In this thread you ask how to behave in restaurants and other locations, and people who have been ou

[itsstillmatt]

The ones who bother me are the moaners and groaners. Never seen a plate licker.

 

[Master-Classter]

when taking a break from eating during the course, what do i do with my cutlery?
rest on a side plate? rest on my main plate with the handles on the table? put in an X across my plate to signify I'm not finished?

I usually rest the knife and fork half on the plate handles on the table, but it seems a bit crude to me.

 

[kwilkinson]



I keep reading about plate lickers and stuff - I can't imagine this ever happening before my eyes. American thing?

I've never seen it outside of someone's own house, and I would be appalled if I witnessed it in a restaurant.

 

[Redwoood]



I've never seen it outside of someone's own house, and I would be appalled if I witnessed it in a restaurant.

As a server, I would too. As a cook I would take it as a compliment.

 

[CDFS]

when taking a break from eating during the course, what do i do with my cutlery?
rest on a side plate? rest on my main plate with the handles on the table? put in an X across my plate to signify I'm not finished?

I usually rest the knife and fork half on the plate handles on the table, but it seems a bit crude to me.

 

[lefty]

when taking a break from eating during the course, what do i do with my cutlery?
rest on a side plate? rest on my main plate with the handles on the table? put in an X across my plate to signify I'm not finished?

I usually rest the knife and fork half on the plate handles on the table, but it seems a bit crude to me.

I've been with a fellow who licked his dessert plate. Tried to do it slyly by bending over the plate. Know many mouth open chewers who carry on full conversations while eating. Have a good friend whose educated, stylish, accomplished and generally hot ex-wife does this. Had them and her mother over for a holiday meal and mom also talked with her mouth full of food.

lefty

 

[Piobaire]

I think I shared this before: worked in a place known for its ribs when I was a kid in Windsor. They provided finger bowls after dinner, warm water and a slice of lemon with a washclothe. You would not believe the number of folks that sipped them vs. wetting their fingers.

 

[NorCal]

Seriously, the silverware position thing is something that 90% of people won't even be aware exists, let alone be aware of the various meanings fork and knife position hold. It's not a matter of it being complicated.
That said, anyone with sense or intuitive grace, waiter or diner, should be able to use knife and fork in such a way that it's clear when you're eating and when you're done.

I use my hands to eat all the time, but then I'm a ass-kicking Barbarian, down from the steppe to reave.

 

[idfnl]



I keep reading about plate lickers and stuff - I can't imagine this ever happening before my eyes. American thing?

Ridiculous. Has never happened near me except for a child.

I've seen European eaters use bread to wipe the plate clean and eat the bread. Its a little unsettling. I can understand dipping bread in the sauce for a bowl of mussels but the idea that you wipe it clean with bread, not so much.

I've never seen it outside of someone's own house, and I would be appalled if I witnessed it in a restaurant.

You've seen an adult do this?

when taking a break from eating during the course, what do i do with my cutlery?
rest on a side plate? rest on my main plate with the handles on the table? put in an X across my plate to signify I'm not finished?

I usually rest the knife and fork half on the plate handles on the table, but it seems a bit crude to me.

Seriously, the silverware position thing is something that 90% of people won't even be aware exists, let alone be aware of the various meanings fork and knife position hold. It's not a matter of it being complicated.
That said, anyone with sense or intuitive grace, waiter or diner, should be able to use knife and fork in such a way that it's clear when you're eating and when you're done.

I use my hands to eat all the time, but then I'm a ass-kicking Barbarian, down from the steppe to reave.

Fork and knife together, 2/3 on the plate at 5 o'clock is the correct answer.

That said, I have seen the works: napkin in the plate, napkin covering the plate, pushing plates away to the center, stacking plates and leaving them at the end of the table, and once I saw a fatso finish eating and drain the rest of his beer then put the beer glass in the center of the plate.

By far the most redneck move you can make is to stack plates. Its a folksy move to 'help' the waitstaff. In fact its **** since they stack plates with silverware in between which is inherently unstable.

Switching gears, the most disgusting and unforgivable move which can be made is when a busboy scrapes the leftovers from the table into a common plate right in front of everyone at the table.

Busboys can be some pretty gross people. I worked with a busboy that ate food from customers plates after bringing them back to the kitchen. Once I watched him eat the 1 1/2" of leftover lobster tail some lady didnt finish. No shame.

 

[NorCal]



I've seen European eaters use bread to wipe the plate clean and eat the bread.

You've never enjoyed a little sauce and bread?

By far the most redneck move you can make is to stack plates. Its a folksy move to 'help' the waitstaff. In fact its **** since they stack plates with silverware in between which is inherently unstable.

Again, this is a little ghetto, but at the same time, small tables, a busser who is slow on the uptake, I won't hold it against someone if they just want to get all the crap out of their way.

Actually this is often a problem where you have a restaurant trying to do too much at once and you end up with a clutter of plates and silver on a too small table. So often it's not really the fault of the customer if they need to resort to a little stacking or multi-tasking.

 

[idfnl]



You've never enjoyed a little sauce and bread?

Sure man, but what I am talking about is like when you see someone wiping down a glass table top. They will circle the plate with bread until its white again. Different from a little dip.

 

[itsstillmatt]



Sure man, but what I am talking about is like when you see someone wiping down a glass table top. They will circle the plate with bread until its white again. Different from a little dip.

In my experience, this is pretty common over there.

 

[mgm9128]

I witnessed a girl mop up a red wine Béarnaise at Le Bernardin with an olive rosemary loaf. Barbaric.

 

[deadly7]



Sure man, but what I am talking about is like when you see someone wiping down a glass table top. They will circle the plate with bread until its white again. Different from a little dip.

You whine too much about trivial ****.

 

[mordecai]

Jesus, I'm guilty of most of the crimes on this page. At least one in the presence of one of the posters on this page I think.