Quote:
Originally Posted by MandoMan
Naturally, waiters don’t want to bring you the check until they’ve tried to talk you into buying dessert, coffee, or that special cocktail called the DUI. But I’ve never had a waiter refuse or hesitate when I’ve asked for the check when the meal is delivered. I often put my credit card near the edge of the table when I’m ready to pay, and waiters are usually quick to notice that and bring the check. But no, it’s not rude to ask for it early. Better to have you leave quickly, with a good tip, so there is a chance of a second seating, than to have you sit around and chat for another half hour and leave the same tip and leave too late for another seating. Some restaurants are very fast with bringing the checks, and some are slow. Time of day also matters, but in some restaurants, during slow periods waiters are standing around chatting with other waiters instead of paying attention. Then there are the ones who spend five minutes chatting about themselves. Sunday night I tried O’Grady’s, and the waitress devoted five minutes to telling us it was her birthday, and she’d gotten a $25 tip and was hoping for another. Oh, and how the food was authentic Scottish fare cooked in the traditional way. (It’s not.)
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As I fancy myself as something of a gourmet when it comes to ethnic eats, I have to confess I've never been particularly attractive to traditional Scottish food. That is NOT to say that it isn't good, or that some people go out of their way to find a restaurant serving it--but, for example, the traditional Scottish dish haggis; a sheep's stomach stuffed with the rest of the sheep innards mixed with rice and then boiled, does not strike me as overwhelmingly attractive, though in truth it does sound like a pretty good survival food (which is probably the origin of haggis in the first place). On the other hand, haggis served with the traditional DRINK of Scotland (i.e. Scotch whisky) does make the entire package more attractive.