When you witness a restaurant stuck in place, when nothing is operating in a timely manner, you wonder who’s in charge. Anyone? Having just barely survived such a situation, I think it’s important to go over what happened and why it all could have been avoided. First, the good news: The restaurant was packed. Now the more critical piece of info: Orders were taken, but then little else happened. It was odd that dinner salads arrived before appetizers which were ordered almost immediately upon being seated.

The waitress performance began at that point. Are the appetizers in process, we asked? A grimace, a murmured “yes,” and a quick exit. Probably been a good time to seek out the manager. The troops were getting restless. Everyone. Should the manager be visible and notice a table’s frustration or should the meal go from bad to worse before a managerial introduction?

Only two people of a party of six ordered meals that had accompanying salads. Tick, tock, more time elapsed. Some sweet water server kept appearing and doing his job, but the slow-mo process had the apps arrive after about an additional 35 minutes. Nothing complicated; nothing that takes time to get off the line. Again, should have tracked down the manager.

This is where restaurant dining gets confusing. Had the manager stepped out from the bar area and surveyed the dining room, he might have saved a lot of money that evening. Only when our dinners arrived–did I mention they were cold–that we had the table meet and greet. When we finally were able to locate the waitress and tell her that the food was inedible, did she say anything. “I’ll get the manager,” was her response.

We were tired, cranky, and hungry. OK, frustrated, too, but it was now too late to want to put ourselves through another round of ordering. Time to leave. The manager’s visit included the sentence, “You were one of about 70 complaints I received this evening.” Costly, disappointing performance. I believe there were steps that could have been taken to have prevented the complete meltdown.

Comping dinners is an easy solution. The restaurant lost a lot of money the other night and gave guests little reason to consider returning. Talking to the kitchen staff the next day, of course, has some value, but being a visible manager could have saved a lot of confusion.

Let me revisit an important restaurant mantra: It all starts and stops with training. Training at every level. The wait staff was ill-prepared to deal with the disappointed guests, and the restaurant itself was better at pouring water than anything else. Time to start at Square One and make the experience operational.

It was not that long ago that the slogan, “It’s the Economy, Stupid,” carried an election. Maybe the current restaurant malaise and burger elevation should help bring back that mantra. When you see the growth of a local DC area hamburger chain into one of the largest franchised companies in the country, you know what’s talking. Money and burgers are the winning order at Five Guys–you don’t need that much  money to get a decent, never frozen burger, Maybe the fact that they sell over 250,000 a day should convince you of that ratio! If you’re looking for the old-fashioned burger spot where you can cool your heels with a scoop of peanuts, you’re part of the restaurant’s growing popularity. Who would have figured their slow nationwide roll out would have such a positive, long-term effect? Maybe not me. They did!

High-end burger spots are just as common and dot many a commercial corridor. Bobby Flay, of Food Network fame and Laurent Tourondel, better known for his earlier BLT steakhouses have happily joined the burger brigade. The irony is that the basic fast food burger is still there, but when you study their lines, you hear customers selecting a wide variety of foods.  Plenty of homegrown chefs and restaurant owners have keyed in on the possibilities and find the translation does nicely in the cash register. The basic burger can easily be upscaled for a lot less money.

It’s the Burger, Silly that tells us the economy is still the pivotal point of dining out.

Instead, we are looking at the latest reports that indicate consumers are not yet believing they are out of the woods on their finances. They exercise caution in their grocery shopping and their restaurant expenses.

Meal planning, according to the NPD Group study, will remain on the thrifty side. Consumers have learned how to make better meals with less and are not ready to jump from the calm ship and break out the foie gras. The study reports that consumers do not see their situation improving over the next 12 months and plan to continue strategies they employed during the earliest days of the Recession. This information is almost in direct contrast to several economic market indicators pointing in a more positive, upward trajectory.

Examples of thriftier behavior from the report include decreasing spending on groceries, using coupons for food and beverage items, and stocking up on foods when they are on sale. The list also includes shopping for less expensive brands and making use of online coupons.

