Two Minutes Hate

A Loaded Question
I hate it when I am out to eat some place and the waiter/waitress/server/host/manager comes over and asks how everything is...but not just regular "How is everything?" or "I hope everything is to your liking", etc... Those are fine. I hate when they ask "Is everything delicious tonight?" That is a Yes or No question and it leaves me no leeway. If you say 'yes' it makes it seem like everything is perfect, couldn't be any better, it is probably the best food that you have eaten in years. If you say 'no'; basically everything is terrible. For me, most meals are usually "very good" and I am usually very happy with them, but can I usually wouldn't describe them as delicious. I like to save "delicious" for meals that surprise and delight me, meals that I will be thinking about for weeks if not longer. I have maybe two or three meals like that per year. That doesn't mean the rest weren't good or even great...they just didn't quite reach that upper echelon of deliciousness.

The biggest problem is that the absolute worst offender of asking this type of question is usually the local Olive Garden. I don't mind Olive Garden every once in a while but to me it always seems pretty generic. Not just them, but Italian food in general...I just don't find the food inventive enough to be considered delicious in my mind. I mean - pasta, tomato, garlic, butter, Parmesan - there are only so many combinations before they all starting tasting too similar to me. I've had some good meals there, but nothing that has ever been particularly memorable...so I am always conflicted when it comes to the "delicious" question. If I say yes, I feel like I am lying. If I say no, it becomes a big deal and I have to explain and have even had to talk to the manager a few times to "see if he could do anything to help me enjoy my visit." I did enjoy my visit, I thought the food was fine...it met or exceeded my expectations for Olive Garden, just not what I consider "delicious." I am sure many people do think it is delicious, I am just not one of them...and I know that is my one of my biases.

I just annoys me that places ask such a loaded question. Of course 99% of the people are going to say yes because they don't want to deal with the hassle of saying no. When asked, I will just kind of brush off the question and say everything was really good...and hope the waiter will let it drop. Really I just want to eat in peace. If I have a problem, I will let you know.

End Hate