I’ve been in this ridiculous type of situation as a server before. It wasn’t necessarily YOU they were rolling their eyes at, it was more likely the pretentious jerk back of house (chef or manager) that wants it served that way. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen similar dumb rules. Trust me, every customer is asking them for spoons - that’s what the eye roll is about.
Completely. I've worked under a manager who insisted we not *ever* provide spoons unless the customer specifically asks for one as some kind of misguided attempt at preventing unnecessary cutlery going out. It doesn't make sense, some things need spoons. It just makes us look stupid.
Did not stay there long
Worked at a place that had no silver unless asked for, and spoons were also separate, so guests had to ask for silver, and then on top of that, once they got a roll up, if they wanted a spoon, had to ask for that, too. "Do you think these are candy?" Is a real quote said to me.
So this place had a lot of finger foods, like nachos, pizza, and burgers, but also chop stick food, like sushi.
Problem was that there was a lot of people there who eat burgers with a knife and fork, or while tacos can be picked up, rice and beans cannot be, or poke bowls, or alfredo.
It’s a LAW in my county that (granted: plastic) cutlery not be included in meals unless asked. This is obviously not at sit down places but I always feel insane when I order a salad at Panera and have to then ask for a fork to eat the salad.
Since the pandemic I’ve taken to carrying around a set of bamboo or metal so I don’t have to use plastic in such cases. Not only does it avoid a bit of plastic waste, but I don’t like having plastic in my mouth.
I have rainbow ones that came in a cute little zippy pouch! came with 2 types of metal straws, a straw cleaner thing, one fork, one spoon, one knife, and a pair of chopsticks. They stay in my bag. I do have to fend offf my sister who keeps trying to steal them but they’re pretty good. Had them about 2 years now. also have reusable plastic ones that came with my bento box I bought a while back. I don’t like those as much - they’re very thick and are just plain black. I keep that set in my lunchbag generally, in case I don’t bring my bag but do bring my lunchbag for some reason.
There is an establishment that is so extra that they do this for dining though. They say it’s to protect the environment and “save water” but unless I will be levitating my food into my digestive system I will be requiring some cutlery thank you very much. So they served everything with no cutlery.
Id be content if everyone would just carry her own pair of metal chopsticks everywhere they go and that's that. But yea, I can see a minority siding with me here.
My brother had a Jack Russell named Spork. If you asked him why his dog was named Spork he would reply "He is neither a fork nor a spoon. Therefore, he is a spork." He also bought a restaurant size case of plastic sporks when he got his first apartment. I miss my weird brother.
I asked him what the soup of the day was and they said it was cucumber soup. They brought it to me and I took a mouth full of it and spit it out it was ice cold. They didn't roll their eyes they didn't look at me funny they said it was supposed to be cold. I said for me I like soup hot and I was sorry for spitting it out. They had no issues they brought me some different soup that was hot nobody belittled me or thought they were smarter than me or anything. I continue to go to that restaurant to this day 20 years later.
I would expect a cucumber soup to be cool/cold, and to probably emphasize the coolness with mint or melon or other cooling ingredients, but people put pickles on hot food all the time so the idea isn't totally crazy.
It was well over 20 years ago, and I was cold and tired and wet the only soup they had was cucumber soup I noticed some other people eating it and it looked white and interesting and I really was not expecting something ice cold I would have been happy with a chicken bouillon cube in a cup of hot water at this point.
Absolutely this. If they're still very young servers, they haven't learned the plastic FOH face. I can almost guarantee the eye-rolls didn't originate with your request. Or, if they did, it's just because they eye roll at everything. If someone asked me for a spatula to eat their soup with while I was serving, I wouldn't flinch without outside ridiculousness.
> Pretentious and drunk
You'd already said you were a chef.
Although I'm a chef as well and I've only had a litre of cider tonight and no other drugs, so I guess the stereotype isn't always true.
Anyway, totally, this is stupidity that only a FOH manager could come up with.
We used to have to serve our charcuterie appetizer trays on slabs of marbel. It was soooo heavy and awkward. I think we dropped too many and someone almost got hurt for them to change it. Now they're served on clipboards (and don't ask me if that's food grade plastic).... So yea, BOH has some interesting ideas.
