Opinion: How to Go Out for Dinner
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 1:34PM Don't get me wrong, serving is not a bad job. The hours are short, the money is good, and I'm surrounded by young, good-looking co-workers. The only downside is that we can't walk around serving each other all night; we have to serve you, the customer. Most nights I find myself wishing that, in order to be granted the privilege of going out for dinner, diners must first have completed a tour of duty as servers themselves. That way every night would go as smoothly as the finest velouté, and I wouldn't be at school working on a new career.
Sadly, however, this is not the case. Here are some things to keep in mind the next time you decide to go out for dinner. I promise your efforts won't go unnoticed, and your server will likely “forget” to punch in that second beer you ordered.
Before going out for dinner, it's always a good idea to make a reservation. No matter if it's four o'clock on a Monday and there hasn't been one order punched in all day, or seven o'clock on a Saturday and every seat in the house is full. If you call ahead, there is always something the host or hostess will be able to do for you, be it suggest a later time or put you on a waiting list. Showing up without a reservation and acting all put out when there is nothing available is not the way to make a good first impression. Make a reservation and I promise not to pay your in-laws to show up for dinner without calling ahead.
When you and your party do arrive, your server will likely tell you to get “comfortable” or “settled in.” This is usually because he or she has greeted you too early and had nothing else to say after “Hello,” and should not be taken as an invitation to drape your coat over the chair of another table and stick your legs out, or help yourself to rearranging your table to fit in that extra guest. Someone else will likely be sitting at the table you've decided to use as a coat rack. And why would the dining room be set up to minimize seats?
When ordering, do order from the menu. If you want to order, say, fettuccine Alfredo, the kitchen will be okay with your request as long as there are other items on the menu with fettuccine, cream and Parmesan cheese. But don't expect to sit in front of an unopened menu and hope that there is a single tuna steak, veal chop, or calf liver waiting for you in the back of the walk-in fridge.
If steak happens to be on the menu and this is what you'd like to order, you have a generous number of options in terms of cooking temperature: six, to be exact. There is no such thing as “somewhere between rare and medium rare;” the kitchen will be happy to cook your steak to somewhere between raw and leather. And if fries aren't on the menu, neither is ketchup.
Finally, if your server has ensured your dining experience was a pleasant one without making any major mistakes or hitting on your date, please consider leaving at least 15 per cent of your bill's sub-total as a tip. This is not to be greedy: servers are paid below minimum wage precisely because the government expects them to receive tips. And verbal tips don't count; I can't pay my bills with a “great job” and a handshake. If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to go out.
See you tonight! I'll get that beer on ice for you.
Reader Comments (1)
Really good tips Ian! You never think about those things when you go out for dinner except maybe the tip suggestion. It's always nice to see a different side to things and that is definitely one thing many people need to be aware of. Hopefully after reading this people will put those suggestions to work! :)