Let's talk about eating and dining. First, I must admit that I am one who eats to live rather than one who lives to eat. That being said, I appreciate a fine meal although perhaps not with the same gusto that I witness in others.
Back to eating and dining. For me, dining is when there is nothing else to do but enjoy the food and the company. I can't dine if I have to be out of the restaurant by a certain time. If you've got to be someplace else, you eat. Time is a crucial part of the dining experience. Seems simple and straightforward. Until you get to Manhattan.
Ultimately, it may be about the money. Oftentimes, I find myself thinking that I have eaten dinner until the bill comes and it informs me that I have been dining. Put another way, do you have wine when you eat?