But the problem isn't what waiters make, it's what cooks make.
If you must know what a waiter likes invite the waiter to dinner, hand over a menu, and then ask, "What do you like?" And as for this molecular gastronomy, why is there foam all over my plate?
Halušky, the region's thick, soft noodles, come in what a waiter described as a "Slovak mac and cheese," made with a sheep's-milk cheese called bryndza.
But "instead of being self-confident," Mr. Zagat said, "most people worry what the waiter may think of them".
A whole striped bass was deboned and then covered with what the waiter called his special sauce.
It fused a Pinot Noir rosé, a distinguished glug of the aperitif Cocchi Americano Rosa, and what the waiter stressed was the merest touch of strawberry purée.
The adventurous were rewarded with a special of grilled smelts atop a mélange of roasted sweet potato cubes and what our waiter called fava beans.
From three fish and three meat main courses, I had blackened chichen, dished up in hefty slices, the breast taut and lacerated with Cajun peppers and paprika, with a side-sauce of chicken stock, cream and what the waiter grudgingly called "mixed spices".
You get the bill, and realize too late what the waiter should have mentioned that you've consumed a bottle from a more expensive vintage than the one you ordered.
What your waiter wishes you would consider.
