Yogi Berra never considered himself an epicure when he played with the Yankees. But legend has it that Yogi objected when teammates suggested dinner at a famous Manhattan restaurant.

Yogi shook his head emphatically and announced, "Nobody goes there any more. It's too crowded."

You might hear a similar complaint voiced by your Edmonds friends or neighbors when you are planning a night on the town. "Nobody goes there any more. It's too noisy."

It would be correct to suggest that seniors lead the protest, and that a lot of younger diners prefer an upbeat atmosphere.

But according toa national survey conducted by Zagat, excessive noise is the second leading complaint of customers at 15,000 restaurants polled.

Only "poor service" drew more complaints.

And yet there doesn't seem to be a concerted effort to solve the problem caused mainly by hard walls and floors, high ceilings and open kitchens.

Add loud music to the mix and you might as well be eating an overpriced garlic dog in the ninth inning at Fenway Park.

I've been to Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium and at several Super Bowl, World Series, Rose Bowl games and heavyweight championship fights. So I'm not overly sensitive to loud crowd noise. But several friends my age might be classified as possessing "dog ears". They hear everything and bark in discomfort.

A few decades ago I frequently substituted as a newspaper restaurant critic. And I was told by people within the industry that loud noise was a calculated feature at some cafes and bistros. It was found that a noisy, busy atmosphere encouraged customers to "eat it and beat it," so that the host or hostess could "turn" each table four or five times during the dinner hours. They didn't want customers to sink back in overstuffed booths, sipping several cups of after-dinner coffee.

But there are so many complaints today that some restaurant reviewers give prominent mention to the noise level.

The San Francisco Chronicle equipped critics with noise meters. And along with "stars" for excellent food they began to include "bells and bombs" for unacceptably noisy atmospheres.

The Seattle Times recently rated the noise level at a Mexican bar and grill as "Festively loud."

I don't review restaurants any more but for a good meal, efficient service and a quiet atmosphere I would tend to patronize Cafe de Paris.

The loudest eating and drinking establishment?

The Very Taki Tiki Bar and Grill draws a lot of loud and emotional customers when major sporting events are on the big screens. But for those of you cursed with dog-ears I'd recommend the Very Taki Tiki when the Cougar football team is a featured attraction.

By the third quarter you can hear a pin on a fumbled football drop. And the Cougs drop a lot of them.