Restaurant Talk - Modern Rules Of Dining (1 Viewer)

[FDASv2.0]

Dogs belong outside or in Your house so they can smell up and fur up your sofa and bed, not my food.

As an owner of 3 dogs, this is 100% correct.

 

[Joe Schmo]

I have yet to meet a dog owner who thinks their dog is anything but well behaved. In my experience, many owners underestimate their mutts ability to go jeckyl and hyde.

Can you describe your experience where a dog bit you in a restaurant? Curious how that played out. That would have an impact on me for sure. Sucks that happened to you.

Hyperbole on my part, more like snipped at me. It was a small terrier type dog in a local wine bar and apparently muttface thought I got too close to it's table or owner as I tried to make my way through the hightops to the bar. Cujo gave a quick high pitched bark and a short lunge. I was spared by the leash wrapped around the table leg enough to pull the effer back before it drew blood.

 

[Chemical X]

I have yet to meet a dog owner who thinks their dog is anything but well behaved. In my experience, many owners underestimate their mutts ability to go jeckyl and hyde.

Can you describe your experience where a dog bit you in a restaurant? Curious how that played out. That would have an impact on me for sure. Sucks that happened to you.

i don't know a lot of areas that actually legally allow dogs inside, unless they are service animals. I don't think the restaurant controls the ability unless the law allows. Some places are dog friendly for outside seating. I would like to think that people that bring their dogs know that their dog has the tolerance to handle the setting.

 

[Scoresman]

I don't know anyone who doesn't like dogs and don't think I want to know anyone who doesn't like dogs. They are probably the most objectively likable living things on the planet.

 

[Joe Schmo]

Interestingly, the owner was surprised by penelope's behavior as she is usually so refined.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Adults ordering from kids menu? Allow - always thought this one was stupid. Also, I don't like charging for folks sharing a meal. Why force me to eat/order more than I want?

I get your point, but I can also see it from the restaurant and server's perspective. What if a family of four come in and all share one meal and drink waters? That's valuable real estate for the restaurant being wasted.

 

[Joe Schmo]

It was a local wine bar and it was dog night which I did not know until I entered. I left after one drink.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Hyperbole on my part

 

[Mister CIA]

Back in my high school days I would occasionally have dinner at my friend's house, where I sat at the edge of the dining table and their dog, Bobo, sat next to me and locked eyes on me as I ate every single bite. Bobo was a 200* pound Neapolitan mastiff.

*Allegedly. I never actually weighed Bobo. I'm pretty sure he had 20 pounds of drool hanging from his jowls at any given moment, like this guy.

 

[AAABatteries]

Adults ordering from kids menu? Allow - always thought this one was stupid. Also, I don't like charging for folks sharing a meal. Why force me to eat/order more than I want?

I get your point, but I can also see it from the restaurant and server's perspective. What if a family of four come in and all share one meal and drink waters? That's valuable real estate for the restaurant being wasted.

Yeah - not sure how to not have folks abuse it. Like a lot of things, the a-holes ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

lol at Bobo.

 

[Peggy]

We give the dogs something to do and lock them up while we eat. Then let them out and meet and great the guests and hand out while we play cards, whatever. Never been an issue.

 

[Scoresman]

As for the rest of the article, I'm a fan of letting people do what they want for those categories. I think dress codes are silly everywhere, of course people can order from the children's menu, and banning cell phones and kids is ridiculous.

How does someone wearing shorts/tanktop, or someone dining with their kid, or someone on their phone affect how my food tastes?

 

[Joe Bryant]

I would like to think that people that bring their dogs know that their dog has the tolerance to handle the setting.

One would hope that. I also would hope most parents would know their children well enough that they can behave well. But I often find that to not be the case for either.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

How does someone wearing shorts/tanktop, or someone dining with their kid, or someone on their phone affect how my food tastes?

Personally, I wouldn't care, but in a high end place I could see aesthetics and ambiance also being important to some's experience. Seeing some goober in shorts and a Mets' cap or a child running around screaming ruins that experience.

