Travel Tips

Travel Tip: Dining out Secrets

To get the best out of your dining experience on the road, there are a few things to keep in mind…and sometimes that includes the things your waiter doesn’t want you to know about.

For starters, there are the questions not to ask. There’s really no point in asking “What’s good?” It’s too subjective a question (good in whose opinion?), and besides, most waiters are not allowed by their management to say they don’t like a particular dish.

Vegetarians beware! Even if you order what they tell you is meat-free, that doesn’t mean all the ingredients are truly vegetarian. I’m talking about things like chicken stock or food fried in animal fat.

Ever hear the rule about not ordering fish on a Monday? It’s true. That’s because in a lot of places, the last seafood delivery came in on Friday, so what you’re getting is defrosted leftovers.

Watch out for those specials, especially at Sunday brunch. Items like casseroles and stews often include ingredients the restaurant couldn’t get rid of earlier.

Last, but certainly not least, the waiters may not tell you this, but tip in cash and you’ll be their favorite customer the next time around.

For more information, visit the Culinary Travel archives.

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