These are all consumer behavioral strategies that grocers can address to make shopping a better, more positive experience. Matching coupons, doubling or tripling those from circulars, and offering good, solid sale prices on a large variety of products will keep customers loyal returnees. It sounds as if little has changed for the consumer no matter how hopeful everyone wants to remain.

Restaurants have a lot to learn from this report and from the Nielsen Company’s latest research. Some of these findings could spell doom for a number of restaurants that have been hanging on and waiting for customers to increase their dining out events and cash outlays. After surveying 7,500 alcohol beverage consumers, they found almost 60% reducing their trips to casual restaurants and a similar number reported they were going less frequently to more expensive restaurants (fine-dining). An additional find was that 47% said they frequent bars and clubs less often. This translates into changed behavior patterns across the age demographics. The report underlies the belief that consumers learned new ways of entertaining and continue to exhibit uncertainty about the extent of the recovery.

Another interesting tell-all concerns alcoholic beverage purchases. More than 75% of those interviewed said they have not changed their beverage purchases because of price, but 25% of those say they are making fewer purchases. So even in this category, consumers have adjusted their behavior, and they are more conscious of their decisions.

Yes, these reports do NOT put a smile on the face of anyone in the food and beverage universe. They give great pause and increase the likelihood of more promotions rather than assuming that the diner of yore, as in 2-3 years ago, is lining up to get in the door.

Free-wheeling dining and shopping has not returned, and it appears to be stuck in fear. Hopefully, someone is listening.

Sure if we take young children to a restaurant, we can order from the regular menu and just fork over the additional funds to get our children to eat healthier meals. We can tell them this is a great restaurant with an expansive menu that has nothing like chicken pieces; go ahead–good luck with that approach!

Restaurant dining needs to mirror the healthy eating habits we incorporate into our regular, at-home meal regimen. We need restaurants to support our inroads and develop good-looking plates of foods that are not merely grease-soaked remnants from a large frozen food package. We deserve better options. Occasionally, we stumble across such an example: A restaurant that creates a platter of 3-4 sides, and I don’t mean French Fries, mashed potatoes, and macaroni! Or, a restaurant that offers a roasted chicken, child-sized portion instead of the dreaded fingers or tenders. An underlying issue is price. Little people should not be charged big-people prices. Give them less, but make it edible.

Of course, ethnic restaurants such as Asian, Mediterranean, and South/Central American solve the problem with so many acceptable family-style dishes that no one ever needs to consider a child’s menu. Sharing is the norm and helps make dining a familial adventure.

If you’re going to keep a children’s menu, make it palatable, affordable, and presentable. Children deserve the same high quality foods you want your adult guests to enjoy. If restaurants treat young guests well, they will quickly suggest a particular restaurant for the next family outing. Time to be smart business people. Young children hold the sway.

Sure the crayons and the draw-on placemats are nice, but we are really going out to eat as a family for a meal we cannot make at home or do not have the inclination this evening to prepare.We want to be wowed and enjoy ourselves and not get all frustrated by the high calorie count and the limited options. Skip the drawing options; upscale the sense of place.

C’mon restaurants, wow us and our younger diners! It can save all of us from increased, unnecessary calories. Maybe more restaurants need to eliminate the so-called, special children’s menus. Let dining out be the special treat!

NO, NO, and NO. Yes, we are eating in the equivalent of someone’s home when we dine out, but we need to be good guests, too. The definition of manners becomes eroded when guests make unreasonable demands or when managers overstep their boundaries and speak rudely to wait staff. Nothing far-fetched about these incidents; all occur. Holding everyone in check is really the responsibility of management and no one needs to know the secrets of training, just the end results: A smooth operation with everyone playing an appropriate part.

