OK what's with spoons in restaurants? Why is it that so many restaurants
don't put out spoons? Like they expect you to eat a baked potato or corn
with a fork? How much potato can you scrape out of the skin with a fork??
Then give you 2 forks. What the hell is that for? What ever happened to
the good old days when you got a fork, spoon and knife?

On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 06:56:53 -0500, "SA" >
wrote:

>OK what's with spoons in restaurants? Why is it that so many restaurants
>don't put out spoons? Like they expect you to eat a baked potato or corn
>with a fork? How much potato can you scrape out of the skin with a fork??
>Then give you 2 forks. What the hell is that for? What ever happened to
>the good old days when you got a fork, spoon and knife?

Stick toy using your fingers and don't worry about it.

-- Larry

"SA" > wrote in message
...
> OK what's with spoons in restaurants? Why is it that so many restaurants
> don't put out spoons? Like they expect you to eat a baked potato or corn
> with a fork? How much potato can you scrape out of the skin with a fork??
> Then give you 2 forks. What the hell is that for? What ever happened to
> the good old days when you got a fork, spoon and knife?

Life is cruel sometimes
Oh, oh
So cruel
Those damn restauranteurs
Always ****in' with us
No spoons, no sporks
Only knifes, and ****in' forks
How can I eat my peas
Give me a spoon I won't say please
Life is so cruuuuuel

SA wrote:
> OK what's with spoons in restaurants? Why is it that so many restaurants
> don't put out spoons? Like they expect you to eat a baked potato or corn
> with a fork? How much potato can you scrape out of the skin with a fork??
> Then give you 2 forks. What the hell is that for? What ever happened to
> the good old days when you got a fork, spoon and knife?
>
>
Why do you want to scrape the potato out of the skin? Don't like the
skins? Eat the skin and all and there's no problem. Whoever ate potatoes
with a spoon, except infants? Like wise corn - I've NEVER seen anybody
have a problem with eating corn with a fork. If you do, just mix the
corn with the potato and eat them both together. I mean after all,
they're going into the same stomach and coming out the same bung hole,
right?

Two forks - one's for the salad and the other is for eating dinner. You
start from the outside and work inwards with eating utensils when you
eat out (or even if you are still living with your parents at home).

And yes, all restaurants except for BK, Taco Belch, and other fast food
places give one the basic fork/knife/spoon set. What you may not get is
a soup spoon, because not everyone eats soup.

Gads, what a douche bag!
--
Jack

Jack wrote:
> SA wrote:
>> OK what's with spoons in restaurants? Why is it that so many
>> restaurants don't put out spoons? Like they expect you to eat a baked
>> potato or corn with a fork? How much potato can you scrape out of the
>> skin with a fork?? Then give you 2 forks. What the hell is that for?
>> What ever happened to the good old days when you got a fork, spoon and
>> knife?
>>
> Why do you want to scrape the potato out of the skin? Don't like the
> skins? Eat the skin and all and there's no problem. Whoever ate potatoes
> with a spoon, except infants? Like wise corn - I've NEVER seen anybody
> have a problem with eating corn with a fork. If you do, just mix the
> corn with the potato and eat them both together. I mean after all,
> they're going into the same stomach and coming out the same bung hole,
> right?
>
> Two forks - one's for the salad and the other is for eating dinner. You
> start from the outside and work inwards with eating utensils when you
> eat out (or even if you are still living with your parents at home).
>
> And yes, all restaurants except for BK, Taco Belch, and other fast food
> places give one the basic fork/knife/spoon set. What you may not get is
> a soup spoon, because not everyone eats soup.
>
> Gads, what a douche bag!

Well, I agree with the OP. Why a spoon for a baked potato?
Because I prefer to scrape out the potato, put some butter,
S&P in side the skin and eat it that way. If I don't finish
the insides I really don't care but don't mess with my skin
"boats".

Some people don't like mixing different things, i.e. corn
and taters. I'm not one of 'em but my BIL absolutely
refuses to let one thing even *touch* another. A little
weird? To me, yup. To him, nope. And I really don't give a
rats asshole, he's eating it why should I care.

I wouldn't know about BK, TB, etc as I haven't been to or
eaten from a fast food puke joint in about 20 years but we
go to a place which is a pretty nice place that makes a
great clam dish in a saffron broth. The broth is to die
for... but they never give me a freekin' spoon! I always
have to ask.