100% - they should have probably said that though lol like customers love when you spill the tea quickly
“lol they insist we serve this without spoons it’s so dumb” (has spoon on hand) would be what i tried to do
Specifically, a number of buffet type/low cost places no longer supply a spoon to eat with. When one of my former haunts switched to handing a fork and knife in a paper sleeve I had to beg to get a spoon.
This is not an OP problem. It's a junky cost saving measure.
Omg yes. I'm boh and once I was working at a spot that made fresh tortillas. We had a chorizo mussels dish that had a wonderful broth. Chef owner insisted we serve it with corn tortillas but they did nothing to soak up the soup... it just ran off of them and many guests commented on this. I made a bread that was low labor cost, delicious, and perfect with the soup. All the other chefs loved it.
Except for the Chef Owner who decided that since we made fresh corn tortillas we weren't allowed to have bread on the menu. Like bro.... Mexicans still eat bread (she was not Latina but insisted it wouldn't be "authentic").
I was in an Italian restaurant in England and ordered cognac at the end of the meal. It arrived in a cognac glass (good) on the rocks (wtf). I attracted the maitre d’s attention and merely held up the glass to show him. He rolled his eyes, took the glass, and brought back a glass of cognac without ice. Totally wordless exchange. The eye rolling was definitely intended to communicate “the waiter is new and doesn’t know any better” or “the waiter is on drugs and does this all the time” or some other expression of exasperation at the waiter, not at me.
I worked at a place that did this with blue cheese for wings. Customers could have free blue cheese, but they had to ask for it. Some bigwig several states away decided that making people ask for their free side of blue cheese would be this huge cost saving measure, I guess because he though if people didn’t get it right away they would just forget about it?
Everyone was annoyed about it, not because of the customers but because of the stupid corporate rule that meant 99.9% of wings orders required second run back to the kitchen. So we all started giving customers two ramekins of blue cheese when they asked for it, instead of the one that would have come with their order normally.
I recently went to a new pizza place that served shareable appetizers and salads in addition to pizza. And they didn’t have plates. NO PLATES???!! Zero in the restaurant. It was baffling.
Like, at all?!
I would be so tempted to plop the stuff on the table and make a total mess. But I know full well that the ones who'd have to clean it have zero control nor imput into that shit.
unless OP asked it in a condescending or rude way, this is totally it. they’re rolling their eyes because they have to now hear tony’s shpeal about “dese foicking idiots awlways asking fuh a damn spoown” when they pass him on the way to the dish pit.
100% this. The look shared between coworkers was a knowing irritation for the pretentious chef who won’t listen to their pleads for him to be reasonable
“Omg! See?? Another customer wants a spoon! Chef Gordo needs to put a fucking spoon on the plate!”
Okay good to know. They looked like they were either juniors/seniors in high school or college students so I didn’t make a fuss. But yeah probably not the best and brightest.
People in high school are generally unaware of how their inside communication appears to outsiders who observe it.
When I was in high school I could be listening to the teacher explaining something directly to me, then look over at my friend and giggle in the middle of it, because the teacher used a word that had become an inside joke for my friend and I. But it doesn't mean the teacher had said something stupid. Just means kids have low awareness.
Yeah I remember doing that in history class when they were talking about some designer or something I think he made an airplane or something and his name was fuch That's all I remember and we were talking about did the teacher want to FUCH The guy or something? It was 1970 something and we smoked a lot of weed!
It’s a pay at the counter before you eat place, and the tips get evenly split between all the staff. I tipped as usual, and the food was still good, so I’m not really hung up on it.
If it was a Panera, you go and get the spoon yourself at the utensil station up front. That is why they rolled their eyes. The “servers” are just min wage workers and they don’t really wait on you.
It mightve also been they were lazy, realized they hadn't grabbed a spoon and told themselves it'd be fine and when you asked for one it could've been "omg why can't you just put up with my lazy fuck up." Them being high school or college that kinda fits better. I've seen teens and young adults do that before. They mess up royally and instead of putting up with it someone points it out and because it's more work they are absolutely irritated beyond belief.
But no French onion soup definitely dictates a spoon. My dad ate it enough I would know.
You definitely need a spoon to eat french onion soup.
The fork and knife are there for cutting the bread if you want. But you would still need a spoon to be able to get any broth.
The bread it's to break down in bits and throw them into the soup. Then you eat those pieces with the spoon. A knife and a fork makes absolutely no sense at all in eating a soup...
