We were there last month and noticed the ironing, but the was no vapor or odor. We were seated across from the table being ironed, so I wonder if it makes a difference if one is seated directly next to a table being ironed?

We ate there last month and also had a tablecloth being ironed next to us. While it was somewhat distracting at first, we were totally fine with it occuring and there was definitely no odor.

I've never noticed it and I'm sure it's a nice touch that makes for a lovely appearance (in line with everything else that's top rate about Charleston). However, was I the only one that was struck by the smugness of Tony's response?

I am not a restauranteur but I chair a large number of high end events for various wine and food groups. Before I chaired my first event, an experienced dinner chair admonished me that 20% of the people will say the foie gras was too rich and the Yquem was too sweet. I am not saying that those people are just whiners but dining is all about perception. You just cannot please everyone no matter how hard you try.

They're doing it at Cinghiale as well. I think it was a bit distracting. Does that have to be done in the dining room in front of customers?

Think its a bit annoying and pretentious, but thats just me maybe.

Dined there a few weeks back and while we did find the ironing process to be a distraction, we didn't notice an odor.

Seriously... How can the staff ironing a tablecloth near you be that much of a disruption to your otherwise enjoyable meal?? I think it's a great attention to detail provided and see no issues with it whatsoever.

We ate there just two weeks ago and the table next to us was ironed. I didn't notice any odors and it certainly didn't eradicate the nose or affect our wine experience. We actually discussed how much we appreciated it and considered the act another example of how Charleston stands apart from other fine dining establishments in Baltimore. It's probably one of those things one loves or hates. I can certainly understand why some diners may find it a distraction.

But why could this not be done in the back? There is nothing 'fine dining' about watching someone iron a table cloth. Maybe I am just not in the loop....I tend to always be behind the latest trends.

Regina - that's my point as well. While the ironing certainly give off any odors when I witnessed it, it was just a little too much for me. WF restaurants are in fact gorgeous, that goes without saying. But ironing the cloth tableside? Maybe its just me, but a table being quickly but meticulously reset is more "fine dining" then having to watch a cloth being ironed. Its just annoying to me.

I noticed it as well when we were both at Charleston and Cinghiale, and it was not a disruption at all. And I agree that it shows how much they care about the details. My wife and I would certainly appreciate a warm table if it's freshly ironed especially during the winter months!

Hey, my husband's shirt could use a little touch up while you're at it. You don't mind if he takes it off, do you?

SG says ironing the table cloths sets Charlestons apart from other fine dining establishments in Baltimore. If you think Charlestons is above other establishments in Baltimore you don't get out much and must not dine in any other cities. The Charleston group of restaurants are the most over rated restaurants in Baltimore. Ironing tablecloths in front of customers is just bad manners vapors or not!

With TF's line of reasoning, vacuuming the floors and washing the windows during dinner should be 'class' also. It pretentious.

I think back to true fine dinning and the professional staffers at Jeannier's and Marconi's.

It was always a hoot to see the Jeannier's staff change the table cloth: slide on the new whilst removing the old: never a 'naked' table top in site.

And Marconi's staff with a trusty cruber in the pocket. I guess TF has handi-vac for the staff?

This is not distracting at all. For those that feel that, how can you ever dine out?? Irons are quiet, there are so many other things that get distracting when you are eating out. The loud talker at another table, roaring laughter all night long. But someone ironing?? Come on. Does this mean those same people are "distracted" when a table gets reset near them for the next diners?

I have dined at high end restaurants from coast to coast. Ones that are destination eating places and the type that TF wants to be considered with. I have never seen this done. This is a housekeeping matter and should be done behind the scenes. (Iron it and put on a large roller. That would keep out wrinkles.) I have no ax to grind with TF or CW, but this is pretentious at worse and rude at best.

Ohhh...throwing stones are we? Susan, let's dial it down and let me quietly slink back into my cave in Baltimore before I head off to San Francisco, Tampa, Park City and then Cozumel over the next six weeks. Perhaps I'll learn something about fine dining while at Bern's or Glitretind this time around? Bon voyage!

Don't forget that San Francisco -- and even Tampa -- has computers, too.

SGI- I'm talking cities not vacation spots...you know Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, DC, and New York.

The most classy dining service is that which is invisible, unless you need something. I would be furious if I were paying out the nose for a nice meal and had this ironing business going on at the table next to me, fumes, vapors, or not. Having pressed table linens is like having clean dishes - they should come out to the floor that way. I don't want to see ironing while I'm eating any more than I want to see dishes being washed. Most people go to these places for special occasions - can you imagine a marriage proposal while someone is ironing a tablecloth nearby? Might as well do that at grandma's house for free.

Although it's wrong to place a tablecloth with obvious creases, it's also just as wrong to do that sort of prep work in the front of the house -- especially since there are fairly easy ways to avoid it (like preironing and using a rack or roller, as others have written.)

I've done a lot of restaurant work, although admittedly not all of it in higher-end establishments -- but the basic rule in all of them was always that if at all possible, you don't expose that type of work to the public.

A well-managed establishment should make it appear as if it's effortless to deliver a fresh, uncreased tablecloth to your table -- regardless of how much steaming and pressing it took to make it look that way. The whole process seems unnecessarily pretentious to me -- "look at us, we're ironing the tablecloths" -- I wouldn't necessarily be offended, but I certainly wouldn't be impressed (no pun intended.)