Yell all you want at me too, but the OP's right.

--
Steve

In article >,
Steve Calvin > wrote:

> Yell all you want at me too, but the OP's right.

I can tell you that SOME restaurants DO give you a spoon. Like the one
I used to work at as a second job. A privately owned place in St.
Charles, MO called Trailhead Brewing Company.

But the reason some restaurants don't distribute spoons is that it
reduces silverware cleaning costs to not clean spoons that were never
used. Those restaurants will give you a spoon a request, but then they
will wash a spoon that was actually used.

It may seem silly, thinking that spoons are small, and so washing them
may not seem a big deal. But it is like pennies. One penny isn't much.
A handful of pennies may add up to a small bit. A truckload of pennies
might be enough for a nice vacation, but the volume is noticeable. A
few spoons is not much. But a silverware tray of spoons is significant.
And many cities have health codes that mandate all silverware be double
washed. If the silverware is mixed, it then all has to be separated,
stored, and if the place in question wraps its silverware inside the
napkin, then that is an extra set of motions for each napkin. All those
extra bits add to labor, and thus to labor costs.

Grumble as much as you want, but when the impact is a bottom line jolt
to satisfy that one in 300 customers when anyone can ask for a spoon and
only those who want one will dirty one, and it should be clear why
management has made this decision.

jt

jt august wrote:

>
> Grumble as much as you want, but when the impact is a bottom line jolt
> to satisfy that one in 300 customers when anyone can ask for a spoon and
> only those who want one will dirty one, and it should be clear why
> management has made this decision.
>
> jt

Then I avoid those cheap a**ed places. I'm going out to
dinner because I don't *want* to cook or do dishes. I cook
most every night. Give me a freekin' spoon or I'll go
somewhere else. Geeze.

--
Steve

In article >,
Steve Calvin > wrote:

> Then I avoid those cheap a**ed places. I'm going out to
> dinner because I don't *want* to cook or do dishes. I cook
> most every night. Give me a freekin' spoon or I'll go
> somewhere else. Geeze.

That is your prerogative as a consumer. The power of choice!

jt

"jt august" > wrote in message
...

>
> It may seem silly, thinking that spoons are small, and so washing them
> may not seem a big deal. But it is like pennies. One penny isn't much.
> A handful of pennies may add up to a small bit. A truckload of pennies
> might be enough for a nice vacation, but the volume is noticeable. A
> few spoons is not much. But a silverware tray of spoons is significant.
> And many cities have health codes that mandate all silverware be double
> washed. If the silverware is mixed, it then all has to be separated,
> stored, and if the place in question wraps its silverware inside the
> napkin, then that is an extra set of motions for each napkin. All those
> extra bits add to labor, and thus to labor costs.
>
> Grumble as much as you want, but when the impact is a bottom line jolt
> to satisfy that one in 300 customers when anyone can ask for a spoon and
> only those who want one will dirty one, and it should be clear why
> management has made this decision.
>
> jt

Yep, it may sound silly, but when I ordered a Dos XXX and was asked "Do you
want a glass?" and didn't get one, I won't be going back -- it could've been
the wait-person's decision -- or yet, it could've been management's!!!!
Plopping a bottle of beer down in front of a 70+ year-old woman is not my
idea of even a pizza joint's management decision. At any rate, the pizza
wasn't that special either. :-))
Dee Dee

"Dee Dee" > wrote in message
>
> Yep, it may sound silly, but when I ordered a Dos XXX and was asked "Do
> you want a glass?" and didn't get one, I won't be going back -- it
> could've been the wait-person's decision -- or yet, it could've been
> management's!!!!
> Plopping a bottle of beer down in front of a 70+ year-old woman is not my
> idea of even a pizza joint's management decision. At any rate, the pizza
> wasn't that special either. :-))
> Dee Dee

The Dos XXX makes it an exception. Seems a lot of people add the lime wedge
and use the bottle instead of a glass. Any other brand I'd say they were
wrong.

In article >,
"Dee Dee" > wrote:

> Yep, it may sound silly, but when I ordered a Dos XXX and was asked "Do you
> want a glass?" and didn't get one, I won't be going back -- it could've been
> the wait-person's decision -- or yet, it could've been management's!!!!
> Plopping a bottle of beer down in front of a 70+ year-old woman is not my
> idea of even a pizza joint's management decision.

