Are you a skimmer... or a beginning to end menu reader?

My husband is a skimmer. He can pick up a menu, quickly scan the offerings, and then will stop as soon as he sees an entree that he thinks he will like. He will then put the menu down and wait the extra 10 minutes as I review, item by item, the entire menu from beginning to end. He can't understand what takes me so long and I can't understand why he doesn't want to review all that the restaurant has to offer. I want to make sure that I have chosen the very best item for me, without question. (Also, if there is an interesting dessert, I want to be sure and save room for it!) I also like the fun adjectives they use to describe a dish. The more upscale the restaurant, the more upscale the description. Suddenly, a simple Caesar Salad becomes, "Crisp whole leaf romaine hearts tossed with Grana Padana parmesan cheese and garlic croutons." (Yes, that is a REAL description from a upscale restaurant's menu.) So, are you a skimmer, or a reader like me?

Yellow is sweet talking its way into the sugar box

Have you noticed the color change happening at your local restaurant? Pink, Blue, and White are being joined by Yellow. Yes, Splenda packets are now showing up in greater numbers at most restaurants now. I've even seen them in those skinny stick-like packs, too. I'm just surprised that both Blue (Equal) and Pink (Sweet-n-Low) are still around, actually. I guess there are still enough Blue and Pink fans out there that restaurants don't dare get rid of those sugar substitutes.

I actually used to be a sugar only gal. Only the real stuff for me - Pink and Blue tasted funny. But, I'm also a big iced tea fan (see my previous post here), and regular sugar doesn't dissolve well in iced tea. And don't even get me started on Brown (those raw sugar packets that you occasionally see). So I decided to try Yellow. The advertising said it tastes just like sugar, right? Actually, I think they are right. One Yellow pack is much more sweet than one White pack but, to me, it has the same taste - no funky aftertaste. And, since it is much finer, it dissolves very nicely in iced tea. I, for one, am happy to see Yellow join the "Sugar Pack."

My leftovers get left over

I rarely eat leftovers I bring home from restaurants. Yet, I feel compelled to ask for a "to-go" box if I liked my meal. I'm concerned that the server, or even the chef, will think I didn't like my meal if I don't ask for the remainder to go. And, with portion sizes being as large as they are, I also rarely finish my meal. So, what happens is I bring home the leftover food and put it in the refrigerator with full intentions of having it for lunch the next day or maybe as an appetizer for tomorrow's dinner. That never happens. I don't like to eat the same food two days in a row. Plus, I worry that the food won't taste as good reheated. The leftovers eventually get forgotten and I find them weeks later still in the fridge and throw them out without opening the container. Because of this, my husband has forbid me from bringing home leftovers any more. I actually like the policy because now I have something to tell the server when he or she asks if I'd like the rest of my meal to go: "No, my husband won't let me bring home leftovers anymore because they end up rotting in the fridge." I always add, "But I really liked my food" at the end, with a quick smile. You know, so they don't go and tell the chef that I hated my food. Because I'm really concerned about that for some weird reason.

Give me fresh-brewed iced tea or give me... uh... I guess just water

Is making fresh-brewed iced tea at a restaurant really that hard? Yes, you have to have employees that know how to make it and re-make it throughout the day. True story - I recently ate at [nameless] restaurant and poured myself a cup of their fresh-brewed iced tea. I put in my sugar and tasted it - yuck! It tasted... skunky. I was convinced they had actually used a mix and put it in the "fresh-brewed" canister for unsuspecting consumers. So I asked - "hey, is this really fresh-brewed iced tea?" The answer, and I swear I am not making this up, "yeah, why? We made it fresh last night." I wrinkled my nose and asked if they could make a fresh batch. They did and it tasted 100 times better - wow, I wonder how many people had drank the skunky tea before I got there?

I also can't stand iced tea from the fountain such as Nestea - it just tastes fake. I can't imagine that it is more expensive for the tea bags than syrup for the soda fountain. Tea should make pretty good margins. But, again, you have to have employees that make it fresh (see example above) and I've found very few fast-food restaurants that bother.

I, for one, will choose to eat elsewhere if a restaurant doesn't offer fresh-brewed iced tea (well, unless the restaurant has a really great menu that has entrees I can't find anywhere else - which is rare). And, here in the South, I really love my sweet tea. I recently tried McDonald's (yes, a fast-food restaurant!) sweet tea which comes in a huge cup for only $1. Niiiiice. See? If McDonald's can do it, anybody can do it!

In search of a medium-sized, one-person dessert

I've had a hard time finding "normal" sized desserts at restaurants lately. You know, one that is sized for one person at a reasonable price. Restaurants seem to be either like The Palm Restaurant with enormous desserts for around $10 that I swear must weigh about 5 pounds a piece, or like Seasons 52 with $2 shot glass desserts with enough for about 3 bites. I am a sweet freak and I'm usually the only one left at the table after a meal that wants dessert (hint: I purposely don't eat all of my meal to leave room for dessert. Yeah, I like sweets that much). So, when the server has to strain to bring a huge dessert tray over with a hunk of 15-layer cake and a creme brulees the size of a platter, I'm likely not going to order dessert. Even though I want to. Because I don't want to pay more than the cost of my meal to get a dessert that I know I'm not even going to halfway finish. The shot glass dessert is a little better because then you get to try samples of different desserts. But it is a bit embarrassing to order four or five of the little desserts when everyone else is ordering one or two -- although, I got over it. I just wish more restaurants would offer desserts that are not too big and not too small but just right. I guess Goldilocks and I will have to keep looking.

Waiting to get a table at a chain restaurant

My husband hates to wait. He especially hates to wait for a table at a crowded restaurant. His thought is, why should we wait to get a table at this chain restaurant when there is probably an open table down the street at that local non-chain restaurant. And, it's mostly true. Typically, we wait for a table at Carrabba's, or PF Changs, or Outback Steakhouse, or Olive Garden. But if we leave after 10 minutes of waiting, as that is my husband's limit on waiting for a table, we have usually been able to find a table at another local mom-and-pop restaurant. Is the chain restaurant really that good that we all need to wait for a table? Shouldn't we branch out and try that local independent restaurant?

Putting "Suggested Tip Amounts" on Restaurant Checks

I originally thought it was tacky when a restaurant would put suggested tip amounts at the bottom of your check. You know, 15% would be this much, 20% would be this much, etc. However, I am bad at math. Especially at a restaurant after I've had a heavy meal and a glass of wine or a martini. So I've actually come to appreciate these helpful calculations as long as they are realistic. For example, I like when 15%/18%/20% are listed but not when the listing starts with 20% - too presumptuous. My husband thinks it is all ridiculous as he can do percentages quickly in his head. What do you all think?