A Warning to the Fastidious

[steepholm]

I realise the world won't end because of my irritation at this practice, but I'm truly mystified by it, and I hope that maybe somebody with experience of working in cafes can explain.

I refer, of course, to the strange habit (which I've only noticed in the last 15 years or so) of delivering food to the customer's table, not with a paper napkin, but actually on top of it. Since the napkin is presumably intended to allow you to wipe stray bits of food and grease from your fingers and mouth, what is the point of presenting it in a pre-greased condition?

I do see that in an outdoor cafe, on a windy day, there might be an argument for tucking a corner of the thing under a sturdy-looking carrot or lump of cheddar, but this happens indoors as well - and as often as not the food is simply placed four-square on top of the napkin, as if its purpose were to soak up all the jam, sauce, grease etc and save time on the washing up later.

Can anyone out there provide a lemon-fresh wipe for my brain and tell me what's going on?

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Ive never seen that. Maybe a regional thing? Here, in a coffee shop or diner, the setup has all the siver on top of the napkin (for extra sterility as well as to hold it down if the tables are outside). In slightly nicer places, the silver is fork one side, spoon and knife on the other, napkin beneath fork, and in places with linen napkins, the silver is often rolled into it. (really fancy places have the napkins folded into complicated shapes at the head of the waiting plate--the one that is taken away when the actual food is brought.

I've never seen food set down on top of napkins--the plate would crash into the silver.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

From what you say it sounds as if the napkin is always in situ before the customer sits down. That's sometimes true here too, of course, but in a lot of cafes there's just a plain table (with maybe some salt, pepper, vinegar, ketchup, sugar) in the centre, and everything else is brought by the waiter/waitress - frequently, as I say, with the food plonked on top of the paper napkin. Or picked up by the customer, if it's self-service.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Yeah, different setup. (Speaks the ex-waitress.) Here, if the table is empty, the waitress or bus boy will bring the setups first, but never, ever with the food. (I can't imagine where I'd carry silverware setups along with the six plates balanced along my right arm.)