It's called progress!!

Maybe that's the difference to me. I see food as fuel for my body, nothing more. I laugh at the idea of food presentation. I don't need pretty swirlies or designs on my plate - just put the food on there so I can eat it. Of course I always appreciate when someone cooks for me, I just see nothing ceremonial in putting food in my body. It's necessary for survival and that's all. But obviously we all are different, so each to their own.

It's not particularly "complicated". But since diners also leave their utensils on the plate while they are still eating, your server is going to have to ask before they clear the plates.

The point is that servers in the US often have no choice but to ask you if you have finished because they can't be sure that you're finished unless (a) you have eaten every scrap of food on your plate, (b) you use Ye Old Cutlery Signal (TM), (c) you push aside or stack the plates so that it's obvious that they are no longer needed, or (d) they ask you about it.

And since they rightly assume that most diners don't want unwanted plates to stay on the table for long and since (a)-(c) often don't apply, they usually end up asking. The interruption may annoy some of you or make you feel rushed, but you should see from this that they have their reasons for asking that have nothing to do with shoving you out the door.

I guess I personally see nothing wrong with the question being asked. It's no different than an interruption about drink refills or asking how the food tastes.

Oh joy. Another knife & fork thread.


Threads like this make me want to cut myself. Can somebody please advise as to the proper utensil to use for this?

I eat my food the way I was taught, with a knife and fork (never put down unless for drink or when finished)

Hubby eats how most mericuns do, just a fork used for both cutting and putting food in mouth. I have never tried to change the way he eats, he has never found my way strange, my kids have grown up watching both of us eat, I never pushed either way as 'better' and both my kids eat with just a fork.

A sharp fork

Bull Dinky. If that there the universal code, then why don't the waitstaff in the US know about it. I was a server for more years than I wish to recount and in fine dining as well. Never heard such dribble.

Wherever do you come up with these generalizations and as an American you are awfully down on us. Phfft!

True. The fact that it's not used universally means it's not the universal code.

Can I change the subject slightly to Doggy Bags. Just wanted to say, I am not an ex-pat or living in the US but we have holiday'd there all over tonnes of times. I love America and just wanted to say I adore the way that Americans seem to order everything on the menu, with coupons for discounts and then take it all home for later! Unfortunately, we too have seen and done this so many times over there that we do it in the UK too. No one has ever refused us, but we do sometimes get some funny looks.

it's exactly that though....bums on seats, they ain't going to be earning many table tips if you sat there all night and if that's what they rely on rather than the wage, you feel that pressure too.

You've been damned by the elite. It is not utensil but CUTLERY. Please read the entire thread before posting, Les, otherwise the elitists will have your nail your hide to the dining room wall.

The thing is that no matter what servers do ... they can't win. If they don't rush around somebody bitches because they wanted to get in and out. If they don't clear the table quickly somebody bitches because they wanted to stay a while and chat but didn't want to do it over dirty dishes. IMO the "public" is just a dick.

Maybe if we keep still and ignore it, it will go away and bother the Canadians instead.

Too late. I just nailed myself to my own chair with my salad fork. Was that the wrong piece of cutlery to use?