A Question........

Food not touching....hmm...last time I heard that my kid was two. I have a suggestion. Tell them the only way you can possibly do that is to use a divided plate. Then serve them on plastic divider plates, or better yet tell them they must bring their own.

Dave,

Maybe you can buy some of those plastic plates with the dividers that we had in elementary school cafeterias. That way their food would not touch. You could even go the cheaper route and buy the throw away plates for picnics that have the dividers in them as well. Maybe getting their food served on styrofoam might shoo them away

So a nice pan seared tuna on a bed of rice is a no no?

Was that for me? My own thoughts on the matter would be regarding foods that aren't intended to be mixed yet served on the same plate. If the dish is intended to be served that way... *shrug*.

Not that I care ultimately, I don't really have those issues....

Aaron- no just carrying on the converstion.

I am not sure that any chef would serve food on the same plate that could not touch the other food.

wow Todd....we were posting the exact thing at the same time, LOL! GMTA

That's it Dave, Linda and Todd got it right, not only should you go buy a pack of "Sponge Bob" divider plates, but go all out, sippy cups, and plastic spoons(cause knives and forks are dangerous)..I think they'll get the picture, and you would become a legend.

And if you do that last suggestion: please, please take a picture for us...!!!!!

(I've got some plastic and styrofoam plate settings and kiddy plates that I'll happily donate to the cause if you want to come get them )

Deb

Hey Dave! I think I'd print up a special casserole menu just for them. Ask your server to alert you when said family comes in and inform them of the yummy casserole specials available. Try to keep a straight face as you say "I'm sorry, this is the only menu available for casserole month".

Good luck![/url]

But, David, they may actually LIKE this menu. (no accounting for taste )

Deb

Hmm, I'm contemplating lasagna:

(These are not real measures.)

A bowl of puree.
A bowl of crushed tomatoes.
A small bowl of paste.
The cloves of garlic.
Tablespoon of oregano.
Tablespoon of basil.
Tablespoon of salt.
A bowl of ground beef.
A bowl of Italian sausage.
A bowl of pepperoni.

A bowl of ricotta.
A bowl of mozzarella.
A bowl of romano cheese.
A pile of cooked lasagna pasta.

I guess you serve a bunch of small bowls and they eat each one separately.

This reminds me of Orso in NYC where the tiramisu comes deconstructed. You get a buch of lady fingers, a bowl of marscapone, some espresso, kahlua, and shaved choclate. For only $12 you can do all the work the pastry chef didn't.
Well, at least nothing touches.

Tell them that the kitchen is too busy to separate their food (on a night you're hopping, of course) And, when they try to order something special, have the server say, "We're really busy tonight. I'll have to check with the kitchen to see if we can accommodate you."

I have people like that too---well maybe not THAT bad, but regulars who come in a lunch and want dinner items or viseversa--- they want charged for one meat addition to a salad, but want half ham and half turkey---it never ends!

Hi, this is borderline off subject but has been mentioned several times. I teach workshops on OCD. It is very seldom understood, but is becoming today what Epilepsy was years ago. Folks with OCD are seldom as rude as the family being described. Okay, sometimes. Most people, often because of what the media presents, confuse OCD with OCPD.
That's the Personality Disorder and they are worlds apart. The family discussed sound more like OCPD and such folks become irritable if their wishes are not accomodated. More and more people are "coming out" about their disorder and are vulnerable about the reactions of non-sufferers. As to the family on which this thread is based, it's your restaurant. Neither OCD nor OCPD begets violence, but nowadays I find myself being overly...uh, tactful, to avoid confrontations that can escalate. That may be one of your concerns, rather than "bad" word of mouth. Try saying no, then moan and groan about what frequent customers they are and how you want to say yes but you can't and you feel awful...at every unusual request. That should tire them out so they may not return. About one in fifty persons has OCD, so if anyone has a friend or family member who may have it, or if you're just curious about OCD, send me an email in private and I'll try to answer any question. Otherwise, I'm off to the About Louisville section.