 

[Peggy]

As for the rest of the article, I'm a fan of letting people do what they want for those categories. I think dress codes are silly everywhere, of course people can order from the children's menu, and banning cell phones and kids is ridiculous.

How does someone wearing shorts/tanktop, or someone dining with their kid, or someone on their phone affect how my food tastes?

I was dinning at a French restaurant on a French island when a group of obviously American, sadly, patrons came barging in half drunk in shorts and tank tops. After loudly waiting 5 minutes without a server coming over they left in a huff. Dress codes can set expectations and avoid stuff like that.

 

[Scoresman]

How does someone wearing shorts/tanktop, or someone dining with their kid, or someone on their phone affect how my food tastes?

Personally, I wouldn't care, but in a high end place I could see aesthetics and ambiance being important to some's experience. Seeing some goober in shorts and a Mets' cap or a child running around screaming ruins that experience.

Yeah if a child is running around screaming, and the parents let it happen, they need to be asked to leave. I don't think a blanket ban on kids is the answer.

And how a person is dressed in no way affects how I enjoy a meal. Maybe that's just me. Who am I to judge whether someone's choice of outfit makes it acceptable to dine in the same room as me? Sounds pretty arrogant. If they smell bad, that's a different matter though.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

There is the classic scene in Sopranos where Tony tells the guy to take his hat off as they stopped selling hot dogs here a while back.

I instantly thought of that scene. I do feel like an "angry old man" sometimes, because the wearing hats at a restaurant really does bother me and makes me think the offender is classless. With that said. I'm not approaching the person to ask them to remove it, as that's not my place as a customer and not an owner.

There's nothing wrong with just saying "I prefer that people not wear hats in restaurants."

No need for the "angry old man" disclaimer, or a reminder that you're not physically confronting people. You're entitled to your preferences, and they're no less valid than anybody else's. You don't have to apologize.

 

[belljr]

We give the dogs something to do and lock them up while we eat. Then let them out and meet and great the guests and hand out while we play cards, whatever. Never been an issue.

My dogs have a seat at the head of the table and my guests know this going in........

 

[Dr. Octopus]

How does someone wearing shorts/tanktop, or someone dining with their kid, or someone on their phone affect how my food tastes?

Personally, I wouldn't care, but in a high end place I could see aesthetics and ambiance being important to some's experience. Seeing some goober in shorts and a Mets' cap or a child running around screaming ruins that experience.

Yeah if a child is running around screaming, and the parents let it happen, they need to be asked to leave. I don't think a blanket ban on kids is the answer.

And how a person is dressed in no way affects how I enjoy a meal. Maybe that's just me. Who am I to judge whether someone's choice of outfit makes it acceptable to dine in the same room as me? Sounds pretty arrogant. If they smell bad, that's a different matter though.

I live at the Beach, so even good restaurants are pretty casual - so I'm with you.

The main point though is to some the restaurant experience is about more than just the food. Dressing up and being among others doing the same is what they are looking for.

Obviously this would only apply to high end restaurants - and as long as the rules are clear, then I don't have a problem if this is also the experience that the restaurant owner wants to create for his guests.

 

[Chemical X]

How does someone wearing shorts/tanktop, or someone dining with their kid, or someone on their phone affect how my food tastes?

Personally, I wouldn't care, but in a high end place I could see aesthetics and ambiance being important to some's experience. Seeing some goober in shorts and a Mets' cap or a child running around screaming ruins that experience.

Yeah if a child is running around screaming, and the parents let it happen, they need to be asked to leave. I don't think a blanket ban on kids is the answer.

And how a person is dressed in no way affects how I enjoy a meal. Maybe that's just me. Who am I to judge whether someone's choice of outfit makes it acceptable to dine in the same room as me? Sounds pretty arrogant. If they smell bad, that's a different matter though.