That sounds to me more like the server forgot your answer and just
didn't bring it. I hope you cut the tip to reflect the poor service.

> At any rate, the pizza
> wasn't that special either. :-))

That is more a good reason to not go back.

jt

On Fri, 28 Sep 2007 02:40:41 GMT, jt august > wrote:

>But the reason some restaurants don't distribute spoons is that it
>reduces silverware cleaning costs to not clean spoons that were never
>used. Those restaurants will give you a spoon a request....

Restaurants, including the very finest -- e.g., the French Laundry,
Topolobampo, and the Inn at Little Washington -- don't ever put out
full, formal silverware settings any more. They put out the implements
needed for the next course.

But any decent restaurant should automatic ally lay out a spoon
whenever the next course calls for one. And if you are clumsy, and
wouild prefer a spoon for some foodstuff that most people handle with
a fork, they should give you one upon request, making which you
shouldn't view as a hardship.

If not, eat at a better restaurant.

-- Larry

"jt august" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Steve Calvin > wrote:
>
>> Yell all you want at me too, but the OP's right.
>
> I can tell you that SOME restaurants DO give you a spoon. Like the one
> I used to work at as a second job. A privately owned place in St.
> Charles, MO called Trailhead Brewing Company.
>
> But the reason some restaurants don't distribute spoons is that it
> reduces silverware cleaning costs to not clean spoons that were never
> used. Those restaurants will give you a spoon a request, but then they
> will wash a spoon that was actually used.
>
Well, that's why I brought up the second fork. If they're so worried about
water cost, then why the second fork? I think I can use my salad fork for
my steak.

Also, common sense would say that forks are for stabbing things like steak,
chicken etc. Or for holding something while you're cutting it. Spoons are
for scooping things up that you can't stab to easily - like potatos and
corn. If you had the option to scoop up a spoon full of corn with a spoon
or scoop up a couple kernels of corn with a fork which makes more sense?
Duhhh!

An yes, I can ask for a spoon, but why should I have to? Would most people
be upset it they didn't put out any silverware unless asked for?

In article >,
"SA" > wrote:

> Well, that's why I brought up the second fork. If they're so worried about
> water cost, then why the second fork? I think I can use my salad fork for
> my steak.

Many people don't like to reuse a salad fork. There is a social norm
that mandates a separate fork for the salad and the main course.

> Spoons are
> for scooping things up that you can't stab to easily - like potatos and
> corn. If you had the option to scoop up a spoon full of corn with a spoon
> or scoop up a couple kernels of corn with a fork which makes more sense?

I rarely see adults use a spoon on either corn or potatoes, but I do see
kids occasionally us a spoon on these. Again, I stree Occasionally for
kids. Most kids even use forks. Whether you feel it makes more sense
or not, the simple fact is that most people don't spoon in public.
Their corn that is.

jt

On Sat, 29 Sep 2007 23:12:05 -0500, "SA" >
wrote:

>.... If you had the option to scoop up a spoon full of corn with a spoon
>or scoop up a couple kernels of corn with a fork which makes more sense?

The fork. Spoons are meant for foods with some liquid content, so that
lips wipe smoothly across the surface. Without liquid content, lips
stick to the spoon's surface,making them awkward to use.

Forks don't exhibit this problem, since they have much less surface
area.

(Not only is this a really dumb thread, but it would be much more
appropriate in rec.food.restaurants...)

-- Larry

On Sep 27, 4:56 am, "SA" > wrote:
> OK what's with spoons in restaurants? Why is it that so many restaurants
> don't put out spoons? Like they expect you to eat a baked potato or corn
> with a fork? How much potato can you scrape out of the skin with a fork??
> Then give you 2 forks. What the hell is that for? What ever happened to
> the good old days when you got a fork, spoon and knife?

(with tongue partially in cheek) Unless you are having soup, coffee,
iced tea, soft-boiled eggs, pudding, eating family style, having Tony
Bourdain's 'Last Meal' or making your own pot of tea at the table
there is no proper ecological reason to put one out. While there are
dinner knives and dinner forks, there is no dinner spoon. There are
soup spoons, demitasse spoons, iced tea spoons, egg spoons, dessert
spoons, table spoons, marrow spoons and tea spoons; but, alas, to
repeat myself, no such thing as a dinner spoon (unless you frequent
the base mess or certain take-away joints where the institutional
crossbreed called a spork can sometimes be spotted).