-We hate it when restaurants charge an extra fee for sharing an entree. If you tell the waiter "me and my friend will share the ..." Some places will charge you up to 5$ extra bucks if you mention you're sharing the dish. Our advice is to keep your mouth closed when it comes to sharing. If you need an extra plate, ask for it but dont tell them what it's for.
-Have you ever gone out to dinner with an italian friend who reaches over the tall glasses and lengthy table just to steal some food off your plate? Sharing is caring? What do you think?
-Let your friend have the first few bites of their own entree! Dont swoop in all over their food before they get a chance to eat their plate while its hot. Let your friend offer you a bite first. If they end up not offering a bite, you offer them a bite of yours and pray they offer back.
-If you want to try a dish across the table, ask for a tiny bite because the dish interests your fancy. Prequest they pass the plate around. Sending around forkfills is ridiculous and messy. Asking first is always polite! Dont steal their food either!
-If you know you're going to want a large plate of chips, order your own instead of stealing all their chips.
-If you both want the same dish, order that and try another:share both together!
-If someone says "yes you can taste my food", that means one or two bites...not half their dish!
-If youre sharing a platter/appetizer/dip, do not OVERdip or hog the food. And most importantly, dont DOUBLE dip. Even if you move the chip around to the unbitten side, your dirty ass fingers were touching that bit. Also, sharing's a bitch because it can become a race of who is eating the fastest and getting the most food in their mouth.
-Some people have control issues, germ phobias or anxiety when it comes to eating family style. Ask for serving spoons and take your portions onto your own plate. When your done with that plate and there is excess food, THEN you can get seconds. Dont fork into the family style plates with your used nasty fork. Also, please be FAIR. If everyone had a cutlet of chicken from the shared dish and one oddball chicken cutlet is left, cut it into pieces, then take a little piece and offer the rest to others.
-There is nothing wrong with sharing food, ordering a couple tapas for the table or splitting dessert! Some people prefer not to share and you have to accept that. Most foodies know that to enjoy a dining experience, sharing dishes is the best way to maximize the restaurants menu and your taste buds! Push your dish to the center of the table so others can enjoy it too!
-There is nothing worse then going out to eat with someone who order the exact same dish as you! Such a waste! There is also nothing worse when a friend is excited about the menu, orders their most desired dish and manipulates or talks you into getting their #2 most desired dish.
-Here are examples of when you should NOT share food: When its a teeny tiny gourmet portion of something itty bitty, if your friend recently had a one night stand, if there is a cold sore/herpes/flu/sneezy coughing/recent illness lingering. Also bites of something that involves saliva transfer or licks of an ice cream=nasty. Bread on sanwiches is hard to share because it sponges up the saliva. Take a sharp knife and cut your friend a bite of the sandwich.
-Never take or offer the LAST bite of the dish or drink. Germy.
-The most difficult part of taking bites of a friends dish or sharing plates is how to SPLIT THE BILL. Be considerate and split it with tax, drinks and tip included! Admit when you took too much of a friends plate and offer them a few extra bucks!!!
-DONT BE RUDE OR CHEAP...TRUST ME, NOBODY WILL WANT TO EAT WITH YOU AGAIN. SPLITTING THE BILL IN HALF IS JUST NOT FAIR, PAY FOR WHAT YOU ORDERED! Also, tip an even percentage with your table. If one person tips 10% and you tip 15%, your poor waitress and waitstaff gets jipped!
-Why is it always that brat girl that order 5 cocktails that ends up suggesting, "lets just all split the bill evenly"...um, NO bitch, I ordered 1 cocktail because I wanted to save my money, not pay for your drinks too.
-Pet Peeve: People HATE when you say "you can just pay with your credit card and I'll give you my portion in cash, just put it all on your card"...um no, I dont want a credit card statement higher than I expected nor do I want to over draft.
-Nothings worse than someone telling you "Can you pay this bill? I promise I'll front the bill the next time we eat out"...and then they never call you to eat out again. Jerk.
-Pet Peeve: "Lets take out our best buddy for a nice bday dinner"...then not enough people end up chipping in for the bday boys meal. Rude.
-If a friend bought you a movie ticket, small gift, used their car/gas money to drive you around, hosted you: PAY FOR THEIR MEAL if you eat out. Give back, dont be selfish!
-Pet Peeve: Just because I may make more money than you DOES NOT mean that I'm entitled to pay for your meal. If you're under 28 years old, yea, you're probably poor so order within your means, not mine.
-Unfortunately, paying for what you ordered or drank is complicated because how do you calculate how much of the wine bottle you took? Is it polite to finish off someones meal because theyre too full and dont want anymore, do you offer to pay part of their dish because of that?
-Separate checks is always the best route but it gets foggy when sharing is involved.
-Dont share utencils, straws, chopsticks or napkins! Icky!
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