For Pet Peeves: Easily, my absolute pet peeve is the waiter or waitress who starts sweeping plates off the table while one or more are still eating. Just what is their problem? I resent the pressure it puts on those still eating to hurry up. At Cibo's, in Owings Mills just last week, I went to share some of my entree w/ another guest, only to find that his dinner plate had been removed. If I had to name another peeve, it would be the almost universal use of 'you guys' by servepersons. I could tolerate it at many casual places; somehow, it seems out of place when in a fairly decent place, dining with, say, one's 87 year old mother. Sigh.

My pet peave is bad service.

A friend/colleague of mine and I meet for lunch every once and a while and we have had a string of bad service at a number of popular downtown restaurants ranging from national chains to popular hot-spots. Admittedly, the most obvious occurrences have been when we were sitting outside since the nice weather has rolled in. It has lead us to wonder why the managers don't look at the forcast for the week and staff accordingly! (We used to when I worked at an indoor/outdoor place in DC during college).
The infractions aren't just minor ones, but mistakes such as serving the wrong meal, waiting 15 minutes before being greeted/placing the drink order, and having to wait 15 minutes after asking for the check and another 10 to run the card. While a slow paced meal may be nice for dinner, it is unacceptable for a business lunch! Managers: take the time to train your staff properly- it will pay off in return business!

My pet peeve is cigarette-smoking in restaurants. I was at a Hampden restaurant on Wednesday night and at about 8:50 p.m. nearly all the customers around the bar -- in unison, it seemed, whipped out cigarettes and lit them up. The bar is not separate from the dining room. The thing is, the restaurant's policy is that smoking is not allowed before 9 p.m. Those patrons must have been starved for a cigarette. Fortunately, I was waiting for the check and didn't have to endure the smoke for too long. I suppse the restaurant workers didn't want to upset the smokers by asking them to wait till 9 to light up.

1. Lukewarm coffee, tea, or soup (when it should be hot)
2. An unswept floor
3. A disappearing waiter, who magically reappears when it's time to be paid
4. A waiter who scoffs when you order soup and salad instead of an expensive entree
5. Drafts from an open front door
6. Overpriced desserts

The flip side to the waiter who clears plates before everyone is done is the waiter who brings out other courses without clearing plates. There is nothing like eating your dessert while you stare at the remains of your steak or ribs.

My pet peeve is a waitperson chewing gum.