When a server asks me this, or the related, "How is it tasting?" I am tempted to answer, "Orally."

It drives me crazy when you are seated and then a minute later the server comes over and asks you what you want for dinner. Give me time to read!!! Also, when plates or glasses are dropped. That noise makes the restaurant look like they cannot train staff to carry dishes.

Delta747

^ :D Much more straightforward is the Germans' Schmeckt gut?

In a fine French restaurant once the waiter came by and asked my husband, "And how is bambi?"

Actually that's not a peeve because up until that point, the place had a very stuffy uptight atmosphere. At that point we relaxed and enjoyed ourselves more. The same waiter later zipped by and refilled our wine glasses (from the bottle we'd ordered) with the comment "gotta keep an even buzz". His French accent made us ask each other, "did he really just say that?" :D

A real peeve, another time we went to a renowned American fine dining establishment and ten seconds after being seated, the sommelier asked if we would like wine. We hadn't even been handed menus yet.

When the big Mac they put in my to go bag looks nothing like the one in their advertisement! :rolleyes:

Good point.. What to do you say about "Chai Tea Latte" then? That is like saying "tea tea"... since the word for Tea in many Indian languages is "Chai". The Starbucks of the world could have just gone with just Chai or Chai latte at best

Chai Tea is similarly redundant...

And most of these chai lattes taste nothing like tea anyway......and IMO pretty lame drinks....

When I ordered a Hefeweissen using the correct pronunciation and the pub waiter corrected me with the wrong pronunciation. Um, whatever dude, just bring me one.

When the dress code for the dining room is collared shirt required, no denim allowed, but you have to walk through the bar to get there, which is full of people (who by 7pm, when our reservations are for, have already gotten blatantly drunk) in shorts and tee shirts.

I'm reading this wondering what the problem is. :confused:

I think that the issue is that one place has two different dress codes. The conflicting dress brings the "nice" restaraunt down a notch or two.

It certainly brings the "nice" place down a notch. When my wife and I go there, we expect to pay ~$100 each plus drinks, but it is like having to navigate through a local dive downtown to get to the seating area.

We having nothing against the downtown local dives, as we go there as well. It's just the fact that we are going to this particular place for its elegance.

In a related vein, I dislike restaurants that basically have two different menus. When they list $6 sandwiches on one page I am not going to believe that they'll do a good job preparing and serving the $35 filet mignon on the opposite page.

I, too, find "naan bread" and "chai tea" irritatingly redundant - in the latter case, I've been tempted to inquire if they use genuine " 'pani' water"? Speaking of naan, never was I so boggled as at an Indian restaurant near the Castle in Lisbon, highly touted by a guidebook, where said "naan" bore a striking resemblance to what in the USA would be known as
"English muffins"!