Let’s play out a recent situation. A four-top was finished with lunch. No one had stopped by from the time the plates were put down and the end of the meal. The server came to clear and saw that one guest had not eaten the protein in the center of the plate atop a field of salad greens. Shall I wrap that up she inquired? No, no thank you, was the reply; I did not care for it. Plates were cleared. Nothing further was said. Table conversation continued while awaiting the check.

Then the smart process went into play. Within minutes a sparklingly dressed young man, white shirt and tie, asked if he could join the table. He very calmly wanted to hear what was the problem with the dish. He immediately said the item had been removed from the check, although no one asked for that to happen, but he wanted to know what they had done wrong. Overcooked? Undercooked? Heavily seasoned? He was genuinely interested in discussing the process of preparation and the end result. Very smoothly handled.

Aha: Training at its best. The server knew what to do. The manager had the personality and skill to communicate, and the guests left impressed. This was not high-end dining but a casual, mid-tier chain that understands its part in the restaurant universe.

Not that difficult, but that important. Many could learn from this little one-act play. The lines are not that difficult to understand. A smooth operation means everyone knows his part.

First of all, not everyone accesses email all day long. Secondly, advanced and agreed upon details should not give a restaurant carte blanche, sorry couldn’t help myself, permission to make significant changes. When a group has been told that lunch hour is extremely busy but they can be accommodated if they preselect an agreed upon menu, then no further discussion is necessary. Certainly, the host should not arrive at the restaurant and be told that last-minute changes were made via email does not guarantee a positive experience. Email has its limitations. Phones still are preferable, but last minute changes cannot be a one-sided proposition: Two parties need to concur.

Remember the old adage: The customer is always right. The corollary, not in this case, just leaves a bad taste and results in diners or guests at the table deciding the restaurant does not deserve future business. Word-of-mouth may help or harm an establishment. A bad call is a bad call! Baseball demonstrated better manners than this!

The mild confrontation ended with the restaurant being over-solicitous to everyone at the table, to the point of their being too present. If the service model continues to rankle more diners than any other question on food surveys, then there is a lot to learn from such a poor display of restaurant strategy.

The economy is far from a solid investment at the moment, and restaurants should be thrilled to have group business. They need to show their appreciation and not confuse an otherwise fortuitous venture.

Nothing rankles diners on surveys more than issues of service. What is most important to a restaurant experience: Service. Overwhelmingly it is the one memory that diners unequivocally share. Many cannot remember the meal details other than comment that the food was good or even terrific, but when you ask for a full accounting of the evening, many start and stop their interplay with some comment about service. No one likes to be treated less than special in someone’s home. A restaurant welcomes you into its home. That’s what the hospitality industry is all about!

So listen up: Do not fawn; nor ignore. Train your staff to recognize the cues from a diner, to read the guest. Training never stops; it is an ongoing restaurant responsibility that impacts significant impressions.

We don’t need a silver platter. We want a service-oriented experience that complements the chef’s creations.

Here are a few:

–Bread and butter do not just magically appear when you are seated. You are often asked if you would like to have bread and butter. Smart, cost-saving approach to running a restaurant. Not like we need to have bread and butter! Nor do they need to put a basket on the table and waste its contents.

–Sauces. Rather than just put cocktail sauce or tartar sauce, for example, on every fish or seafood plate, servers are checking to see if the diner wants either or both. If not, hey, the kitchen saves the money on either or both of the sauces. Lemon falls into that category. It is no longer just a natural plate adornment. More often than not, guests make the inquiry. It’s not an automatic slice or 1/8th.

–Water. Of course, in higher-end restaurants, the water question comes with numerous choices and dollar signs: Flat, fizzy, or tap. At multiple price points, water does not even come to the table unless you ask for it. With a worldwide water shortage, this is a logical, natural omission. Why serve something that’s just going to get poured out and wasted?

As consumers watch their dining out dollars, restaurateurs play the same game. Economic uncertainty still drives many businesses to close their doors. Recuperation is a slow process and little glimmers of hope do not mean we are out of the woods.

Little changes make a significant difference. We can support each other.

