Answer:
A "superb" meal at any restaurant is likely to be an
unusually good one compared to the meals usually
served there. On his next visit, Claiborne is likely to
encounter a "normal" meal. This is the regression to the mean
effect.
Explanation:
Claiborne is a gourmet. He makes it a point never to visit a restaurant a second time unless he has been served a superb meal on his first visit. He is puzzled at how seldom the quality of his second meal is as high as the first. The fact that Claiborne's second meal at a restaurant is rarely as good as his first is best explained by the regression to the mean effect that is, A "superb" meal at any restaurant is likely to be an
unusually good one compared to the meals usually
served there. On his next visit, Claiborne is likely to
encounter a "normal" meal.