Several weeks ago, we looked at table etiquette when dining out -- but from the perspective of the server. We asked, "When should a server clear away plates from the table?" The opinions from our reader were about even.
The discussion has prompted another question, this time from the perspective of the diner. When should you start eating? If orders arrive to the table from the restaurant kitchen at different times, should diners go ahead and start when they receive their food, or wait until the entire table is served?
I think the common belief of "proper and polite" is to wait until everyone at the table has been served. However, it is becoming increasingly popular to "go ahead and start" even before others have been served. Diners who are still waiting for their food feel bad that food might get cold.
What do you do? Do you find it rude if others start eating before you have been served? If you're the first one served, do you feel impolite if you start eating?
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