Is this something one has to specify at restaurants?

[marylander1940]

I always make sure to tell the waiter my friend and I will share the appetizers and whatever he has ready first he should bring it. Very few times they brought the appetizer and dinner/lunch at the same time.

[spider]

I mainly have this in Chinese places. It seems to be cultural. You order a bunch of food and it just comes as it’s ready. The fact that the menu is divided into courses western style is meaningless it just comes bit by bit and fighting it is futile. Even when I clearly say “we’d like the dumplings and THEN the mu shu and THEN the other things” it just comes in no logical order.

[instudiocity]

You guys are eating at too-fancy places with too-high expectations. I go to this cute little ethnic place I discovered called, I believe, Chipotle (such a whimsical name!) and I have my tasty and healthy meal paid for and being eaten in less than cinco minutos.

Is this the same Chip-of-potle noted for E-coli salad?

https://www.delish.com/food-news/a44927/chipotle-e-coli-outbreak-has-reached-nine-states/

[+ poolboy48220]

I mainly have this in Chinese places. It seems to be cultural. You order a bunch of food and it just comes as it’s ready. The fact that the menu is divided into courses western style is meaningless it just comes bit by bit and fighting it is futile. Even when I clearly say “we’d like the dumplings and THEN the mu shu and THEN the other things” it just comes in no logical order.

There was an amazing Chinese place in Windsor that friends and I patronized in our 20's. The food was incredible, but they were horrible at timing. Peoples dinners would come out at wildly different times.

[+ Autumnal]

If you want to slow things down, order your appetizer or salad and wait until that arrives to order your entree.

[+ azdr0710]

of course, you can always just politely tell the server how you'd like the meal to be paced....nothing wrong with saying something like, "at the last place we ate, the main course came too quickly and we hadn't finished our salads"........

[MikeBiDude]

So I’m in the “please pace my courses” school of thought. I like it that way.

 

But, can I present the other side of the coin? Restaurants and servers are “trained“ in this behavior, BY CUSTOMERS. Yes, many of us want to pace our courses. But many, many customers are geared towards food=fuel, with no need to converse or enjoy. Order, drop the food, eat and leave.

 

We are a bit of a unique group on this forum… And I would wager we are in the minority in the situation. Most diners in most restaurants want to eat and leave.

[+ HornyRetiree]

I've had dinner at two restaurants during my conference that did something I find pretty annoying. I ordered a soup and a salmon dish at one, and they brought the two at the same time. Then, 2 days later, I ordered a side salad and a chicken dish, and they brought the chicken less than 5 minutes after the salad (which I wasn't half-way through). Should I be specifying when I order "...and please don't bring the main dish until after I've finished my soup or salad..."? I hate to have to state what I think should be obvious, but I find bringing the main dish while I haven't had a chance to finish my starter quite irritating.

Obvious to you and your preferences!!! I agree re: soup as a first course before entree BUT I like my salad with my dinner!

 

Thus you as the customer should provide directions/information and not think everyone shares your preferences!!!!!

[+ Charlie]

At home, of course, I do eat my salad with my dinner, because I don't feel like getting up after eating the salad, and then have to prepare the rest of my meal. But, I eat at a restaurant because I don't want to do things the same way I do at home.

[mike carey]

Here, a salad is usually a side dish with the main course rather than a separate course, but I'd expect to finish any other starter (soup or what we call an entrée) before the main was brought to the table. In Asian restaurants where dishes are generally shared, I've found that they will pace the dishes according to the number of diners, and whether a set menu was ordered or the guests chose their own combination of dishes.

 

We don't have the history the US has of a diner culture, where, I understand, people ate out because a lot of them didn't have cooking facilities in their lodgings. That could have brought about the 'bring it all out so I can slam it down' approach.

[+ Charlie]

Here, a salad is usually a side dish with the main course rather than a separate course, but I'd expect to finish any other starter (soup or what we call an entrée) before the main was brought to the table. In Asian restaurants where dishes are generally shared, I've found that they will pace the dishes according to the number of diners, and whether a set menu was ordered or the guests chose their own combination of dishes.

 

We don't have the history the US has of a diner culture, where, I understand, people ate out because a lot of them didn't have cooking facilities in their lodgings. That could have brought about the 'bring it all out so I can slam it down' approach.

