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The Most Annoying Restaurant Trends, Part 2

Posted: 01/26/2012 2:29 pm

The time has come! Since our most popular post of 2011 was The 10 Most Annoying Restaurant Trends, we've decided to give you the latest batch of restaurant-world developments that really get under our skin. Which one of these irks you the most? Get ready to hit the comment button to chime in with your thoughts.

Also see: Marc Forgione On His New Atlantic City Steakhouse and Life As an Iron Chef

Dogs in Cafes/Outdoor Restaurants
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Sometime during the early aughts, toting around your dog in your purse became acceptable social behavior (along with texting during dinner and talking about Twilight). As a result, itĀ seems more and more restaurants started bending health code rules to please overly entitled "pooch pushers" who insist on dragging their smelly mutts around with them 24/7. Don't get us wrong, we love animals, we just don't need to eat dinner next to them. Still not convinced that this trend has gone too far? There are restaurants now offering doggy menus. (We rest our case.)

Also see: Controversial Restaurant Policies: Are Wine Pairings Worth It?
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The time has come! Since our most popular post of 2011 was The 10 Most Annoying Restaurant Trends, we've decided to give you the latest batch of restaurant-world developments that really get under our...
The time has come! Since our most popular post of 2011 was The 10 Most Annoying Restaurant Trends, we've decided to give you the latest batch of restaurant-world developments that really get under our...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Oceras
A little inductive reasoning is a dangerous thing.
07:32 PM on 01/31/2012
Dogs in dining establishments good. Not dogs in dining establishments bad. Rinse and repeat.

Some people, like me, are larger than others. Larger people need more room to get in and out of a seat. The population of the United States is getting larger. And it's just as simple as getting taller. 'Nuff said.

I don't care who pours my wine. Just do it! And you can give it to me in a mason jar, if you want.

Commercial ketchup: read the ingredients. I eat them all. Heinz is not the only good brand.

If a restaurant thinks other-than-tap is what ought to be drunk, then they ought not be preparing food with tap water. Face it, non-tap = bigger profits.

Guess what men do in a restroom. Hint: miss.

No matter what the text looks like, restaurants ought not to be offering "proscuitto". If it's good enough to put in your customer's belly, it's good enough to spell right.

Regarding wood infusion: beware of vapor splinters.
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ontariogirl
Power to the People
12:37 PM on 01/31/2012
I wonder how they feel about cats?
12:35 PM on 01/31/2012
This is such a ridiculous and embarrassingly "American" post. In the majority of Europe tables are smushed so close together the waiter has to pull the tables away from the banquette to facilitate guests sitting. Heaven forbid we should accidentally come into contact with another human. We might talk to them! Oh no! I think we could all stand to get smaller rather than hoping for the restaurants to get bigger.
Also, dogs. Are dogs an issue really? Again, in Europe dogs are allowed everywhere, public transit, in (yes! inside!) restaurants, and there aren't headlines everyday reading "Dog Allergy kills another diner!" or "Dog-borne dirt causes man to die!"
Finally, does it make sense to demand every restaurant support a single company who makes a high fructose corn syrup, vinegar and tomato paste sauce? Give me my Heinz on everything! No wonder you want more room to sit down.
Yeesh.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Oceras
A little inductive reasoning is a dangerous thing.
07:34 PM on 01/31/2012
Do you suggest that people over 6 feet tall cut off some of their legs?
10:16 AM on 01/31/2012
As long as the dog in question or the child in question is well educated and won't annoy the rest of the costumers, and the owner of the creature (dog/kid) is polite enough to kindly leave the place when the creature is causing a disturbance, I really can't see the problem in sharing my dinning terrace with people with children nor dogs.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Oceras
A little inductive reasoning is a dangerous thing.
07:35 PM on 01/31/2012
You bring up a good point about children. Young children are major disease vectors. They don't understand hygiene and throw food all over the place. Some of them make such loud, high-pitched screams that birds a mile away go into seizure.
09:55 AM on 01/31/2012
Hey, that's my boy Bogart Handsome Devil (the Airedale Terrier)! He is an excellent outdoor cafe dog, doing his thing (lay under table, watch world go by) here. His blog: www.toaireisdivine.com/blog
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Irishjac
Making lemonade as fast as I can.....
02:38 PM on 01/31/2012
I know! I LOVE Bogart!! Read his blog daily!

