Etiquette

I can't say I've ever sent food back.  I just don't patronise the restaurant again.  I once went to a restaurant where folks sent food back and back and I was so embarrassed!

I don't ask for doggie bags here, either.  After living here a while, yeah, it does seem a little low class.  But that's just my 2p.

From my observation, it's not so much that American portions are larger, but that American restaurants offer many extra courses. In America, you get bread or rolls while you are waiting to order your meal, plus maybe some coleslaw, olives, etc.  You then get a soup and a salad. After, you get your entree, plus a couple of different vegetables on the side. 

In England, you sit down, have your entree, pay for your meal, and leave.  The entree isn't any smaller than an American entree, you just don't get rolls, soup, salad, etc.  (At least that's how I've observed it.)

In England, you sit down, have your entree

Now, there's an americanism that confused me. How it that the entree?

The word means "entrance".

Aperitif
Entree
Plat Principaux
Dessert

Surely it a starter

The entree = the main course, e.g. "steak with mushrooms".  Not sure why, as it is not the "entry" meal. This might just be a regional term; maybe the terminology in other parts of the US is different.

I also left out the appetizer,  (for example, an antipasto, or some cottage cheese or a grapefruit), which sometimes is served after the soup and salad.

And I didn't mention drinks and dessert because those are the same in the UK and the US.

P.S. Checked dictionary.com:

en·trée or en·tree    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (ntr, n-tr)
n.

1. a. The main dish of a meal.
     b. A dish served in formal dining immediately before the main course or between two principal courses.

2. a. The act of entering.
    b. The power, permission, or liberty to enter; admittance.

At Pizza Express, I wasn't very hungry, so I only ate part of the pizza one time. The waitress was so concerned that I didn't like it, and I had to explain, no, I'm just not that hungry! My bf wanted to eat, so I just got something and took the rest home. I was surprised when she was so concerned, most waitresses never ask here stateside.

At Pizza Express, I wasn't very hungry, so I only ate part of the pizza one time. The waitress was so concerned that I didn't like it, and I had to explain, no, I'm just not that hungry! My bf wanted to eat, so I just got something and took the rest home. I was surprised when she was so concerned, most waitresses never ask here stateside.

I got that all the time in the States. If I didn't finish a meal, the waitress wanted to know if there was something I didn't like, and then tell me that I was thin and needed to eat more.

I can't imagine someone telling an overweight person in a restaurant that they should eat less.

Another etiquette thing -

Is it considered rude or American to cut up all or most of your food, then eat?  I don't always do that, but sometimes if, for example, I get about two thirds through a steak I'll just cut up the rest and put my knife down.

Simon commented on it once, not in a bad or nasty way, but he just giggled and said "you are such an American".  I wasn't sure what he meant then I think I read somewhere else here that it is indeed an American thing to do.  But is it considered rude or poor form?

~Liza

Another etiquette thing -

Is it considered rude or American to cut up all or most of your food, then eat?  I don't always do that, but sometimes if, for example, I get about two thirds through a steak I'll just cut up the rest and put my knife down.

I've never seen any Americans do this, except if they have a small child with them and are cutting up pieces for the child to swallow.  Maybe it's a regional custom?

Another etiquette thing -

Is it considered rude or American to cut up all or most of your food, then eat?  I don't always do that, but sometimes if, for example, I get about two thirds through a steak I'll just cut up the rest and put my knife down.

Simon commented on it once, not in a bad or nasty way, but he just giggled and said "you are such an American".  I wasn't sure what he meant then I think I read somewhere else here that it is indeed an American thing to do.  But is it considered rude or poor form?

~Liza

Hmmm... I doubt it would be considered rude really. I havent ever seen anyone do it here but really who pays that much attention to the way someone eats their food? Is it an American thing? I never really noticed it when I lived in the USA either. I do cut my sons meat up in pieces though.

One thing I did change about my eating in public is the way I munch my "chips". I consider them a finger food and simply use my fingers! Well one day I noticed Frank was using his fork so I started to use my fork also.
Also I somehow started turning my fork prongs down when I take a bite. Dont know when I started to do this but its just something I picked up here. Which side of the fork is the proper side anyway? Prongs up or prongs down?

I can't imagine someone telling an overweight person in a restaurant that they should eat less.

Try going to La Tasca in Charlotte Street, Edinburgh!!
There's a Spanish waiter there who thinks he is the food police.

Try going to La Tasca in Charlotte Street, Edinburgh!!
There's a Spanish waiter there who thinks he is the food police.

LOL. Really?! Is he rude?

I was taught growing up it was poor etiquette to cut up all your food before eating it. I wouldn't say it was rude or would necessarily offend anyone...just that it would be looked on as bad etiquette..more of a social faux pas I guess you could say. It sort of appears childish in a way having all your meat cut up on your plate and stabbing it with a fork and eating it quickly....as if you're in too much of a hurry to eat in an orderly manner. I've done it for my children when they were too young to cut their own though.

Try going to La Tasca in Charlotte Street, Edinburgh!!

OMG, and their food is vile!  Yuck.  Went in there for 'tapas' - they literally made me sick!  Took one bite of something resembling a meatball and made a dash for the toilet shortly thereafter.  Left after that.  Just the smell of that place gives me the boak.

I was taught growing up it was poor etiquette to cut up all your food before eating it. I wouldn't say it was rude or would necessarily offend anyone...just that it would be looked on as bad etiquette..more of a social faux pas I guess you could say. It sort of appears childish in a way having all your meat cut up on your plate and stabbing it with a fork and eating it quickly....as if you're in too much of a hurry to eat in an orderly manner. I've done it for my children when they were too young to cut their own though.

Me, too, Melissa! I was taught a very proper British way of using knives and forks, so the American way always seemed really heavy-handed and unattractive to me. I've always been told to hold the fork, tines down, in the left hand, and the knife in the right. If you want to pause for conversation during eating, you put both the knife down and then the fork across it, still tines down. In a restaurant, this is a sign to your waiter that you haven't finished your meal, but are merely taking a break. When you are finished, you place your knife and fork side by side, the fork with its tines up and knife with the blade facing the fork. That's the signal that you're done. It might sound picky, but it's been ingrained into me by my parents since I could first eat food on my own, so it just comes naturally.

LOL. Really?! Is he rude?

We went to La Tasca for tapas, but it wasnt for a wee afternoon snack; we had intended that this was going to be our main meal of the day, so we were going to order lots of different dishes and experiment with some new things that we'd never tried before.
So, there we are, waiter stood at our table taking our order, and as we started to order the 5th dish (these are tapas... tiny portions, mind!), the guy goes 'no, no, no... that's enough', and i was like 'no, we want more' and he kept saying it was too many dishes.  I explained that this is our main meal, and we wanted to order a couple more dishes, so he reluctantly (!) took our order, but i was left thinking 'f*cksake!!'

I have heard horror stories of tourists ordering too much food cos they didnt understand the menu or portion sizes or whatever, but this was tapas, and we were not tourists!