A slight sidetrack, but it is interesting that in most cultures, the first course is called, quite logically, the entree, whereas in America the "entree" is usually the term that refers to the main course.

[+ poolboy48220]

A slight sidetrack, but it is interesting that in most cultures, the first course is called, quite logically, the entree, whereas in America the "entree" is usually the term that refers to the main course.

While we're on that, I learned in the Miss Manners books that salad is, historically, served after the main course. She offers up many theories as to why that's changed, the most likely is that in restaurants, they can get a salad made & in front of you quicker than a cooked course.

[Islesguy]

While we're on that, I learned in the Miss Manners books that salad is, historically, served after the main course. She offers up many theories as to why that's changed, the most likely is that in restaurants, they can get a salad made & in front of you quicker than a cooked course.

I prefer to eat salad after the main course. It's like a neutral taste that won't impact the sweetness of dessert.

[marylander1940]

I prefer to eat salad after the main course. It's like a neutral taste that won't impact the sweetness of dessert.

 

That's pretty common South America. I think having the salad first is one of the few things we Americans do right when it comes to our eating habits.

[+ Charlie]

Having salad served after the main course is very French.

[Rudynate]

Having salad served after the main course is very French.[/QUOte]

 

Having found out as a young man that that's the way the French do it, I started doing it. Eventually I came to see it as an unnecessary affectation and gave it up.

 

 

We have friends who divide their time between SF and Paris. When they come for dinner, they always save their salads to eat after the main course.

[+ poolboy48220]

Or which hand you hold the knife & fork in? I think it's called continental style? Quoting Miss Manners again, she refuses to take a stand on which is preferred, just follow the customs of where you are...but she does make the point that efficiency is not one of the main goals of fine dining. :-)

[robberbaron4u]

What's that??? Designer water??? $75.00 a bottle??? Thank you, no. Being that this is a first-class establishment, I assume that the water that flows from the tap is comparable in its quality and good enough for me.

[+ Axiom2001]

I've had dinner at two restaurants during my conference that did something I find pretty annoying. I ordered a soup and a salmon dish at one, and they brought the two at the same time. Then, 2 days later, I ordered a side salad and a chicken dish, and they brought the chicken less than 5 minutes after the salad (which I wasn't half-way through). Should I be specifying when I order "...and please don't bring the main dish until after I've finished my soup or salad..."? I hate to have to state what I think should be obvious, but I find bringing the main dish while I haven't had a chance to finish my starter quite irritating.

 

In response to your query-- since this happened twice within a short time span, I'd definitely order as you asked here. State that you would want to receive your order separately, not together.

 

The action of your waiters truly annoy me as well; thus I either state my preferences upfront, or I wait to see if the wait person mentions something in kind.

Two weeks ago at my favorite "go-to" restaurant which is a popular haunt of many others in Monterey, CA, I ordered a tuna melt along with a salad. The waitperson relayed that she'll bring my salad first. I finished the delicious greens; a brief, brief time lapse followed; then she brought me the hot sandwich.

That's the way it should be unless the diner requests having all of his order at the table at once, excluding the dessert (if he orders one).

[gallahadesquire]

It never hurts to classify your order’s order...“For my appetizer I’ll have that youngster in the shorty shorts, then for my main course, bring me that man still somewhat in his jockstrap!”

For those familiar with Boston, there used to be a restaurant called Ken’s at Copley. It was open after the bars closed, and so was frequented by Those On The Hunt.

 

One night, a friend up in the Balcony seating area, and asked their Waitress if they served homosexuals.

“Honey, at this hour that’s about all we serve!”

“Good. I’ll take THAT one over THERE.”

 

Same friend once sent someone at another table a bagel, with a banana in the middle.

[BSR]

Yeah, it's becoming more common at a variety of restaurants. On my recent pass through Vegas, I dined at a snotty place at the Bellagio. The service was screwy, and at one point I had 3 plates in front of me and my companion had 2. I asked the waiter, "look at this table, does this seem off to you?" He was clueless. I've had better service at a roadside Cracker Barrel.

Even at Cracker Barrel, such service merits a complaint to the manager. At a posh spot at the Bellagio, it's downright unforgivable. Server positions at fancy Strip restaurants are impossible to get unless you have the right connection because those servers make some serious bank. Friends who have worked at a number of different Strip restaurants tell me that they averaged ~$500/night in tips. On top of that, they are making far more than the typical server wage. Instead of the $5/hour national average, servers at Las Vegas Strip restaurants make $12-13/hour, plus get excellent health insurance. In other words, your lousy server was making ~$150K/year.