Now the Maryland chef has company in Virginia as Craig Hartman with his fine dining pedigree does double duty. As the executive chef  at the Orient-Express property (Keswick Hall) in Keswick, VA and its fine dining approach to guest pleasure at its fine dining Fossett’s Restaurant, he has one type of demanding clientele. When he shifts gears, he heads to the smoker with his own restaurant that tests the mettle for real Southerners: Bar BQ. The recently opened BarBQ Exchange in Gordonsville, VA shows a talented chef can simultaneously be master of several cuisines as disparate as these two. OK, it helps if your wife is ready to run the Exchange and you have time to be the top toque at a demanding restaurant. Then such a juggle gives true fulfillment.

What Evans and Hartman demonstrate is an understanding of foods and the ability to conceptualize, cook, and execute. Hartman is the first to admit that you just don’t put the meat in an oven and wait for it to pop out as barbq. Time plays the fool as this slow-cooking process needs fine-tuning attention and has to meet the demands of an audience as critical in many ways as the one for fine dining.

Maybe the BBQ crowd proves even more demanding as everyone plays the connoisseur’s hand and discusses the merits of the meats and the sauces. Think of some of the great festivals that extol the ritual: Memphis in May ranks near the top of the list. Let’s see who comes out as a champion this year! Name a BBQ city such as Kansas City and you’ll understand partisan dialogue from the Gates to Arthur Bryant’s crowd and to some of the other player’s such as Jack Stack. One city; so many opinions and options!

Restaurants can’t even agree on the spelling of the food, so how can there be just a single barbecue style? No way.

Whatever fence you straddle, one fact remains: Talent is talent and smoked brisket doesn’t lie. Just slice it correctly!

A quick look at restaurant reservations shows that lots of diners are already well organized for the breakfast, brunch, or dinner outing they’ve planned. This is the time to get to Open Table and see what’s still available in your city. Many restaurants offer special menus that enable them to handle larger crowds but still manage to fill up quickly. Unless you’re planning on finding a spot that does not take reservations and you don’t mind waiting around for a table, this is the week to finalize your plans.

There are plenty of families that shy away from restaurant outings at typically crowded times such as Mother’s Day. They try the more storybook approach with breakfast in bed or a barbecue event–anything that keeps Mom out of the kitchen is the philosophy behind this strategy.

Whatever route you think is best, remember it’s MOM you’re talking about so a little bit of planning is in order. OK, a lot of planning. Now. Don’t forget the card–selection starts waning a few days before the 9th!

Go for it.

No longer do you need to go to specialty stores to find the products as most major grocers have figured out the advantages of stocking G-F products. Some cleverly mark the shelves with a locator tag, and others devote whole aisles to these offerings. Either way the search has become easier and less convoluted.

Love when a restaurant has become dedicated to those who need to follow a G-F path. Take this one in Bethesda, MD, Lilit Cafe. They have an extensive menu of options for each meal period to please the G-F diner and non gluten-intolerant alike. Impressive. If you question taste, start with the homemade gelato! As for desserts, they found a partner in Baltimore’s Sweet Sin Bakery, an all-natural, G-F facility. This bakery now supplies numerous grocers that want to have G-F desserts available for their shoppers.

When a restaurant devotes itself to a G-F approach, so many diners who were unable to eat out can now enjoy a restaurant experience. The same for desserts. No matter how hard we try, the sweet tooth beckons. Here are two champions for those who need these products and for the growing number of individuals who feel healthier by reducing the gluten in their foods.

This is the kind of news we can all appreciate.

–”Sure you can look at the menus, but doubt we have much of them.” This led to a long circular course of confusion focusing on what do you have, but what’s this mean, and what about this?

–When we asked if we could order a bowl of berries, the response proved truly elusive. “I guess I could ask for berries, but we have a big bowl of fruit that they may want to send out.”

