This series will concentrate on the art of dining out, whether it be at a fancy restaurant, or just a small food counter at the mall. Since they are public places, there are certain customs and courtesies of which we should all be aware.

Again, as with many of the other series of articles on this site, I’m not concerned about people’s private eating habits in their own homes. You can do whatever you want at home. Just don’t bring those habits out into the world where the rest of us have to endure them.

Articles in this series:

Your menu needs to be specific

Here’s a tip for restaurant owners. When you create your menus, you need to tell me EVERYTHING that is included in the meal. If you put mayo on your hamburger by default, you need to tell me that. If you put guacamole on your Turkey Club sandwich, you really need to tell me that.

Don’t just say the steak comes with a side of fresh vegetables. Tell me which vegetables. Tell me if you put tiny little chunks of onions in your marinara sauce. Tell me if your chicken is covered in sesame sauce.

There are far too many allergies out there in the world for us to be playing guessing games at dinner time. Sure, I could ask the waiter or waitress, but I shouldn’t have to do that. It should be spelled out right in front of me.

And beyond allergies, don’t I have a right to know what I’m ordering? I’m very specific about what I put into my body. I don’t appreciate being surprised by a plate that I’m either going to have to eat begrudgingly or send back.

And if I forget to ask the waiter, or worse yet, I assume that your Chicken Parmesan sandwich isn’t slathered in mayo*, I shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences.

*I wish I could say that I’ve never seen a Chicken Parmesan sandwich slathered in mayo, but the Sunset Grill in Hollywood once did me the honor. Looking at their menus now, I notice they no longer serve that delicacy. Coincidence?