up.

This is often where the best conversations begin — not because anyone tried, but because no one rushed.

Letting the pause stay

Good hosts don’t fill every silence.
They protect the pause.

Because sometimes, the most memorable part of a gathering isn’t the food — it’s the moment where nothing was happening, and everyone stayed anyway.