When your server notices your dark pants and replaces your light napkin with a dark one - a nice touch. Personally, finding the attentive sweet spot between absent and overbearing, and delivering the food, check, and credit card reciepts in a timely fashion is all I need.

The waitperson would do such a thing without asking?

What if the diner had only used half their sugar and intended the to use the rest when they "requested" a second cup of tea for which they would re-use the tea bag, and if they had intended to use the straw wrapper to start a fireplace at home?

No wonder Springs1 is so upset about restaurant waitpeople.

You know, I'm all for the little niceties, but I don't need a matching napkin.

I was just wondering the other day--are they still ironing the table cloths at the table at Cinghiale? That was distracting and over-the-top in my book.

Being pleasant and accomodating can go a long. way

You know you were in IT too long when this particular title on a restaurant blog makes you think of computers. The same when coax became a two syllable noun and hex is an adjective.

Live long and prosper geeks. It's almost sushi time.

Why would I want a matching napkin? Would it look like I was wiping my face with my pants? Why is she looking at my pants? Where am I? This is not my beautiful house.

Dahlink, it's not a fashion thing. The problem is that good, real cotton napkins leave lint on dark clothes. It's a mess.

Many restaurants have those weird plastic-y napkins that absorb nothing but of course don't leave lint.

I have a soft spot in my heart for waitresses who call me "Hon".

I know...I know...

white napkins leave white lint on dark pants. i love a place that will switch out white napkins for black. it doesnt seem like a big deal until you get a crappy white napkin that makes you look messy the rest of the day....

Current curiosity: a customer gets up to use the restroom (or whatever) and a waitperson swoops in, grabs the napkin, folds it as if it were new and clean and places it on the chair (sometimes on the back). I've seen this maybe 20 times in the last year.

I know about the lint theory, but it has never happened to me. Or maybe I'm so covered in cat fur that I don't notice.

I have a soft spot in my heart for waitresses who call me "Hon".

There is a lot of that down here, along with "sweetie" and "darlin'". Mostly in town though, not as much out here on the beach where the servers are younger.

Find me a waitress who will call me sugar, and I will eat there every day.

Well MD Canon I can only speculate but I think that move is to keep the bussers from removing everything from your table. Since I do dine out alone quite frequently, I have had the experience of going to the restroom and returning to find my lobster tail & filet along with everything else removed from the table. If I had known the code, I would have gladly folded and placed my napkin on the back of my chair. This happened @ Captain Harvey's in Owings Mills who apologized most graciously and brought me a "fresh" meal.

A few weeks ago when I went to happy hour at Amicci's, Giselle the sassy Russian said, "Oh, you're here for happy hour, you cheap bastard." I liked it so much that I now require it as a her greeting. Fear not potential customers, I am the only one blessed with such a greeting.

real cotton napkins leave lint on dark clothes. It's a mess.

I've never seen this. Restaurant napkins seem the opposite of linty to me. Are you wearing a velcro skirt?

Owl, I think the number of times the napkins have been laundered must figure into the equation here. My cloth napkins are all heirlooms, for the most part, and have no lint left to shed.

Owl,
So she greets you as "You Cheap Bastard"?

I hope she was kidding or I'd never darken that doorway again.

You know you were in IT too long when this particular title on a restaurant blog makes you think of computers. The same when coax became a two syllable noun and hex is an adjective.

Check, check and check. Hex is also the name of the computer at the Unseen University.

I'm with Dahlink on the white napkin thing.

PCB, of course she's kidding. Plus it helps to know that I like mean women with good senses of humor. And the accent make it funnier too. I never feel really comfortable in a bar until I'm abused in jest. It's a guy thing.

I get nervous when people are too polite and the banter with Giselle lets me know that she is my friend. That's all. The sort of uniform politeness you might get at, for example, a Marriott hotel bar is unnerving. It's earned banter. All good fun.

Lone Lady ... brilliant! It never occurred to me that this might be a signal, not just a courtesy thing.

Owl,
I know what you mean, when she greets you that way you know she's your friend and she's probably happy to see you too.

I just would be happy to get my check and pay without having to send out a search party for my server. Anything over and above this is great service in my world!

Joyce,
My Dad has a habit of waving his credit card high above his head to get the server's attention. Drives my Mom crazy.

Fl Rob - I'm laughing out loud - really! I'll bet it's effective though!

You've never had lint problems on your pants? It sounds like your pants collection might have contributed to our dependence on foreign oil.

I like it when the server runs a lint roller over my lap. Especially if she's cute:-)

RayRay, you and howie should come with me next time I review a restaurant.

Joyce,
It sounds funny until you are sitting there. Believe it or not, its not always effective, which causes Dad to become annoyed and start cursing. That part is entertaining, though. The server could put anything on the bill and he'd sign it, just to get out of there.
Quite impatient my Dad is, but we still love him. He's in his 80s so we let him slide.
Its also why us kids demand to pay for the meal to avoid this.

PCB Rob, be grateful that your Dad is still with you and able to carry on in this manner. Our fathers' antics are now just memories.

I am Dahlink, and am looking forward to their visit in about a month.

Hey Rob, my dad (also in his 80's) gives his entire order to the server who asks for the drink order. We usually go along and just order but sometimes I haven't even decided what I want yet.

I think with age, comes impatience. I've teased my dad before (because he also wants to bolt the instant he finishes eating) "what's the matter, dad, you gotta date?"

A few weeks ago when I went to happy hour at Amicci's, Giselle the sassy Russian said, "Oh, you're here for happy hour, you cheap bastard." I liked it so much that I now require it as a her greeting. Fear not potential customers, I am the only one blessed with such a greeting.

Owl Meat Gravy, that was so funny, I actually started crying...great, now my co-worker thinks I am crazy....it's a good thing I wasn't drinking anything, now that would have been a real mess...

Joyce,
Perhaps you're right with impatience increases with age. My dad wants to bolt as soon as he finishes too.

"what's the matter, dad, you gotta date?"

Joyce, my dad, (86), responds to this with a lecture on...(graon) pick a topic and, really, really, really hope that it's not "wonderful women who are now dead."

My dad's dementia has progressed to the not-as-amusing stage. Last time we ate in a restaurant, he looked at his meal and swore it was not what he'd ordered (it most assuredly was). The waitress brought him what he claimed to have ordered. He insisted on paying - no woman will ever pay for his meal! - and stiffed the waitress. While everyone else went to the car, I had to track down the waitress and hand her cash. Lots of cash.

Eve, I'm sorry about your dad's condition. I hope your waitress was as kind and terrific a server as kimmer is, so she would understand (and also would really appreciate your effort, too).

Maybe these dads want to bolt because they can't find the bathroom in the restaurant?

Eve, a thousand blessings on you. Been there, done that.