Yes, Brenda Nelson. I Can Handle The Truth!
Yesterday, I took Brenda’s advice and told the truth to the waitress. The vegetables are mushy! And guess what? She brought me fresh, nonmushy vegetables. Thank you, Brenda Nelson!
Last week, my fellow Triond author Brenda Nelson asked the question, “Can you handle the truth?” One of her points was that most restaurant customers, when asked how the food was, just smile politely at the waitress or manager and say that it was great. I resembled that remark, and resolved that the next time I get overcooked, mushy vegetables in a restaurant, I would say something.
I hate mushy vegetables. I don’t know how many times I have ordered a dish that comes with the ‘vegetable of the day’ and they have brought me mushy, overcooked vegetables. My usual habit would be to eat a few bites, and tell myself that the salad was a serving of vegetables, so it’s OK to leave them.
When the waitress runs by to ask “Everything all right… that’s great,” she usually times it perfectly so that my mouth is full, so I just smile politely as she sprints by. I never have the nerve to tell her later when she brings the bill that the veggies were mushy.
Yesterday Hubby and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary by going to a new restaurant in town. After a nice, crispy green salad, the waitress brought the entrees. Settled in beside the chicken and the scoopful of mashed potatoes was a serving of mushy, overcooked mixed vegetables.
The waitress was quite surprised when I asked if she could take my plate back with the mushy vegetables replaced with some freshly cooked crispy vegetables. She recovered quickly from the surprise and said, “Of course” (that was her waitress phrase for everything), and told me it would just be a few minutes. About five minutes later, she brought me a plate with a pile of hot, freshly cooked, al dente veggies.
This might have some of you thinking, ‘so what’s your point’ or some similar question about why I would consider this experience worthy of writing a Triond article. Well, for one thing, I’ve had a bad case of writer’s block lately and I would write about almost anything, and for another thing, I am usually like one of the people that Brenda wrote about who doesn’t usually complain about food in restaurants.
So thank you, Brenda. You have emboldened me to speak the truth and to ask for what I want, such as vegetables that are still the colour that they are supposed to be.
But when I ask Hubby if my butt looks good in this dress, I still want him to lie to me.
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July 25th, 2011 at 1:48 pm
Another great piece of humour. Loved it, as ever.
July 25th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
Haha, the last sentence made me laugh
Anyway, I am one of those who like overcooked vegetables so I do not complain, but then I rarely eat out too.
July 25th, 2011 at 6:45 pm
That is wonderful, everyone should do the same, I do but I get some strange looks.
July 25th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Good for you, Karen and Happy Late Anniversary.
July 25th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
I too have noticed that it seems they wait for one’s mouth to be full before asking if everything is all right. I hate mushy vegetables but hubby loves his cooked into oblivion. I guess it is a matter of taste. I take mine out and place them on a plate with a lid while I continue cooking his.
But when paying for our food, don’t we have the right to get what we pay for? Loved your humor. I never ask my hubby about my butt. I like it. lol
Take care.
July 26th, 2011 at 12:34 am
Way to go! You deserved fresh yummy veggies on your anniversary!
July 26th, 2011 at 5:59 am
Ha ha! I love that last line . Actually when my mother lived over her many years ago she used to eat virtually a full meal and then send the remains back saying something was wrong with it. Invariably she got another full meal. I used to find it really difficult to hide my embarrassment.
July 26th, 2011 at 9:16 am
This is great. Honesty is a good thing.
July 29th, 2011 at 11:36 pm
I have always had the phobia that if I complain about the food, and they bring it back to recook, replace, or bring something else, that they will do something to my food. In the back of my mind, I picture them spitting on the food or something, though I doubt they would really do it. I’m not sure why I think that honestly, but that’s probably why I’ve never said anything about the food there haha. I like how you ended this post, I’ll make note of that for when I get married heh
August 1st, 2011 at 1:38 pm
recently i went to a local restuarant and was served a hamburger steak that had so many seasonings on it, mostly pepper, that my mouth burned all nite, i did not complain just paid the bill as that is the type of person i am,, but i doubt i will go back and now that i am working in a restuarant as a cook, i would have wanted to hear that the meat was too hot, but i think the reason i dont complain is because you hear people sitting next to you complaining about EVERYTHING, AND I HATE THAT. i think alot of people are like us, they wont complain because they know there are a few people who whine after every bite… lol
August 11th, 2011 at 8:13 pm
I do believe they teach servers to wait until our mouths are full before asking how the food is. That technique doesn’t work on me – I won’t eat a bite if there’s something wrong with my food. Yup I wait them out. Having sent many a dish back to the kitchen I am sure I’ve eaten many a sneeze plate over the years, que sera sera!
August 14th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
I too hate undercooked veges! Glad you got some good ones!
Love the humor in the end of your article, sorry I missed reading this sooner.
I often encounter people who want lies rather than truth to be employers, they dont want to hear anything other than ego stroking and praise, yet they are the first ones to point out their employees errors and last ones to offer a compliment.
August 16th, 2011 at 7:59 am
Lovely article. You deserve crisp vegetables. Brenda gave good advice. Congrats to you for speaking up. Love the joke at the end. Funny!