I agree on the dress code. I honestly am there to be with my wife (it's usually the 2 of us). What you are wearing is hardly a concern to me. I assume your money is the same as mine.
I like a ban on talking on cell phones........americans are inconsiderate, so talking on the cell phone, loudly, in a restaurant should be a no-no. Sorry, i don't want to hear about the pap shmear you had last tuesday. I wouldn't ban cell phones, otherwise what would everyone do when they went out to eat, talk to one another? I do like to point out how many people go out to eat and then just stare at their phone the whole time. Gotta insta and live stream and influence i guess.

 

[Scoresman]

As George Costanza once said, "You know we live in a society!!!"

That means you have to deal with my dog literally slobbering all over your meal. I have to accept your kids literally screaming in my ear, and everybody has to deal with the nausea and vomiting we get from seeing the guy across the room eat with his hat on.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

It depends on the restaurant, and not every restaurant needs to be the same. Little pubs that accept dogs are nice. Casual places where you can dress down and get a decent meal without putting yourself out are nice. High-end restaurants where people dress like adults and leave their phones alone are nice. No need for one-size-fits-all.

 

[Cowboysfan8]

Any place that serves food inside that allows men to eat while wearing sandals or flip flops etc without socks should be shut down immediately imo

 

[Dr. Octopus]

There is the classic scene in Sopranos where Tony tells the guy to take his hat off as they stopped selling hot dogs here a while back.

I instantly thought of that scene. I do feel like an "angry old man" sometimes, because the wearing hats at a restaurant really does bother me and makes me think the offender is classless. With that said. I'm not approaching the person to ask them to remove it, as that's not my place as a customer and not an owner.

There's nothing wrong with just saying "I prefer that people not wear hats in restaurants."

No need for the "angry old man" disclaimer, or a reminder that you're not physically confronting people. You're entitled to your preferences, and they're no less valid than anybody else's. You don't have to apologize.

I guess it's more that I feel a bit "silly" being bothered by something as trivial as that. I mean why should I care if someone at a nice and expensive Steakhouse is wearing a White Sox cap (which I just witnessed this past Sunday) - but I couldn't shake how classless it looks (although it would be difficult to explain why and maybe its now an antiquated thought-process).

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Any place that serves food inside that allows men to eat while wearing sandals or flip flops etc without socks should be shut down immediately imo

stay away from Beach towns in that case

 

[Scoresman]

Any place that serves food inside that allows men to eat while wearing sandals or flip flops etc without socks should be shut down immediately imo

Why just men?

 

[urbanhack]

I will avoid openly dog friendly places for the most part if I'm going there to eat. Portland is extremely casual and dog friendly so it's a common occurrence. The one time I had a real problem was at a local favorite spot that has a covered outdoor space with heaters. There was a couple at the table next to us with older dogs. One dog stood up on the bench next to his owner and did a shake similar to when they get out of water. All of sudden I see all of this fine dog hair floating through the air and we had to cover our food. ****ing gross. This is just not cool and why I won't eat around dogs.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

As George Costanza once said, "You know we live in a society!!!"

That means you have to deal with my dog literally slobbering all over your meal. I have to accept your kids literally screaming in my ear, and everybody has to deal with the nausea and vomiting we get from seeing the guy across the room eat with his hat on.

To be fair that statement applies both ways. There are certain "rules" in society that should be followed for the greater good as well.

I guess the good thing is there's all kinds of establishments out there so if you don't like dogs (psychos) then don't frequent any place that allows them. If atmosphere is important to you, find a place that suits that need. If you don't want loud music, don't go to the place that sits you next to the dude strumming guitar.

 

[Scoresman]

I will avoid openly dog friendly places for the most part if I'm going there to eat. Portland is extremely casual and dog friendly so it's a common occurrence. The one time I had a real problem was at a local favorite spot that has a covered outdoor space with heaters. There was a couple at the table next to us with older dogs. One dog stood up on the bench next to his owner and did a shake similar to when they get out of water. All of sudden I see all of this fine dog hair floating through the air and we had to cover our food. ****ing gross. This is just not cool and why I won't eat around dogs.

