Originally Posted by Fredd

I empathize. ^ There's a larger issue connected to that IMO. At what point does one ruin the mood of what you hope to be a pleasant dining experience by raising a fuss? That's been our dilemma more than once. Generally, unless there's something truly awful we keep our mouths shut and leave.

Just yesterday we took a daughter out to lunch in British Columbia at an "upscale" restaurant near her house. Our daughter ordered a spaghetti Bolognese. She noticed immediately that it contained little pieces of... pork? Mrs. Fredd tasted it and found it reminiscent of corned beef.

Our daughter, to her credit, told the waitress, who checked with the chef. Oh, that's pancetta.

Okay, Mrs. Fredd knows what a good pancetta tastes like, and this wasn't of that quality. More important, while our daughter just dislikes the taste of pork, what if she held religious or other convictions that forbade her from eating it?

Still, she picked around it while I avoided the canned gravy that had been advertised as au jus accompanying my beef dip sandwich, we paid up, and left, vowing silently never to return but otherwise not complaining. I respect that others would be more assertive in such a situation but my general attitude is that I won't let it spoil my mood or my day unless it's truly terrible or the bill has been padded.

Obviously YMMV.