And, as you can see, I have an Airedale myself, so I guess I'm a little biased! ;)
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Shauni Waterdragon
Out to lunch on several levels.
07:35 AM on 01/31/2012
Love me, love my dog.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
11:57 PM on 01/30/2012
I don't mind dogs, outdoors...as long as they don't bark or attack other dogs...but they always seem to do that.....especially in places that have the tables too close....
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bmwracer
In the LEFT lane.
11:33 PM on 01/30/2012
Walk into just about any Chinese restaurant and you'll find the tables are always packed so close that you have to be lowered into your seat via a crane.

It's all about making money and packing the restaurant to the hilt... It'd be a disaster if there was a fire.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ljkcan
Yes, I am prone to spelling errors
10:36 PM on 01/30/2012
I could stand any of the above. It would be the idiot talking loud on their cell phone while your trying to have a nice meal that woud ruin it.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
11:58 PM on 01/30/2012
BINGO! Sadly, many people just cannot have a conversation unless it is via cell phone...sad..
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ontariogirl
Power to the People
12:28 PM on 01/31/2012
The worst is in a movie theatre. Drives me nuts.
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Lahonda
Bynocent Instander
09:26 PM on 01/30/2012
I'll eat with Hobbitses!
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Lahonda
Bynocent Instander
09:22 PM on 01/30/2012
BIG wine glasses! Full.
08:34 PM on 01/30/2012
This has got to be one of the whiniest articles I've read on HuffPo. The solution is to not go to a restaurant that has trends you find annoying.
04:39 PM on 01/30/2012
For years I have picked my restaurants and coffee houses based on their having an outdoor space where my well-behaved dog can accompany me (who is, incidentally, an Airedale as is the dog in the photo). In many parts of Europe dogs are allowed in restaurants. Our country has too many ill-behaved dogs. Allowing them to go places if they are well-behaved is a powerful incentive for training them. Which would you rather sit near - my mannerly dog or someone's disruptive child? Well-behaved dogs and children should both be welcome.
11:07 AM on 01/31/2012
Faved! I'm with you Linda, I'd rather sit by a sweet well behaved dog than a rambunctious rude loud child.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
gregory57
Micro-bio, was one of my favorite classes.
11:21 AM on 01/31/2012
Some people are allergic to dogs.
11:58 AM on 01/31/2012
I'm allergic to perfume and at times the fumes from nearby diners have given me headaches and made my dining experience miserable, but I don't see perfume being banned. I am sympathetic to allergy sufferers but please remember we are talking about outdoor spaces. In my experience dogs have been allowed where the is ample space and the most I've ever seen is one other person with a dog. A person who is so allergic being near a dog in an outdoor space is uncomfortable or just doesn't want to can chose to sit at a distance or to eat at an inside table.
12:37 PM on 01/31/2012
Most restaurants in Paris and Italy allow dogs in the dining room. There are no outbreaks of allergy-related deaths there.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
bmitche
04:21 PM on 01/30/2012
If the food is clean and good, I could tolerate the rest.
09:09 PM on 01/30/2012
I see this site only likes what they want to hear
03:51 PM on 01/30/2012
I fail to see the problem. If you do not like the way a restaurant or other business operates simply don’t go back. Curb your ego and don’t expect everyone to change to accommodate you. Go to places that cater to people with your same tastes or don’t you want to be around people like you.
02:01 PM on 02/01/2012
Then I would suggest that the restaurants include in their ads "4 legged Dogs Welcome".