I kind of understand this but is no different than say someone sneezing or coughing in the vicinity of my food, but no one really bats an eye if people do this anymore. And it's arguably much worse than dog fur since it can get me sick. Only dogs get put under the microscope like this when humans are more often than not more disgusting. .

 

[AAABatteries]

Any place that serves food inside that allows men to eat while wearing sandals or flip flops etc without socks should be shut down immediately imo

I’m assuming somewhat schtick but this one is weird. I wear flip-flops a lot of the summer and always while at the beach. I’m not wearing them to fine dining but otherwise I see no issue.

 

[gianmarco]

It was a local wine bar and it was dog night which I did not know until I entered. I left after one drink.

One drink and a quick bite.

 

[Joe Bryant]

It depends on the restaurant, and not every restaurant needs to be the same. Little pubs that accept dogs are nice. Casual places where you can dress down and get a decent meal without putting yourself out are nice. High-end restaurants where people dress like adults and leave their phones alone are nice. No need for one-size-fits-all.

I agree. To me, it's one of the benefits of capitalism. The business decides what they'll do and the market decides. There are of course some rules they all have to go by, but by and large I'm in favor of the market deciding.

This forum is a good example. Not allowing people to be uncool to others is ridiculous to many. But it's what I wanted. And for the people who are good with that, it works.

 

[AAABatteries]

There is the classic scene in Sopranos where Tony tells the guy to take his hat off as they stopped selling hot dogs here a while back.

I instantly thought of that scene. I do feel like an "angry old man" sometimes, because the wearing hats at a restaurant really does bother me and makes me think the offender is classless. With that said. I'm not approaching the person to ask them to remove it, as that's not my place as a customer and not an owner.

You mentioned living at the beach - are you just talking about nice restaurants or all?

 

[Joe Bryant]

On the dress code thing. I wear a jacket on a plane. Kind of an honor my grandfather thing. But I know I'm an outlier there. https://x.com/Football_Guys/status/1745567205557977542?s=20

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Wasn't there a restaurant (or chain of them) that tried banning kids several years ago? I could swear we talked about it in the FFA. I don't recall hearing how that was resolved. Anyone here remember that?

 

[Hu-Tang Clan]

Outside of work calls, I think I've had less than 5 phone conversations over the last month. People still have the need to talk on the phone while out dining?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

But I know I'm an outlier there.

You say you're an outlier in every thread you give your opinion on No offense, but you're not nearly as singular as you think you are

 

[Snoopy]

• Dress Codes? - OK with requiring modest dress, meaning nothing provocative. For those requiring guests to "dress up" or otherwise "formal attire required", I will not go to out of principle alone.
• Dogs Allowed? If there is a specified area for them so if those who don't like/allergic to dogs can go to a different area.
• Adults ordering from kids menu? Allow - perhaps offer a larger portion for adult prices if the item is more appetizing.
• Cost for cancelling reservation less than 24 hours out. - Don't like this, things happen.
• No Cell Phones? - Put on silence and be discreet if you need to talk on one.
• 90 minute table limit? - Don't like this predetermined limit, especially if service is slow.
• Should restaurants turn the music down? Absolutely. Loudness can ruin my experience there.

 

[Joe Bryant]

But I know I'm an outlier there.

You say you're an outlier in every thread you give your opinion on No offense, but you're not nearly as singular as you think you are

I often am interested in threads where my opinion isn't the majority opinion. So I will say that when applicable. I'm definitely not singular or special.

 

[urbanhack]

On the dress code thing. I wear a jacket on a plane. Kind of an honor my grandfather thing. But I know I'm an outlier there. https://x.com/Football_Guys/status/1745567205557977542?s=20

I've gone 100% athleisure while traveling especially now living on the west coast. Longer flights and I'm typically not going directly to client meeting or work functions when flying.

