Enhance Your Meals With These Playlists

BOXYmag | By Erin Schroeter

Just as macaroni and cheese go together, or peanut butter and jelly, meals and music go together, and must be specifically chosen to ensure the best dining experience. There’s nothing worse than sitting at a table in silence, only hearing various noises of those eating nearby, or hearing a random electronic song playing while trying to enjoy a nice pasta feast. Just because a chef may be able to perfect a tasty meal, he or she may not be the best DJ.

Follow these dining playlist suggestions to promote the right vibe for your dining experience. Whether you’re a chef looking for the right playlist, or a hungry music enthusiast, these playlists will lead the way for an enjoyable meal.

Breakfast

It’s early in the morning, and you’ve just made a lovely meal to bring in the new day. What music should you play while you enjoy your coffee, oatmeal, pancakes, eggs or bacon? While it may seem like a reasonable idea to blast some rock n’ roll to give that extra wakeup jolt- it can throw off the morning feeling. Try starting off your morning meal by being serenaded by Leslie Feist and then bop around with Sam Cooke:

1. Wonderful World by Sam Cooke
2. Mushaboom by Feist
3. Walk On the Wild Side by DJ Disse
4. Wildflowers by Tom Petty
5. Avant Gardener by Courtney Barnett

Lunch

After finally catching a break from a busy day, the opportunity may arise to have a nice sit down meal before going back to the hustle bustle. This playlist, specifically tailored for lunchtime, brings in that relaxation, as well as the boost to keep going until dinnertime comes around. With the combination of slow and fast pace tunes, this playlist will do just the trick to enjoy a nice lunch, and take away that mid-day lag we all feel so often:

1. Tighten Up by The Black Keys
2. No Rain by Blind Melon
3. Don’t Worry Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin
4. Can You Get to That by Funkadelic
5. Fire Eye’d Boy by Broken Social Scene

Dinner

Dinner can be a bit more complicated when choosing the right music to play. It all depends on the type of food that is being eaten. These playlists have been broken down into sections according to which culture is being reflected throughout each meal.

For an American style dinner, put a little Mick Jagger in your evening, following the contemporary soulful sound Gary Clark Jr.’s guitar:

1. Beast of Burden by The Rolling Stones
2. The Weight by The Band
3. For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield
4. When My Train Pulls In by Gary Clark Jr.
5. Sweet Thing (Van Morrison Cover) by Hozier

What would an Italian style dinner be without Frank Sinatra or Amy Winehouse to serenade you while drinking some nice Cabernet Sauvigno? Follow this playlist and mangia!

1. Theme from New York, New York by Frank Sinatra
2. I Got A Woman by Ray Charles
3. Since I Fell For You by Nina Simone
4. You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman) by Aretha Franklin
5. Valerie by Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse

For a Parisian dinner, allow Francoise Hardy and Beatrice Martin of Cœur de pirate to take you right to France:

1. Le temps de l’amour by Francoise Hardy
2. Comme des enfants by Cœur de pirate
3. Nantes by Beirut
4. Song on the Beach; Photograph by Arcade Fire
5. Cirrus by Bonobo

Rodrigo y Gabriela and John Talabot will add that extra spice to your Mexican cuisine:

1. Tamacun by Rodrigo Y Gabriela
2. Stairway to Heaven by Rodrigo y Gabriela
3. Queremos Paz by Gotan Project
4. Leave Me by John Talabot
5. Piece of the Pie by The Nextman ft. Demolition Man

Dessert

Winding down the evening with some sweet treats and romantic tunes is absolutely a necessity to perfect your evening. With Flight Facilities calling for your love, and Jerry Garcia giving you an extra groove, this playlist will surely be the best cherry on top of the cake:

1. Crave You by Flight Facilities
2. You and Me by Penny & The Quarters
3. On the low by Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
4. So Good to Me by Chris Malinchak
5. That’s What Love Will Make You Do by Jerry Garcia Band