–We ordered the big bowl of fruit which turned out to be a sherbet cup of Ginsu, razor-thin sliced bites of an assortment of fruits, some of which had more of a winter feel than a truly springtime essence. Yes, there was a strawberry if you count one berry dissected into slivers that encircled the dish! Strawberries have been lush this year and wonderfully priced–not so hard to serve a bowl of berries!

–Taking the order was as confusing as delivering it. There was nothing complex ordered, but the delivery proved elusive: “Who had the tart?”

–Nothing was as complex as the taking of the check. The check was delivered and after several attempts to pick it up, mind you the restaurant was not crowded, we asked if they were closing and if we needed to pay up quickly. “Sadly, someone just showed up so you have at least a half an hour.”

That’s the real takeaway: “Sadly,” he said as in I’m not getting out of here for awhile so take your time.

Maybe it was his delivery or his overall level of confusion. Maybe staff training might make the whole experience easier for him. He was kind; not rude. He was the representative of an enterprise that could not work. Create a menu the staff understands and can deliver. Let the server know what exactly is going on and what needs to be communicated to a guest.

Yes, it is the hospitality industry.

The Nats meet the Phillies in what promises to be not only a good game on the field, but one the concessionaires will truly enjoy. There are some new foods gracing the corridors. Let’s start with one of the city’s top food destinations, Ben’s Chili Bowl, a must-visit for newcomers with several locations at the Park. For the traditionalists, there are no shortage of burger, hot dog, and pizza possibilities and then a carb world away are a few places that list “healthy options.” Somehow a baseball stadium and healthy options used together in a single sentence sound like a work of science fiction, but that is old school. Now there are choices including hummous, gluten-free pretzels, and even grilled chicken sandwiches minus the bun!

Ice cream stands will probably experience long lines to match the weather. Last year it was coffee stands that were doing a brisk business as the temperature was more fitting for an indoor sport. Not this year. It’s a sunscreen experience.

Other days; other parks. The healthy food option seems to be a sign of the times. When the Nats visit the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, vegetarian options lead the field. The Park earned the title as top vegetarian choice for baseball dining. Maybe this was the tie-breaker: A crab-free crab cake sandwich! Hmm.

Can’t wait to hear that famous magical phrase,  Batter Up as #44 throws out the first ceremonial toss.

Tone. Training. Service.

One of my favorite questions comes from people asking me for a restaurant recommendation. I need some specifics. What are they looking for? What matters? Is it style of food or type of restaurant? When a place bills itself as kid-friendly, a 45- minute wait can quickly undermine that concept. When a restaurant menu covers every corner of the world without giving you a hint to its strengths, you might have a problem. A hodgepodge of menu options may not spell dining success as in overwhelming the kitchen by needing to wear too many hats to meet the menu options!

When a customer walks into a semi-empty restaurant and the one person on duty barely raises an eyebrow, you get the sense that your presence may be more of an annoyance than an exciting moment in an otherwise quiet period. Training. Attitude.

How can a restaurant be all things to everyone? It can’t. Nor should it need to be. A restaurant model is not that complex. Front and back of the house training is essential and must be an ongoing effort. Attitude can easily be conveyed incorrectly, but with proper training these instances will be minimized.

Yes, the customer is always right, but the customer should not take advantage of the restaurant. If there is a problem, voice it. Voice it when it occurs. Do not go home and put your complaint out to the neighborhood. Solve the problem at the source not in the listserve. Do not kill a business with an issue that could have a simple resolution.

Allow the restaurant to deliver what it promises. A successful restaurant benefits everyone.

The message seems simple; the execution often proves tricky.

With a major chef signing at the Ritz, this translates quickly into good news: Good for the restaurant community, for the metropolitan area, and for those who look for clues that the restaurant world is suffering less and climbing out from under the rocks of the economic debacle.

Let’s see what other little clues we can unearth:

Even though the BLT Restaurant Group has had its share of management changes, they are still expanding their brand and moving into the Italian mix with Casa Nonna expected to open this summer.