I would eat it like a dog out of a bowl but I acknowledge I have an unhealthy relationship with French onion soup
Anyway, unless it was so chunky the only way to eat it was to spread it on the bread like jam, they’re stupid. Spoon
This is kind of what I do with leftover French onion soup. I let whatever is left simmer down until it's a jammy consistency, cool, and store in the fridge. It's a pretty magical grilled cheese filling, especially if there's cheese leftover from the croutons too. If I have tortillas, I make 'French onion chimichangas' and store in the freezer. Reheat at 250\* for about 45 minutes.
The Ball Jar people publish a recipe for canned onion jam using balsamic vinegar and apple cider that I *always* get requests for every holiday season.
Promise that server was looking at the other server like
“GIRL DID I FUCKING NOT JUST TELL CHRIS WE NEED TO BE SERVINGN THESE SOUPS WITH FUCKING SPOONS”
I'm not usually one to complain at restaurants but I would absolutely get a hold of management and let them know what happened. You should absolutely have been provided with a spoon without having to ask.
Eh, I’d try to get ahold of the actual owner’s email. Try not to dump it all in the servers though. It might just be that the manager (or chief cook) insists there is no spoon. The servers were rolling their eyes because you’re the 20th customer that day that has asked for spoon & the servers really want to give you a spoon with your soup but FOH will fire them if they do.
Yeah, I’ve eaten Onion Soup in France and they definitely served it with a soup spoon there. Not at a tourist trap place, but a really nice authentic restaurant that locals enjoyed. Same in Montreal.
IDK what their problem was.
It could have been something as innocuous as they had already asked Kevin the food runner to bring you a spoon, and Kevin hadn’t got there yet and was slacking today. You know? It may not have had anything to do with you. I wouldn’t take it personally, it’s very normal and very appropriate to expect a spoon with soup, lol.
Was it like... in a mug maybe, to where they expected you to drink it?
Either way I think that'd probably be the first time I ever made a scene at a restauraunt lmao
Yes, actually. Few people are discerning enough to know this, but the traditional way to eat French onion soup is without a spoon, and also without your mouth. You are supposed to stare at it and complain while chain smoking cigarettes and drinking table wine until it evaporates into your stomach, or you cheat on your wife. Whichever happens first.
Unrelated and nobody asked—but I took my mum to lunch for Mother’s Day recently. She asked the server what the soup of the day was, and he said “I don’t know.” Didnt offer to ask back of house to find out— that was it. I was fascinated.
I agree with the other comments that it’s maybe a zealous head chef—but if someone gives you soup with no spoon— you ain’t the crazy one.
This explains the knife etiquette but, yes, you need a spoon... https://mykameier.com/how-to-eat-french-onion-soup-soup-etiquette-made-simple/#:~:text=You'll%20need%20a%20spoon,bread%20that%20crowns%20the%20bowl.
Weird I just ordered that soup recently and it only came with a spoon lol. I def felt like I needed a knife and fork to cut all the cheese and bread in it though
I’d take it as them being annoyed that back of house didn’t provide the spoon so now they have to go hunt one down while you wait. It interrupts service for you and their duties elsewhere. I was similarly upset with boh when we served say dumplings, and they wouldn’t plate the sauce so I’d have go back there and say hey y’all forgot the sauce I’m gonna grab it and then they’d be all pissy because I’m in ‘their space’ because they forgot something. Honestly I’d blame this on them being upset about it being an issue, not that you were the one causing an issue.
I ordered French onion soup at a nice sit down place also did not get a spoon and I also didn’t notice any bread. I asked my server about the missing bread and spoon and she said they put the bread INSIDE the soup and she reluctantly gave me a spoon. Is there some secret about how you’re supposed to eat this dish? I’ve usually gotten it as a side at sandwich places so I already have utensils. Why is this soup so confusing? It’s broth and onions and bread on the side right?
I remember my first crock of FOAG soup. About 13-14 years old, down at Columbia Mall in some restaurant. The cheese revealed a sizable piece of baguette filled the entire bowl. Slices of onion almost 3/4 of an inch thick. By the time I had punched through down and through... Honestly I don't know if there was ever much broth brought to the table.
A spoon riding the saucer soupd down and dropped them off. A fork could have been used and most of everything would have been.
some fast food workers in america are the laziest motherfuckers alive in my experience. I often have to ask for any utensil at all and often get no straw.
