The New Orleans Menu

Complaining Without Offending Your Host

Lisa asks:
I had lunch with a friend last week, and she treated. We got a lunch plate of fried shrimp, hush puppies, cole slaw, and some boiled potatoes. Everything was fine until I cut into one of the potatoes and saw that it was bad on the inside. The waitress never did come over and ask how everything was, and I was too embarrassed to tell my friend about it, so I didn't say anything. How can you fix a problem like this without making your host feel you're not enjoying the treat?

Tom sez:
Congratulations on your sensitivity. But you should have let the restaurant know about rotten food. A good restauraeur, chef, or waiter would want to know about that. Problems sneak through--food is not perfect all the time, no matter how much you pay for it. And if you tell them, they can fix the pestilence for you and others.

Here's how to do it without embarrassing your host. First, excuse yourself from the table. (The others at the table will think you've gone to the restroom.) As soon as you're out of sight, ask any service person to see the manager. Tell him that you don't want to embarrass either him or the host, and explain the problem. Unless the manager is a jerk (and there are a few of those out there), he will likely take care of it without the host being any the wiser.

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