Suggesting and Vouching for Restaurants
Colleagues suggest specific restaurants they've tried and liked, providing brief descriptions or reasons why they recommend them, and perhaps checking their availability or popularity.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
drawing a blank
This idiom means you can't think of any ideas; it's like your mind is empty. Use it when you're stuck for suggestions, e.g., 'I'm drawing a blank on dinner plans.'
out of this world
This phrase describes something extremely good or amazing, beyond normal expectations. It's casual and great for recommending food, like 'The pizza was out of this world!'
manageable
Means something is possible to handle or control without too much trouble. In this context, it refers to a situation like crowd levels being okay, e.g., 'The wait was manageable.'
solid
Here, it means reliable or good quality, like a dependable choice. Use it to recommend something trustworthy, e.g., 'That's a solid plan.'
must-try
Refers to something you strongly recommend trying because it's excellent. Common in food reviews, e.g., 'Their dessert is a must-try.'
leaning towards
Means you prefer or are inclined to choose one option over others. It's useful in group decisions, e.g., 'I'm leaning towards the beach for vacation.'
majority
Refers to the largest group or most people. Use it when following what most others want, e.g., 'We'll go with the majority's choice.'
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Hey everyone, any thoughts on lunch today? I'm drawing a blank.
This is a casual way to start a group discussion about plans. 'Drawing a blank' is an idiom for having no ideas. Useful for initiating conversations in social or work settings; the question invites opinions from others.
I heard their carbonara is out of this world.
This sentence recommends a dish using an idiom for something exceptional. 'I heard' shows second-hand info. Practice this pattern for suggesting food: 'I [source] their [dish] is [positive idiom].' Great for casual recommendations.
Is it usually busy around lunchtime? I don't want to wait forever.
Asks about a place's popularity to avoid long waits. 'Usually' indicates habitual situations, and 'wait forever' is hyperbolic for a long time. Use this to check practicality before deciding; shows concern for time.
If we're up for something different, there's a great Japanese spot called 'Sushi Zen'.
'Up for' means willing or interested in. This suggests an alternative option. Useful for offering variety in group choices; the structure 'If [condition], there's [place]' helps in flexible planning.
It can get a bit crowded, but they're pretty efficient with their service.
Balances a negative (crowded) with a positive (efficient service). 'Can get' suggests possibility, 'a bit' softens the issue, 'pretty' means quite. Ideal for honest recommendations; teaches contrasting ideas with 'but'.
I'm leaning towards Sushi Zen today, but I'm open to whatever the majority decides.
Expresses a preference ('leaning towards') while being flexible ('open to'). 'Whatever' means any choice. Perfect for group decisions; shows politeness and democracy, useful in collaborative situations.
Alright, then it sounds like Sushi Zen it is! Let's aim to head out in about 15 minutes?
Confirms a decision with 'it is' for emphasis (cleft sentence). 'Aim to' means plan to, and the question seeks agreement. Use this to finalize plans; the tag question makes it interactive and polite.