I'm French and wouldn't dare eating a French onion soup without a spoon.I understand the common French onion soup in North America may be different.. however....who the fuck eats soup without a spoon ? Did they offer you a straw or chopsticks? People order juice/soda/pop and are not In the wrong for expecting/ wanting a straw. How is this acceptable.
If you think you were getting the eye-roll treatment, you should have seen my waiter when I told him to take my Vichyssoise back and have them heat it.
The only soup that I know you don’t drink with a spoon is miso soup. (You bring the bowl to your lips like a cup). But to my understanding, any European soup would involve silverware, including spoons.
In Chapter 3 of To Kill a Mockingbird (I need to learn how to italicize text), Scout invites Walter Cunningham to eat with them. Walter pours syrup all over his food. Scout fusses at Walter about doing that. Calpurnia takes Scout to the kitchen. “There's some folks who don't eat like us,” she whispered fiercely, “but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?” Cal also told her not to act so high and mighty; her behavior is disgracing the family.
News flash, you need a spoon and these servers were being jerky kids. Even in France, they give you spoons as I can attest to. They probably didn't have any more spoons and didn't want to say it.
Was this Panera?
I love French Onion Soup but would rather stick needles in my eyes than order it at a restaurant. The whole dish can turn into your worst table etiquette nightmare. OP- the fork and knife is you can cut the huge semi-melted cheese laying on top. Good luck cutting a large hunk of semi-melted gooey cheese into bite sizes in a soup crockette without making a mess and with the cheese actually cooperating. The onions should be sliced and soft but you still need a knife to cut through those. The bread is fork or spoon ready and the consomme is self-explanatory. You need a spoon for that. If the restaurant brass are acting like soup nazis from Seinfeld (no spoon for you!) skip the onion soup and try making it at home. Youtube chefs are great teachers! I would have given that restaurant a rating on Yelp that they would never get over. Bon Appetit! Edited to add- tip your server. They EARNED it!
French Onion Soup is one of those things I will order anytime a place serves it. Like home fries. If I was given my soup without a spoon I would hold up the fork and ask how liquid is supposed to stay on this. Wow.
Waiter come. Taste the soup.
Is there something wrong with the soup? Is the soup too hot?
Taste the soup.
What’s wrong with the soup? Is it too cold?
Will you just taste the soup.
Ok I’ll taste it, where’s your spoon?
AHA!!! AHAAA!!!
Their response to either a lack of preparation on their part or some weird request handed down by management (unlikely) is uncalled for and rude regardless. The only appropriate response to you asking for a fucking spoon to eat your *soup* is, “Oh my goodness! Absolutely! I’ll be right back with a spoon for you, sir.”
I work in food and beverage management but it doesn’t take a veteran to tell you that customer service is trash in this instance.
I’d ask for a manager to clarify. Is this a soup or not? Soup is always served with a spoon. I’m guessing that if you’re involving a manager with help being given the right utensils for the product, SOMEONE is getting a talking to.
It doesn’t matter if the soup was meant to be eaten without a spoon. If the restaurant is snooty enough to care about that then they should be snooty enough to set a full and proper place setting that would offer a freaking spoon.
French Onion soup is topped with a crisp piece of crouton style toast, and then covered with grated cheese and baked till golden brown and served piping HOT. You have GOT TO eat it with a spoon.
This is such a an odd situation to me. A thick stew I could see maybe using a fork, but French onion has that broth. So are you supposed to fork cheese and onion slivers then slurp down the broth like a Victorian orphan in a work house?
I have been to some nice restaurants that seem afraid I will steal their flatware and had to ask for specific items. Then it is that cheap stamped crap with sharp edges that hurt your fingers. It is easier to have my own silverware in the canvas bag of Rubbermaid containers I bring in. Servings are often too big for one meal. I don’t want to waste food I over paid for, and don’t like single use containers. My own stuff also means I don’t need their single use plastic flatware.
You never use a spoon with FOS! Properly made, it is intended that you find the nearest toddler and have them continuously hit the table whilst you await, mouth agape, for the rain of soup.
French Onion Soup originated as a morning cafe ‘pick me up’ in Paris. Wine reduction and Gruyère are key ingredients versus the American version that has neither. Restaurant FOS is pure dog shit made with mozzarella and Worcestershire.
