Everyday Systems

just curious. I try virtual plating, but I know it doesn't usually work for me.

I'm too much of a cheapskate to eat appetizers except as a small meal alone. (Legacy from daddy).

Unless I'm at a high end restaurant, I don't worry about the bread. I make my own bread, and only a specialty baker is going to do better.

I just decline a starter salad.

(If I want all of those things, I eat out on an S-day).

I need my greens, so I order a green salad with dressing on the side. Fork dips into the dressing, then into the salad. Gives you a taste of the dressing, let's you control the enormous amount of sugar and oil in restaurant dressing.

If I'm alone, I ask them not to bring bread until dinner is served, then just one or two pieces. They won't mind this kind of request. I often leave half or more of the starch served with dinner on the plate.

It's hard to plate every meal, but restaurants are a particularly bad place to eat.

I order an entree, nothing else. The entree and whatever comes with it are OK, anything else (appetizers, extra sides, dessert) is not. No bread or chips and salsa before my entree comes.

I also don't go to restaurants that serve huge portions (most casual chain restaurants) or a lot of stuff along with the entree very often.