Another Italian offshoot will be gracing the DC landscape. Carmine’s, the famous family style restaurant in New York, has taken its show on the road with plans for a spring opening in the bustling Penn Quarter section of town. You’ve read enough about small plates; these are gigantic platters. Round up your friends.

New York City turned to chef Todd English to create a food hall at The Plaza Hotel, The Plaza Food Hall, which is scheduled to open this spring. The plan is to have cooking stations and a variety of foods, sort of in the European tradition. Definitely one to watch.

Lettuce Entertain You, the large restaurant corporation with Chicago headquarters, has just joined the burger crowd with their newest restaurant, M Burger. The M stands for Michigan Avenue and it tells you they want to be right at the action with the burger food trend that continues to grow.

No matter who does what, each of these openings casts a peek at expectation. A healthy nod.

Napkin, please.

Sometimes the latter shift is one of economics as when a top-tier, aka, multi-course, high-end specialist, decides there is another opportunity in the marketplace. Everyone gains as the second outreach may mean less expensive food but one that still maintains the high culinary standards of the top tier,  dollar-sized experience.

The two-tiered chef has become commonplace as in having established himself in a high-end restaurant which customers view as a destination for special occasions and then a less expensive dining spot, more of a bistro, that regulars enjoy for weekly or multi-month visits. That pattern has helped chefs such as Michel Richard and Thomas Keller, (to name a few) establish themselves at multiple price points, never ignoring their ability and talent to cook at all levels. Or there’s a master like Jose Andres who introduced small plates (Jaleo) to Washington, DC and expanded his empire upward to multiple concepts at multiple price points, think Bazaar in LA or MiniBar in DC.

Occasionally, you run into a chef like Andrew Evans who ran a successful high-end creative, gourmet restaurant. Circumstances dictated the end of that enterprise so he emerged as the master of Thai cuisine, and he again proved himself successful with a completely different worldview. The concept proved too limiting for the community so an about-face reinvention occurred.

Nothing could be more American than the new enterprise: BBQ. Before you scoff and think this to be a step down from someone as talented as Evans, remember that good BBQ does not just magically appear on the plate. It is a product of time and concentration. The sauces tell the story (he has the full range from sweet to killer). Anyway, how can you argue with hot out of the oven cornbread and wonderfully lean, slow-cooked brisket!  His new concept demonstrates talent.

Yes, you can be a multi-tiered master as long as you can cook. If you know what you are doing, it can work. Not everyone can switch concepts so seamlessly and create a business that spells success. For Evans, they’ve all been winners; this one’s a keeper!

Restaurants are scurrying about tyring to get themselves ready for the winter-weary who are lined up on the sidewalk waiting for a table. Even bundled up at night with a light jacket or heavy sweater makes it all worthwhile. Some restaurants that have multiple locations are weighted down by corporate policy that says silly things like: Sorry, we never open the outdoor patio before April 1! Seriously, we wanted to eat at your restaurant because of your great outdoor patio, but see ya. We’re crossing the street for some much needed Vitamin D.

As more restaurants vie for sidewalk space, be ready with your umbrellas and chairs. If one place is full, the sunseekers will often just mosey down the block. Be ready.

Be flexible. Take advantage of what you have and listen to customers. Do a weekend makeshift if you have to: We want to eat outside. Let us enjoy your spot and keep corporate at bay.

One of the early restaurant leaders with a separate menu is P.F. Chang’s, and now they have taken a significant jump and added beef entrees  (Mongolian Beef, Pepper Steak, and Beef with Broccoli, to name a few) to their already extensive menu. A great dessert, the flourless chocolate dome, fits every diner’s taste.

Daily Grill, Bertucci’s , and Mon Ami Gabi are just a few of the big players in the sitdown market space. As for fast food, consider Burger King’s new menu outreach as part of its overall Positive Steps initiative that strives to meet the needs of all diners.