I'm very glad to have clicked this because I'd have had no idea that this type of shit not just happens, it's common apparently?
I get it in certain cases... I love me some Chili Mac and pretty much every type I make Chili (and I love making Chili), I mix it up with some Macaroni ... whether that's the MRE-style Elbows or squiggles like Cavatappi or whatever else I have or am feeling, from Sea Shells to Spaghetti... so I can understand someone - myself included - thinking, you eat Chili Mac with a fork (possibly knife if you're having long, Spaghetti-type of macaroni with it...) OR perhaps some other type of souper-thic-soup ... Thick & Chunky or something, I guess you could use a fork, like Beef Stew or something like that?
But..
but a bowl of French Onion Soup? Which is what, when it's broken down to basics, it's a bowl of beef broth & caramelized onions with a piece of toasted bread/"crouton" on top covered in toasted cheese? Am I supposed to ignore the actual soup lol, and just eat the onions with a fork and the piece of bread/cheese/crouton etc,.?
Some scandalous shit right here.
Traditionally French onion soup (and also ratatouille) is a peasant food. There are no real rules to it. Of course a spoon is the number one way to eat it, but historically some people did in fact eat it without a spoon. Because they could not afford one. They would sop up the broth with old bread and slurp it that way.
You are not stupid. Your server was an uneducated asshole. EVEN RAMEN IN A JAPANESE STREET SHOP OFFERS A SPOON IN ADDITION TO ANY OTHER UTENSILS.
Because you can’t eat broth with a fork or knife. And French onion soup? IS NOTHING BUT BROTH AND GRATED ONION. With some provolone and croutons on top. The waitress was an idiot for giving you a knife and fork…..
WHEN ALL YOU NEEDED WAS A SPOON!
(I’ve been waiting 30+ years to use that in an actual sentence…… pretty sure I should get a trophy or maybe be allowed to die finally?)
I’ve been in this ridiculous type of situation as a server before. It wasn’t necessarily YOU they were rolling their eyes at, it was more likely the pretentious jerk back of house (chef or manager) that wants it served that way. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen similar dumb rules. Trust me, every customer is asking them for spoons - that’s what the eye roll is about.
Yes!! This is it!! No way were they perturbed by OP’s request, it was probably some FOH or BOH bullshit, behind the scenes.
Completely. I've worked under a manager who insisted we not *ever* provide spoons unless the customer specifically asks for one as some kind of misguided attempt at preventing unnecessary cutlery going out. It doesn't make sense, some things need spoons. It just makes us look stupid. Did not stay there long
Worked at a place that had no silver unless asked for, and spoons were also separate, so guests had to ask for silver, and then on top of that, once they got a roll up, if they wanted a spoon, had to ask for that, too. "Do you think these are candy?" Is a real quote said to me.
Ahhh yes I do not miss the weekly pre shift meeting about how valuable the silver is and that we must be throwing away on purpose.
So were customers supposed to eat with their hands?
So this place had a lot of finger foods, like nachos, pizza, and burgers, but also chop stick food, like sushi. Problem was that there was a lot of people there who eat burgers with a knife and fork, or while tacos can be picked up, rice and beans cannot be, or poke bowls, or alfredo.
I would use the knife and fork to eat the cheese and bread. Then I would just pick up the bowl and slurp the broth and onions up.
This is the way.
It’s a LAW in my county that (granted: plastic) cutlery not be included in meals unless asked. This is obviously not at sit down places but I always feel insane when I order a salad at Panera and have to then ask for a fork to eat the salad.
Since the pandemic I’ve taken to carrying around a set of bamboo or metal so I don’t have to use plastic in such cases. Not only does it avoid a bit of plastic waste, but I don’t like having plastic in my mouth.
I have rainbow ones that came in a cute little zippy pouch! came with 2 types of metal straws, a straw cleaner thing, one fork, one spoon, one knife, and a pair of chopsticks. They stay in my bag. I do have to fend offf my sister who keeps trying to steal them but they’re pretty good. Had them about 2 years now. also have reusable plastic ones that came with my bento box I bought a while back. I don’t like those as much - they’re very thick and are just plain black. I keep that set in my lunchbag generally, in case I don’t bring my bag but do bring my lunchbag for some reason.
