Buffet is a French word. It is properly defined as a restaurant with a banquet table with many small dishes from which, for a fixed amount of money, one is allowed to CHOOSE as many as one wishes.
Here in America, we salivate at the word CHOOSE. We love all the different types of places we can eat. Granted, when choices and restaurant come together, we pretty much have the one up on the rest of the world. Foreigners marvel at the fact that we can drive up and get anything from a smoothie to a steak dinner. Normally at a buffet or banquet you are sitting. The basic principle of a buffet, if you will, is to have a convenient and ornamental display of cuisine choices that are appetizing to a diverse group of people.
With that said, have you ever been south of the border? You can get a fish taco at ten different stands for next to nothing. But what you get is diverse ingredients displayed in a convenient way. Probably much different from what you expected. Remember, there is no such thing as drive-thru therefore, no sitting. So not a whole lot of choices like we have here in the old US of A
Speaking of choices, some of the best places to eat are buffet style or have a salad bar. Most of us pretty much accept the self-service concept as a given. You know the drill: wash your hands, watch the purse, wait until it’s your turn, serve yourself, enjoy the lime Jell-O and go back for more. Then there are some of us that, a do-it yourself buffet is just a less than convenient drive thru.
While most of us know the accepted norm for making choices at some of the finest restaurants; a business or private buffet-style dinner may present some unusual challenges.
First there is Navigating the table: Clockwise.
The Balancing Act: Pick-up the utensils and beverage at the end.
The Table Blockade: She stops and chats in front of the baked ham: Say “Excuse me, I would like to try that wonderful looking ham, will you step a little to the left?”
The Nibbler or Hoverer! Discreetly offer the forager a plate and say “You could really get a lot more dip this way, and try the meatballs too.”
The Invader: A person that reaches a full arm length over into the other side. Say, “Here let me get that for you, yours is spilling because of the long reach.”
The Ant: He wonders aimlessly, freely moving in and out of the clockwise flow. Say, “I know you must be in a hurry, but we want to keep the line moving.”
Finally, the Soda Server: Just like in a full-service restaurant, tip only the total cost of the service.
Realistically, in all of these situations you do have two choices. First: to be as cool as a smoothie and enjoy the diverse food and people; or second: to take the low road and be driven into the land of rudeness for next to nothing.
© 2008 Madolena Key, Mannerisms LLC, www.mannerismsllc.net