Monday, June 23, 2008
Restaurants / Food & Life "Have you dined with us before?"
Posted by Besha Rodell @BeshaRodell on Mon, Jun 23, 2008 at 1:50 PM
Our good friend and "Cheap Eats" writer Jennifer Zyman (aka the Blissful Glutton) pointed out this excellent "rant" in the Chicago Tribune. I couldn't concur more. The question is now so ubiquitous it's become a staple of almost every new restaurant's service that I've encountered. The problem is the basic premise — that if you haven't eaten here already you must need instruction. I eat out a lot obviously, and I haven't ever encountered a menu who's "small plates" page sent me into fits of confusion, nor have I come across a style of cuisine that I thought warranted an explanatory speech. There's also an implied accusation — like last year when I took a friend to Trois. When she responded "no" to the "Is this your first time dining with us?" question, the waitress said "Well, what's wrong with you?!" I guess she was trying to be cute, but she revealed a snobbish aspect to the question that is inherent even when unspoken. They might was well be saying, "May I initiate you into our interesting and complex club?" It's just a restaurant, just a menu. If we need help, we'll surely ask. Please, restaurant managers of the world, don't force your poor servers to ask this. It makes me mad at them before we've even begun.
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Last year I had dinner with a friend who responded to the question with: "No, but I have eaten in restaurants before."
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