Why do you think there are so many people on the streets during the weekend, starting in fact from Friday itself? Try walking down Brigades or MGs and its chock-a-block with people. Is it because it’s the festival season or what?

Partying all the way

Actually Bangalore doesn’t need any festival season to be out on the streets. There need be no occasion at all, for Bangaloreans want to be out and stay out as long as they can, rather than be at home. And this attitude is a kind of leveller, as this is a very, very Bangalorean culture.

I remember even some 20 odd years ago, wondering why there were so many people outside, during the weekends. Even conservative people would be out, family and all, grandma in her nine-yards sari, papa, mama, grandchildren, all eating out in a vegetarian outlet.

Perhaps that is the reason that Bangalore has so many eating joints, and all very successful. Take the Darshinis for instance, hygenic, clean, and giving value for money. They are open in almost every street corner and doing a roaring business, despite the presence of the KFCs, the Macs, the Chinese, the Chaat and the Tandoori outlets.

Remember all those dosa corners. There would be queues outside these roadside eateries, and you would have to wait after getting a token for your dosas. Again this would be a family outing.

The one that existed at Jayanagar 4th block, was where you could take visitors, who would watch awe-struck as the boys manning the outlets went about it, with clockwork efficiency -- constantly cleaning the surroundings and their counters and managing to keep a continuous supply of crisp, delicious dosas flowing off their tawas to the hungry customers.

Food aplenty

Or take the ragi dosas and the idli joints at V V Puram. Rickshaw drivers, bus drivers and mechanics would rub shoulders with the couples on their scooters and the families in their cars, wating for their tasty ragi dosas and the steaming idlis.

But funnily that doesn’t mean the newer westernised outlets are attracting only the upwardly mobile kids talking nineteen to the dozen on their mobiles or SMSessing their friends. Surprise, surprise at the Macdonald’s outlet last week, I was surprised to see entire families with grandma, papa, mama, children in tow, snucking into the burgers. 

Bingeing out

But the bingeing out doesn’t end with Friday/Saturday evenings.  if you hoped that you could have a quiet Sunday morning breakfast at some quiet restuarant, then think again.  It is next to impossible to find a place to sit even at the corner Sagar, so you think of ordering a take-away.

But’s that not easy either. Be prepared to wait in line and maybe, maybe if you are lucky, your turn could come in half an hour.