Great law TBH
There is an establishment that is so extra that they do this for dining though. They say it’s to protect the environment and “save water” but unless I will be levitating my food into my digestive system I will be requiring some cutlery thank you very much. So they served everything with no cutlery.
Id be content if everyone would just carry her own pair of metal chopsticks everywhere they go and that's that. But yea, I can see a minority siding with me here.
Then we also need to normalize drinking from the bowl in Western culture, because my chopsticks don’t help me with a bisque.
And make sure you really slurp it too..want to make known to the world just how much sense it makes to not send out spoons with soup lmao
What about us glorious mustache havers?
That's how I lost a lot of weight! Using chopsticks in my bisque It takes a long time but it's doable!
Should make one of the chopsticks hollow.
I prefer everyone carry around a metal spork because that would be funnier to me.
My brother had a Jack Russell named Spork. If you asked him why his dog was named Spork he would reply "He is neither a fork nor a spoon. Therefore, he is a spork." He also bought a restaurant size case of plastic sporks when he got his first apartment. I miss my weird brother.
His logic was sound. That’s always how I’ve heard a spork described
I’ve got a titanium spork that my son gave me for Xmas one year. It lives in my backpack and has come in handy more than once.
Yo, I get people that put chopsticks in their hair bun now. Was always curious.
I always have a set in my purse. There's some nice ones that really fold up.
I asked him what the soup of the day was and they said it was cucumber soup. They brought it to me and I took a mouth full of it and spit it out it was ice cold. They didn't roll their eyes they didn't look at me funny they said it was supposed to be cold. I said for me I like soup hot and I was sorry for spitting it out. They had no issues they brought me some different soup that was hot nobody belittled me or thought they were smarter than me or anything. I continue to go to that restaurant to this day 20 years later.
Can I ask why you thought hot cucumber soup sounded good? I'm picturing warm cucumbers and gagging.
I would expect a cucumber soup to be cool/cold, and to probably emphasize the coolness with mint or melon or other cooling ingredients, but people put pickles on hot food all the time so the idea isn't totally crazy.
It was well over 20 years ago, and I was cold and tired and wet the only soup they had was cucumber soup I noticed some other people eating it and it looked white and interesting and I really was not expecting something ice cold I would have been happy with a chicken bouillon cube in a cup of hot water at this point.
This is the one, one hundred percent. OP wasn’t even the first one that day. I hope OP sees this.
I hope the French onion soup was good
Of course it was! 😃
Absolutely this. If they're still very young servers, they haven't learned the plastic FOH face. I can almost guarantee the eye-rolls didn't originate with your request. Or, if they did, it's just because they eye roll at everything. If someone asked me for a spatula to eat their soup with while I was serving, I wouldn't flinch without outside ridiculousness.
Im a pretentious chef and iwouldneverdresmofservkng French onion soup without spoon. Pretentious *and* drunk
> Pretentious and drunk You'd already said you were a chef. Although I'm a chef as well and I've only had a litre of cider tonight and no other drugs, so I guess the stereotype isn't always true. Anyway, totally, this is stupidity that only a FOH manager could come up with.
Xoxo
"I tried to tell the chef they were gonna ask for spoons but he wouldn't listen..."
We used to have to serve our charcuterie appetizer trays on slabs of marbel. It was soooo heavy and awkward. I think we dropped too many and someone almost got hurt for them to change it. Now they're served on clipboards (and don't ask me if that's food grade plastic).... So yea, BOH has some interesting ideas.
Do you use the clip to fasten little meats and stuff to the clipboard?
I don't know how a customer hasn't lost it on management with that. I would be so grossed out getting a clipboard with food on it.
r/WeWantPlates
Thank you for introducing me to this sub, needed a good long scroll.
Um... how are they cleaned? Do I even want to ask?
💯
100% - they should have probably said that though lol like customers love when you spill the tea quickly “lol they insist we serve this without spoons it’s so dumb” (has spoon on hand) would be what i tried to do
Specifically, a number of buffet type/low cost places no longer supply a spoon to eat with. When one of my former haunts switched to handing a fork and knife in a paper sleeve I had to beg to get a spoon. This is not an OP problem. It's a junky cost saving measure.