As for local places, they abound: Just ask, and if need be, teach. With the rise in GF bakeries, there are plenty of options to bring out a sweet smile.

Grocers and restaurants know one simple fact: The way to get business is to have the foods customers need. Watch as this GF space continues to grow.

With the child choking information working its way through the media yesterday, it is time to take a step back and do some refresher work on eating safely. This time the reference is not food safety, but being careful how we eat, what we eat, and how to be safe eaters.

First the choking issue. This is not what we call “new news,” but it is information that needs to be reviewed. The worst food offenders for young children are hot dogs, grapes, and carrots. They each should be sliced down the middle as big chunks of them in their initial state match a child’s windpipe and can shut it off and within minutes the child can literally choke to death. The American Academy of Pediatrics wants to see protective labels prominently displayed on certain foods to make the public more aware of choking dangers.

Public awareness needs to be continued with highly visible campaigns. Of course, the choking issue also needs brightly colored information on packages of toys. We need to be reminded of these dangers and be diligent about our food knowledge.

Allergies are another dining concern. Whenever individuals who have specific food allergies dine out, they need to make certain that the dishes they select do not have any hidden ingredients. So many restaurants are clueless about how a single, unmentioned ingredient in a menu description can alter an individual’s ability to handle the dish. It is always wonderful when wait staff can answer very specific questions by just referring to a single sheet of information. In the case of uncertainty, it is best that they speak directly to the chef to clarify the specifics. No one, waitstaff or diner, should hesitate to ask.

A number of states have passed legislation suggesting food allergy management guidelines for schools. These go way beyond the earliest school roots of suggesting “no peanuts, no peanut butter.” Well-known (Blue Ginger) Boston chef Ming Tsai wants states to become more involved and play a stronger role in outlining allergen responsibilities. He has become a national spokesperson for The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) in the hopes that more restaurants will be involved and educate themselves better about allergens. His efforts helped Massachusetts implement a Food Awareness law for restaurants, and he hopes that food allergy safety laws will be enacted in other states.

FAAN has joined the myriad of organizations that believe scheduling a walk (Walk for Food Allergy Awareness) raises money and heightens knowledge. Check out the site and see if you can get some exercise with this group and spread the word.

Depending on the severity of the allergy, cross-contamination can also be a problem. That is especially true for those who need gluten-free dining. Major restaurant chains, such as Outback Steakhouse, P. F. Chang’s, have separate menus and plenty of  local dining establishments proudly announce that they, too, have gluten-free menus. Yet diners with the most severe forms need to make certain that the food is truly kept separate. The kitchen needs a gluten-free area if it advertises that it provides gluten-free foods. Foods need to be plated separately so that cross-contamination does not occur.

The first rule of eating safely is awareness. We need to be smart and eat smart.

Many higher-end establishments do not add the customary large-group 18-20% tip in the hopes that the serving staff will excel that expectation and earn what the diner/host believes is an appropriate amount. Those places are often right, and servers benefit from the customer doing the math. After all, good service deserves recognition, which in this case amounts to an appropriate monetary tip. There’s the rub: The definition of appropriate can vary considerably.

Let’s step back a moment. Tipping should be the customer’s decision and not merely an expectation. Slovenly service which often involves favoring one table over another or more simply stated, not working each table uniformly, often leads to an end-of-the-meal debate among the guests. There are those who tip, no matter what. They often tip the same amount in the belief that the wait staff needs and depends on the tip. That’s true.

It’s the guest who takes out his angst on the server for not getting his food to the table expeditiously or even correctly that often makes restaurants rethink the need to include a tip in the bill. Stories abound about angry diners who are harassed by wait staff for not leaving a tip and then they create their own tirade explaining away their reasoning. It often translates loudly in the dining room with words such as I ordered a hot breakfast, not cold eggs…

The tip dilemma will not end here, but diners need to remember that they are being served, waited on, and not all fault rests with the person who brings the food to the table.

Remember the economy and the work force and consider your decision accordingly.

It is about the service.