Posted by Lauren Simmons in back of house, editorials on May 8, 2008 at 7:47 am

There is an unspoken rift in Toronto’s foodie community. Bloggers lament the death of good service, reviewers pan otherwise fantastic dining experiences when neglectful hosts fail to take their coats, and in even the city’s trendiest rooms, diners sit pouting in wait for water refills and bread baskets.

In an effort to peek behind the scenes of the perhaps-not-so-well-oiled-machine of food service, I sat down with  a self-declared waiter par excellence who has worked in some of the city’s hottest restaurants. What came of the interview was an interesting conundrum: while many in food service consider themselves professional and take their jobs quite seriously, many whom they serve do not.

Just as hosts and chefs attempt to create ideal experiences for their clientele, it seems we foodies are becoming more and more controlling of our own dining destinies - placing custom orders, ordering off the menu, and attempting, in no small way, to get our money’s worth from our high-end eating experiences. In the piece below, our source offers their take on the fussy foodie, and in particular, on the dreaded “Half-Fries, Half-Salad” order. Is it reasonable to ask for what we want in our city’s fine restaurants, or have we gone too far? Are we simply being wise consumers, or are we no better than spoiled toddlers? In an effort to bridge the gap between those who love good food and those who love to serve it, we welcome comments from the readership on the themes presented here.

Half-fries Half-salad is one of the many occupational hazards of serving. The person that orders food this way is joyless; caught up in some of the worst aspects of consumer culture. Ordering Half-n-half is a struggle between ordering what you want (fries) and what you probably should have (salad). The cultures of beauty and image have made enjoying a leisurely burger and fries on a patio nearly impossible.

Ordering Half-n-half is also a sign of the individualized culture of entitlement that has started to ruin dining. Eating a meal is about sharing an experience with a friend or with what the Chef has concocted for the menu. Ordering half-n-half is chaotic and self-involved. While proponents might argue that they are making a choice. Ordering half-and-half is admitting you cannot make up your mind; it is a choice not to choose. Ordering half-n-half ensures that you will not get enough fries or salad to make you happy, ultimately leaving you unsatisfied with your meal.

Ordering half and half is inconsiderate to servers who have to communicate that order to a fast-paced kitchen. A kitchen that is putting out hundreds of covers- beside yours- can be train-wrecked by the smallest detail; like an order coming back because an order needed to have a little more green on it.

So as a server, and a person studying society, it seems that ordering Half-fries Half-salad is a specter hanging over the restaurant industry. It is quite possible that the Half-n-half phenomenon reflects many negative shifts in capitalist culture. While I know I can’t kick people out for ordering this way, I do see some alternatives that will help to compromise.

Surcharges: If a restaurant charges one or two dollars to make this substitution, diners would understand That this is a special request. This would also reflect food costs that might be incurred by having wasted half-orders of food that were not used in a day.

Share: Come with friends. If you both want a bit of both, why doesn’t one person order fries and the other order greens? This means you will have a good amount of each side to share because the person plating in the back isn’t worrying about putting the half the amount of something on your plate.

Order what you want: Let’s face it. You want crispy, golden, double-fried Yukon golds and you want to smother them in ketchup or mayonnaise or malt vinegar. You deserve it. Going out is a treat. Stop punishing yourself because some lifestyle magazine shows you a person with six-pack abs eating a 20oz. steak. Live. Be Happy. Eat!

Editor's Note - At the request of the writer and the source, the name of the server interviewed for this piece has been removed.