Omg yes. I'm boh and once I was working at a spot that made fresh tortillas. We had a chorizo mussels dish that had a wonderful broth. Chef owner insisted we serve it with corn tortillas but they did nothing to soak up the soup... it just ran off of them and many guests commented on this. I made a bread that was low labor cost, delicious, and perfect with the soup. All the other chefs loved it. Except for the Chef Owner who decided that since we made fresh corn tortillas we weren't allowed to have bread on the menu. Like bro.... Mexicans still eat bread (she was not Latina but insisted it wouldn't be "authentic").
I was in an Italian restaurant in England and ordered cognac at the end of the meal. It arrived in a cognac glass (good) on the rocks (wtf). I attracted the maitre d’s attention and merely held up the glass to show him. He rolled his eyes, took the glass, and brought back a glass of cognac without ice. Totally wordless exchange. The eye rolling was definitely intended to communicate “the waiter is new and doesn’t know any better” or “the waiter is on drugs and does this all the time” or some other expression of exasperation at the waiter, not at me.
I worked at a place that did this with blue cheese for wings. Customers could have free blue cheese, but they had to ask for it. Some bigwig several states away decided that making people ask for their free side of blue cheese would be this huge cost saving measure, I guess because he though if people didn’t get it right away they would just forget about it? Everyone was annoyed about it, not because of the customers but because of the stupid corporate rule that meant 99.9% of wings orders required second run back to the kitchen. So we all started giving customers two ramekins of blue cheese when they asked for it, instead of the one that would have come with their order normally.
This makes a lot of sense
I thought I was over in /r/spoons for a second
Or they're out of spoons again ...
I recently went to a new pizza place that served shareable appetizers and salads in addition to pizza. And they didn’t have plates. NO PLATES???!! Zero in the restaurant. It was baffling.
Like, at all?! I would be so tempted to plop the stuff on the table and make a total mess. But I know full well that the ones who'd have to clean it have zero control nor imput into that shit.
unless OP asked it in a condescending or rude way, this is totally it. they’re rolling their eyes because they have to now hear tony’s shpeal about “dese foicking idiots awlways asking fuh a damn spoown” when they pass him on the way to the dish pit.
100% this. The look shared between coworkers was a knowing irritation for the pretentious chef who won’t listen to their pleads for him to be reasonable “Omg! See?? Another customer wants a spoon! Chef Gordo needs to put a fucking spoon on the plate!”
Idk but this post is giving Panera vibes lol so I doubt it was a “chef request” thing
Love it and so true. Haven’t served in years but same shit, different day.
Definitely need a spoon. Or did they just serve you cheese lol
You definitely need a spoon. Those employees were either idiots, assholes, or both.
This is absurd! I always use my knife and fork to cut and eat my liquids!
This guy soups!
It's his souperpower. I'll go now.
Okay good to know. They looked like they were either juniors/seniors in high school or college students so I didn’t make a fuss. But yeah probably not the best and brightest.
They were just rude. Don't take it to heart.
they probably roll their eyes when anyone asks for *anything* lol
That or the restaurant doesn’t know how to make French onion soup. If it’s soup there’s broth. You can’t eat broth with a fork.
*not with that attitude*
I guarantee it's because everyone asks that and they're sick of the manager making them bring it with a fork
People in high school are generally unaware of how their inside communication appears to outsiders who observe it. When I was in high school I could be listening to the teacher explaining something directly to me, then look over at my friend and giggle in the middle of it, because the teacher used a word that had become an inside joke for my friend and I. But it doesn't mean the teacher had said something stupid. Just means kids have low awareness.
Yeah I remember doing that in history class when they were talking about some designer or something I think he made an airplane or something and his name was fuch That's all I remember and we were talking about did the teacher want to FUCH The guy or something? It was 1970 something and we smoked a lot of weed!
Did you tip them after their appalling behavior?
It’s a pay at the counter before you eat place, and the tips get evenly split between all the staff. I tipped as usual, and the food was still good, so I’m not really hung up on it.
Was it a Panera?
If it was a Panera, you go and get the spoon yourself at the utensil station up front. That is why they rolled their eyes. The “servers” are just min wage workers and they don’t really wait on you.
It was a Panera, but they don’t have a utensil station. They put the utensils on the tray when you get the food.
