I don’t ask servers to recommend their favorite dish very often. I’ve been burned too many times. There’s the enthusiastic, albeit unhelpful, “I love everything on our menu!” And the sorta-non-answer redirect: “Well, our most popular dish is…” Plus, it’s hard to shake the persistent rumors that servers are instructed to answer questions about the menu by pointing to the priciest dishes or ones the kitchen wants to offload.
But what if the issue is the question we’re asking?
Servers are menu experts. They’ve tasted most, if not all, dishes and know which ones the kitchen is geeking out on. They can give us the scoop on portion sizes, flavor profiles, plate composition, and how to curate the best mix of items on the table. If we want the most out of their expert opinions, we have to offer up some details about what we like.