 

[General Malaise]

I have yet to meet a dog owner who thinks their dog is anything but well behaved. In my experience, many owners underestimate their mutts ability to go jeckyl and hyde.

Can you describe your experience where a dog bit you in a restaurant? Curious how that played out. That would have an impact on me for sure. Sucks that happened to you.

Hyperbole on my part, more like snipped at me. It was a small terrier type dog in a local wine bar and apparently muttface thought I got too close to it's table or owner as I tried to make my way through the hightops to the bar. Cujo gave a quick high pitched bark and a short lunge. I was spared by the leash wrapped around the table leg enough to pull the effer back before it drew blood.

You would have had every right to ask the owner to control their dog in that situation and also to complain to the manager about what happened. That's not okay and I can see how that has shaped your opinion.

 

[Joe Bryant]

On the dress code thing. I wear a jacket on a plane. Kind of an honor my grandfather thing. But I know I'm an outlier there. https://x.com/Football_Guys/status/1745567205557977542?s=20

I've gone 100 althleisure while traveling especially now living on the west coast. Longer flights and I'm typically not going directly to client meeting or work function when flying.

Understood. That's how most folks travel in my experience.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

But I know I'm an outlier there.

You say you're an outlier in every thread you give your opinion on No offense, but you're not nearly as singular as you think you are

I often am interested in threads where my opinion isn't the majority opinion. So I will say that when applicable. I'm definitely not singular or special.

I was joshing you, Joe. Just noticed you using the term and thought it funny, since sometimes you actually seem to hold the majority opinion.

Anyway, back to dogs slobbering in peoples' soup.

 

[General Malaise]

Any place that serves food inside that allows men to eat while wearing sandals or flip flops etc without socks should be shut down immediately imo

I hear you, but what about for beach towns? If I'm down in San Diego for the day and I go out to eat at Pacific Beach or Ocean Beach, almost all the guests are going to be in flip-flops or sandals.

 

[General Malaise]

I will avoid openly dog friendly places for the most part if I'm going there to eat. Portland is extremely casual and dog friendly so it's a common occurrence. The one time I had a real problem was at a local favorite spot that has a covered outdoor space with heaters. There was a couple at the table next to us with older dogs. One dog stood up on the bench next to his owner and did a shake similar to when they get out of water. All of sudden I see all of this fine dog hair floating through the air and we had to cover our food. ****ing gross. This is just not cool and why I won't eat around dogs.

I mean....that place you and I went to after a round of disc golf where we sat outside, I'd be amazed if they had a "NO DOG" policy out back.

 

[General Malaise]

Outside of work calls, I think I've had less than 5 phone conversations over the last month. People still have the need to talk on the phone while out dining?

The ones that do it on speaker phone need to be herded up and sent to the Yukon.

 

[General Malaise]

But I know I'm an outlier there.

You say you're an outlier in every thread you give your opinion on No offense, but you're not nearly as singular as you think you are

I often am interested in threads where my opinion isn't the majority opinion. So I will say that when applicable. I'm definitely not singular or special.

I was joshing you, Joe. Just noticed you using the term and thought it funny, since sometimes you actually seem to hold the majority opinion.

Anyway, back to dogs slobbering in peoples' soup.

The secret ingredient is................

 

[AAABatteries]

What I notice is that most of these policies and rules are due to people just being rude. We wouldn’t need these rules if people wouldn’t be turds.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

There is the classic scene in Sopranos where Tony tells the guy to take his hat off as they stopped selling hot dogs here a while back.

I instantly thought of that scene. I do feel like an "angry old man" sometimes, because the wearing hats at a restaurant really does bother me and makes me think the offender is classless. With that said. I'm not approaching the person to ask them to remove it, as that's not my place as a customer and not an owner.

You mentioned living at the beach - are you just talking about nice restaurants or all?

Nicer restaurants- in a sports bar type place it’s not as egregious I guess.