 

Restaurants that offer top-notch wages should be hiring top-notch servers. Unfortunately, in the "it's all about who you know" culture of Las Vegas, far too often the manager hires his girlfriend's cousin with no experience over a qualified applicant.

 

So two takeaways about dining at posh Strip restaurants: 1) I never ever tip more than 20% because the steep menu prices are paying the server's pre-tip $13/hr wage, and 2) absolutely say something to the manager if you have a problem with the service. In light of what you're paying, and how much those servers are making, anything less than impeccable service is unacceptable.

[BSR]

Having found out as a young man that that's the way the French do it, I started doing it. Eventually I came to see it as an unnecessary affectation and gave it up.

 

We have friends who divide their time between SF and Paris. When they come for dinner, they always save their salads to eat after the main course.

 

After living in Spain, I got in the habit of eating salad or vegetables after the main course. I disagree that it's an affectation. Consuming fiber at the end of the meal (well, except dessert) just makes sense, because it aids digestion. Even at some fancy restaurants, when I ask that the salad be brought out after the meal, they will mistakenly bring it out before the main course, presumably because habits are tough to break. I don't really care if the server might think I'm weird or pretentious. I'm the one paying, and salad at the end of the meal is a reasonable request.

[Rudynate]

After living in Spain, I got in the habit of eating salad or vegetables after the main course. I disagree that it's an affectation. Consuming fiber at the end of the meal (well, except dessert) just makes sense, because it aids digestion. Even at some fancy restaurants, when I ask that the salad be brought out after the meal, they will mistakenly bring it out before the main course, presumably because habits are tough to break. I don't really care if the server might think I'm weird or pretentious. I'm the one paying, and salad at the end of the meal is a reasonable request.

 

 

Whether or not it's an affectation is a function of why you took it up. It isn't an affectation for the French because it's just what they do. It isn't an affectation for someone who has health concerns. But in a young man who took it up because he'd heard it's what the French do, it's an affectation.

[+ ArVaGuy]

Having found out as a young man that that's the way the French do it, I started doing it. Eventually I came to see it as an unnecessary affectation and gave it up.

 

 

We have friends who divide their time between SF and Paris. When they come for dinner, they always save their salads to eat after the main course.

After living in Spain, I got in the habit of eating salad or vegetables after the main course. I disagree that it's an affectation. Consuming fiber at the end of the meal (well, except dessert) just makes sense, because it aids digestion. Even at some fancy restaurants, when I ask that the salad be brought out after the meal, they will mistakenly bring it out before the main course, presumably because habits are tough to break. I don't really care if the server might think I'm weird or pretentious. I'm the one paying, and salad at the end of the meal is a reasonable request.

Whether or not it's an affectation is a function of why you took it up. It isn't an affectation for the French because it's just what they do. It isn't an affectation for someone who has health concerns. But in a young man who took it up because he'd heard it's what the French do, it's an affectation.

 

I’m in the salad after main course camp or “Continental” as it is sometimes called. My Sicilian grandma always served salad after main and it’s what I grew up with. It’s certainly a healthier way of dining as the fiber does aid digestion. I’m assuming that’s why this practice developed in Europe over the centuries.

 

However, this practice short circuits a US restaurant very easily. Many servers find it odd, the looks I’ve received when requesting salad after the main have been funny at times. Rather than get frustrated and to keep from messing up the kitchen I’ve just accepted that the salad is coming out first and then will let it sit there till the main arrives and I’m done with it. Then I’ll switch the plates.

 

Yes, servers have asked “are you going to eat the salad” and I will explain all over again that I will after the main. Maybe it is an affectation on my part but it’s also the way I grew up and it’s my preference when consuming a meal.

[+ g56whiz]

Yeah, it's becoming more common at a variety of restaurants. On my recent pass through Vegas, I dined at a snotty place at the Bellagio. The service was screwy, and at one point I had 3 plates in front of me and my companion had 2. I asked the waiter, "look at this table, does this seem off to you?" He was clueless. I've had better service at a roadside Cracker Barrel.

Cracker Barrel? You actually frequent that homophobic chain? I understand you’re from Georgia but really?