Do you poke your potatoes before baking and other nonsense

IMHO any sandwich that contains a spread other than a classic sandwich the menu should have stated it's inclusion on the menu in the food description. It is just the smart thing to do it alleviates having the food sent back.

IMHO any sandwich that contains a spread other than a classic sandwich the menu should have stated it's inclusion on the menu in the food description. It is just the smart thing to do it alleviates having the food sent back.

I take that to mean that you believe it's always up to the customer to ask for the spread on the side.

Yes, I believe asking for the spread aside is up to the customer as it is to ask for the salad dressing aside. There are somethings a waitperson should ask a customer specific to the item ordered. With an order of liver, the customer should be asked "medium rare or medium well done?". With a waffle order, the customer should be asked "crispy or soft?".
These two questions avoid dissatisfaction. People like these two items either one way or the other. Serve medium rare liver to someone who eats it medium well and it can disgust them. Serve medium well liver to someone who prefers medium rare and the liver is inedible. With waffles either you like the softness to caress your mouth or you want the crunch. This two way dilemma would make a great discussion point in itself. What others are there?

Yes, I believe asking for the spread aside is up to the customer as it is to ask for the salad dressing aside. There are somethings a waitperson should ask a customer specific to the item ordered. With an order of liver, the customer should be asked "medium rare or medium well done?". With a waffle order, the customer should be asked "crispy or soft?".
These two questions avoid dissatisfaction. People like these two items either one way or the other. Serve medium rare liver to someone who eats it medium well and it can disgust them. Serve medium well liver to someone who prefers medium rare and the liver is inedible. With waffles either you like the softness to caress your mouth or you want the crunch. This two way dilemma would make a great discussion point in itself. What others are there?

I hate dry, overcooked pork chops, wimpy pasta, and broiled or baked food finished with butter without being asked if I want it that way.

I hate dry, overcooked pork chops, wimpy pasta, and broiled or baked food finished with butter without being asked if I want it that way.

Pork chops are a tough one to cook. Today's pork is typically so lean without marbling that it is a tough one for the kitchen. That is why people are going back to the fatty breeds. IMHO thin chops are the easiest to cook well. With the thicker chops by the time the center is cooked the majority of the chop is dry and tasteless. Of course, now days in the USA you can order your chops medium to medium rare safely to avoid the problem. The majority of the people like their pork like their chicken with no red juice or meat.

These two questions avoid dissatisfaction.

The first time I ate a hamburger outside the NYC area I was shocked to find mustard served on it. (We only use ketchup here.) Nowadays, hamburger cooking has become a fine art so everyone asks about toppings, but back in the 1960's/1970's, apparently, folks served 'em in the local fashion without asking.

Other foods with "either/or" styles: eggs (gotta have runny yolks or absolutely not gotta have runny yolks), chili (blood oaths have been sworn over whether to use beans), scotch (on the rocks or neat).

Interesting topic.

These two questions avoid dissatisfaction.

The first time I ate a hamburger outside the NYC area I was shocked to find mustard served on it. (We only use ketchup here.) Nowadays, hamburger cooking has become a fine art so everyone asks about toppings, but back in the 1960's/1970's, apparently, folks served 'em in the local fashion without asking.

Other foods with "either/or" styles: eggs (gotta have runny yolks or absolutely not gotta have runny yolks), chili (blood oaths have been sworn over whether to use beans), scotch (on the rocks or neat).

Interesting topic.

Tea with milk in it without asking--they served that to me the first time I visited England.

Iced tea in America loaded with sugar--usually served that way in the South, or used to be. Oh, and while on the South: hush puppies with everything!

[Jenise]

These two questions avoid dissatisfaction.

The first time I ate a hamburger outside the NYC area I was shocked to find mustard served on it. (We only use ketchup here.) Nowadays, hamburger cooking has become a fine art so everyone asks about toppings, but back in the 1960's/1970's, apparently, folks served 'em in the local fashion without asking.

Other foods with "either/or" styles: eggs (gotta have runny yolks or absolutely not gotta have runny yolks), chili (blood oaths have been sworn over whether to use beans), scotch (on the rocks or neat).

Interesting topic.

Tea with milk in it without asking--they served that to me the first time I visited England.

Iced tea in America loaded with sugar--usually served that way in the South, or used to be. Oh, and while on the South: hush puppies with everything!

Was just there, and at least in Georgia, you do have to order your tea 'unsweetened' or it won't be. But at least, nowadays most places do make both. That's an improvement.