{"id":4694,"date":"2026-06-19T16:07:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T16:07:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4694"},"modified":"2026-06-19T16:07:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T16:07:27","slug":"miss-manners-am-i-allowed-to-send-back-a-tiny-restaurant-meal-and-request-real-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4694","title":{"rendered":"Miss Manners: Am I allowed to send back a tiny restaurant meal and request real food?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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DEAR MISS MANNERS<\/strong>: I dined at a highly renowned restaurant in the big city with my partner, Derek, and our lady friend, Jessica.<\/p>\n

Read more Marginal risk for storms and heat advisory for Central Florida<\/a><\/p>\n

The waitstaff was young and attractive, the silverware was clean, and the food was attractively displayed when we were served.<\/p>\n

Derek and Jess each had a drink, I had water, and the bill came to something just south of $200.<\/p>\n

My companions are used to fine dining, but I was shocked when the food was delivered. It was like a joke \u2014 the plate was nearly empty. The \u201cmeal\u201d was artfully prepared, probably with rare and desirable ingredients, but after dinner, I went to a real restaurant and got a cheeseburger.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not my inclination to make a scene when we\u2019re out having a nice time, so I didn\u2019t, but if we ever go \u201cfine dining\u201d again, what are my rights as a customer? Should I have sent the plate back to the kitchen and told them to put some real food on it?<\/p>\n

GENTLE READER<\/strong>: You already know the answer to that.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine dining\u201d is often synonymous with pretentiousness, and, sadly, the joke is on us when the portions are laughably small \u2014 if no doubt artfully prepared and sustainably sourced.<\/p>\n

Miss Manners suggests that next time a restaurant like this one is suggested, you look up the menu (and accompanying pictures) online beforehand. At least that way you can be prepared \u2014 either by suggesting somewhere else or by eating hearty appetizers beforehand.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

DEAR MISS MANNERS<\/strong>: It is like a compulsion for many people to forward emails they\u2019ve received, usually filled with jokes and such. To my surprise, many seem to enjoy those emails.<\/p>\n

Read more Asking Eric: We saved for our daughter\u2019s wedding. Should we give her the money or have a party?<\/a><\/p>\n

I stopped everybody from forwarding me those emails by telling them the truth: If I want jokes, I will buy a book of jokes.<\/p>\n

I have TV sets, radios, newspapers and all kinds of ways I can get the latest news from around the world. I also have a computer that gives me everything I want and need, but when I want and need it.<\/p>\n

Some of my friends were surprised at my decision. \u201cOh, but my jokes are so<\/em> funny!\u201d they tell me, but I never lost an interesting correspondent by telling them not to send me any forwarded messages. I delete them right away.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

GENTLE READER:<\/strong> So you already have a solution. You just want to admonish your humorless friends and boast about how dispensable they are?<\/p>\n

Yes, the practice of forwarding these emails can be annoying. But if that is your test for good companionship, Miss Manners fears you will have a lonely life of censoring everyone you know.<\/p>\n

Because bad taste in humor (or more accurately, taste that is something other than your own) is not just confined to inboxes, but to all social situations, even (especially) familial ones. One would think it would be easier just to humor the humorless and quietly delete their emails, rather than obliterate the relationship with their senders.<\/p>\n

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more A sloth exhibitor shut down in New York wants a comeback \u2014 and Florida licensed him<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Miss Manners: I was shocked — the plate was nearly empty. Plus: Some people are surprised by my ban on jokey e-mails, but I’m serious.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice"],"yoast_head":"\nMiss Manners: Am I allowed to send back a tiny restaurant meal and request real food? - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4694\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Miss Manners: Am I allowed to send back a tiny restaurant meal and request real food? - Orlando Relocation Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Miss Manners: I was shocked -- the plate was nearly empty. 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