Very true. However, as a slight qualifier (though maybe even an affirmation of your comment in some cases), one might point out that the idea of a shared mealtime presupposes the existence of a social network that allows and encourages said person-to-person interaction at that time of day (not a given in every situation) - and, related to this, there's also the possibility of financial limitations that don't permit frequent public feedings at local establishments where people are wont to gather.
[WS:] I think it is more of the function of urban vs. suburban life styles. If you live in the burbs, most of your leisure time is consumed by commuting. Most people simply do not have time or energy to drive for another hour or so to go out with friends. Also, casual going out often involves two things: (i) they take place after work and before coming home and (ii) involve alcohol consumption. Not a problem in Europe or NYC, where people take public transit or taxis. A big problem in the US of A, because it involves either DUI or taking a cab, leaving your car behind, and retrieving it later - each representing a huge transaction cost for a little get-together with a circle of friends.
The problem is not really generalized "capitalism" but the power of the US corporate interests to almost totally re-engineer social life in the US of A to fit the consumption patterns that suit their products and profits. European industry does not have that power, at least not yet, although as John Berger claims ("Wall and Bulldozer" http://www.globalenvision.org/library/3/1048/), they are tirelessly working on it.
As a result, most people tend to eat what and how the industry wants them to eat. That is true on both high and low ends of food consumption, which involves pretty much the same pattern: you need to intake what is being dished out to you in an allotted time interval and either pay and vacate the premises or order more. Hanging out over a cup of tea or coffee, as it is common in European cafes or bistros, is not permissible because it reduces consumption and thus profits.
Likewise, people generally do not live where they social "roots" are anymore, but have been lured to suburban living and long car commutes that kill social life dead. However, this life style is actively pushed by developers, auto manufacturers, and local governments that bend backward to serve corporate interests. Those few holdouts who resist the lure are pushed by the lack of urban services, crime and grime, or alternatively - by exorbitant housing cost in livable urban enclaves.
In sum, the problem lies not in capitalism per se (i.e. production for a profit rather than use value), but in the power of the US industry to re-shape social life to its liking, which is a unique US phenomenon. This is epitomized by the proliferation of pyramid schemes (Amway, Mary Kay, Tupperware, etc.) whose essence is turning informal social connection into commercial transactions on behalf of product manufacturers. In most other countries, social networks and connections are much more resilient, and marketers must conform to them instead of reshaping them, if they want to make a buck.
Wojtek