Are You a Chef's Worst Nightmare of a Diner?

Especially at fancy restaurants, chefs spend a lot of time creating and testing the menu's dishes. Though half the ingredients are foreign to you, the fun of fine dining is to surprise your palate. Try to remain open and embrace the new and unknown. Nothing bums chefs out more than a picky eater who asks the chef to hold everything.

When a server puts an order in, then what's done is done. Chefs despise last-minute changes. Perhaps the steak has already been fired! That's $50 down the drain in a chef's eyes, unless a server can quickly find another guest to order it.

OK, so you're vegan, gluten-free, paleo, or whatnot. At fine-dining establishments, it's much more courteous to voice these restrictions when making a reservation. Otherwise, call ahead to see if the restaurant can accomodate you. Those who have worked the line know how difficult it is to make an off-menu item for a specialty diet. It disrupts the flow of the kitchen and is annoying, and you may end up with a plate of steamed vegetables.

Chefs exude a lot of energy ensuring that each dish has balanced flavors and textures. To take the vegetables from one dish, the protein from another, and the sauce from yet another will freak a chef out. Why? Because the béchamel does not go with the pork, which does not complement the stir-fried green beans. Instead of thinking you have the keen ability to pull together a super dish, trust the chef, and don't force him to create a food Frankenstein.