Thursday, February 14, 2008

Eating at a restaurant

So I went out for dinner yesterday and realized – WOW! There’s so much some people can learn about eating out with a date! Here’s some commentary I came up with after last night:

• When you first sit down, remove the napkin and put it on your lap – it can block the view between yourself and your date
• Make sure ladies order first unless they ask you to, so that they have more time to chose – it’s the gentlemanly thing to do
• Be nice to the waitstaff as your date may see your rudeness as potential behavior towards them
• Don’t start your food until everyone at the table has their food – this isn’t so much for dating but it’s the polite thing to do! That poor hungry person through no fault of their own shouldn’t suffer more because their food is late
• Chew slowly, with your mouth closed, and don’t make eating noises such as slurping or smacking your lips – this is just common sense but you’d be surprised how many people were doing this. Also, don’t talk while you chew – self explanatory
• No cell phones are the table unless you’re a doctor of some sorts or you need it for work –though even then, make your date the center of your attention.
• Booths: What side to sit on? Sit across your date
• Even when on diets, try to enjoy yourself and what you’re eating so the other person doesn’t feel left out or like they’re being a pig
• Offer bread to your date first before taking one yourself
• When going to the bathroom, just say excuse me – there’s no need to mention what you’re doing in there!
• Never reach to take a bit of someone’s food without being invited – that also means don’t ask!
• Ask for things to be passed to you instead of grabbing them. It can avoid some embarrassing spilling situations
• No Burping! Or Farting! EW!
Here are some good and bad first date foods:
Bad: anything with strong smells (especially garlic or onion), big sushi rolls that you can’t fit into your mouth gracefully, anything eaten with your hands like hotdogs or wings, very spicy food as you could have your stomach upset, anything too sexy haha – like popsicles, bananas, oysters, long pasta as it’s too hard to eat – like linguini or spaghetti
Good foods: deboned fish/meat, steak, sticky rice, fondue (unless you’re not a fan of sharing germs), salad, quiche, casserole, short and fat pasta, pizza (eat with cutlery)



~Sophia Sparx

5 comments:

Unknown said...

You said it sister. I'm appalled at the people who don't even know the basics, and yet they have the audacity to complain about those of us who "know our forks at dinner parties." We're just stuck up, right?

The adults who leave their crusty, nasty napkins on the table gross me out. They weren't raised to know that the thing goes in one's lap? Or that they always use one with every meal?

I guess when Momma feeds everyone in the drive-thru every night, then putting a paper napkin in your lap while sitting in the seat of a car seems foolish. Hey, but isn't licking your fingers instead of using a napkin better for the "environment?"

The masses have gotten far too stupid and too crude for my taste.

Anonymous said...

"Sit across your date"

Like, on their lap?! lol

Nice post and solid, basic advice.

Yet I, too, am astonished at just how many people are oblivious of basic courtesy (such as ploughing into their food before others have been served).

And yeah, "I'll be right back" or "Please excuse me for a moment" so so much classier than "I'm off to the dunny/bg/head/toliet/bathroom"

I am also pleased to see you use the correct (yet virtually obsolete - at least in contemp usage) term 'cutlery'.

Sophia Sparx said...

Thanks for your comments!

It's true, people with good manners are seen as stuck up by people who don't - sad, but ignorant. I've definetly heard a - "I have to go doo doo" on a date. When he came back, I was GONE! GROSS!

(And I didn't know cutlery is an obsolete term lol)

Hot Alpha Female said...

Hey Sophia,
I'm huge fan of dating rules and some of the ones that you listed here were some really good ones.

But with that said, i think that its important just to be yourself and not try and get EVERYTHING right on a date. Because other wise you are spending way more time focusing on what should be done right, rather than just enjoying the moment.

Hot Alpha Female

The Dating Game - Understand The Rules - Learn The Skills

Anonymous said...

Thats a hell of a list....May just have to print that one out!