Yesterday, I met with several friends for lunch. I was very surprised when one of the ladies I was with declined ordering from the menu and pulled out her lunch she had brought from home.
February 5, 2007
Dear Ellen:
Yesterday, I met with several friends for lunch. I was very surprised when one of the ladies I was with declined ordering from the menu and pulled out her lunch she had brought from home. She explained that she didn't care for this particular restaurant's food, and didn't want to miss out on visiting with her friends. I felt that this was not in the restaurant's best interest and rude on her part. What do you think?
----Surprised in Texas ------
Dear Surprised: Rude, gauche, inappropriate, tasteless, and tacky---you are absolutely right about your friend's luncheon manners. Unless your friend was eating a kosher meal, there is no reason why she couldn't---and---shouldn't have ordered from the menu. In fact, depending on where you are, many restaurants offer kosher-prepared selections as well. With all the diet trends that are out in today's marketplace, every restaurant is cognizant of heart-healthy, low cholesterol, low carb, low fat, high fiber, low sodium, sugar substitute, vegan, high protein, (did I leave any out?) dietary trends---and provides for them on their menus.
Even if someone is on one of the planned food diets, they can still exchange their planned meal content for restaurant food. Do you really think Kirstie Alley carries Jenny Craig food with her when she dines at Le Cirque or The Polo Lounge? As for the restaurant---obviously if this became a trend, there would be no need to be in business.
There is also the aspect of a possible health concern. Food can easily become contaminated. If the food was passed around to other diners at the table and they became ill, the restaurant owner could potentially be held liable. The other consideration is that perhaps your friend thought she couldn't afford the price of luncheon at the selected restaurant. If you think this is a possibility, you might want to visit with her privately and make sure she is doing all right.