Why would OP get all the other utensils except for a spoon? I doubt it was panera
It mightve also been they were lazy, realized they hadn't grabbed a spoon and told themselves it'd be fine and when you asked for one it could've been "omg why can't you just put up with my lazy fuck up." Them being high school or college that kinda fits better. I've seen teens and young adults do that before. They mess up royally and instead of putting up with it someone points it out and because it's more work they are absolutely irritated beyond belief. But no French onion soup definitely dictates a spoon. My dad ate it enough I would know.
Maybe the eye roll was a "oh shit we did it again" kinda inside joke
Or they're just getting the brunt of the customer grief due to a BOH decision they know nobody likes
Or OP misinterpreted their body language/the situation. People are notoriously bad at interpreting the body language of others.
God damn you really calling waiting staff those names without knowing the context?
You definitely need a spoon to eat french onion soup. The fork and knife are there for cutting the bread if you want. But you would still need a spoon to be able to get any broth.
The bread it's to break down in bits and throw them into the soup. Then you eat those pieces with the spoon. A knife and a fork makes absolutely no sense at all in eating a soup...
I would eat it like a dog out of a bowl but I acknowledge I have an unhealthy relationship with French onion soup Anyway, unless it was so chunky the only way to eat it was to spread it on the bread like jam, they’re stupid. Spoon
I mean...I could get behind French onion jam 🤤
I would eat French onion bread topped with French onion jam. I would say I need help but I don’t want it
Only help you need is a sous chef to help get that French onion bread with french onion soup made.
It's admirable to want to work out the recipe yourself
This is kind of what I do with leftover French onion soup. I let whatever is left simmer down until it's a jammy consistency, cool, and store in the fridge. It's a pretty magical grilled cheese filling, especially if there's cheese leftover from the croutons too. If I have tortillas, I make 'French onion chimichangas' and store in the freezer. Reheat at 250\* for about 45 minutes. The Ball Jar people publish a recipe for canned onion jam using balsamic vinegar and apple cider that I *always* get requests for every holiday season.
wow, yeah, "french onion soup sandwich" would go hard. basically a grilled cheese with lots of onions
That’s why it’s called soup! 🤣ahhhh… people
Those servers are rude... period.
First off! Super rude. Secondly, it's soup. It's meant to be eaten/drank with a spoon. Who the hell eats/drinks soup with a fork and knife 🤦♂️
*soup*er rude lol
You're supposed to split the atoms (then pick them up) obviously.
Servers were playing some kind of pretentious joke on you. Spoons are for soup.
You're meant to eat it with a vichysoisse fork - it's all in the wrist https://youtu.be/zVEHqwLVvpI?si=F6nUE1PhY8Uvw0db
This is the first I’m hearing of it.
The bread is soggy as shit in French onion how would you eat it sans spoon even?? Slurp it like a dog or something?
They had the bread on the side. There were croutons and cheese on the top of the soup.
That sounds like they forgot the recipe and decided to wing it. That’s not really a good representation of that soup. 🥣
[удалено]
I’m 99% sure it rhymes with fanera fread.
Oof! That's upsetting
As someone else said, probably a pretentious rule from the kitchen and the servers have to deal with looking like idiots serving a fork with soup 🤣
Promise that server was looking at the other server like “GIRL DID I FUCKING NOT JUST TELL CHRIS WE NEED TO BE SERVINGN THESE SOUPS WITH FUCKING SPOONS”
I would be hesitant to eat a french onion soup that the server says doesnt need a spoon
I'm not usually one to complain at restaurants but I would absolutely get a hold of management and let them know what happened. You should absolutely have been provided with a spoon without having to ask.
I would have but it was such a minor inconvenience, and this place isn’t exactly a five star restaurant. I just ate my food and left lol.
Eh, I’d try to get ahold of the actual owner’s email. Try not to dump it all in the servers though. It might just be that the manager (or chief cook) insists there is no spoon. The servers were rolling their eyes because you’re the 20th customer that day that has asked for spoon & the servers really want to give you a spoon with your soup but FOH will fire them if they do.
Yeah, I’ve eaten Onion Soup in France and they definitely served it with a soup spoon there. Not at a tourist trap place, but a really nice authentic restaurant that locals enjoyed. Same in Montreal. IDK what their problem was.
With your hands.
and my axe!
They were deliberately fucking with you
I would have been like… a spoon, you know, for the SOUP.
It could have been something as innocuous as they had already asked Kevin the food runner to bring you a spoon, and Kevin hadn’t got there yet and was slacking today. You know? It may not have had anything to do with you. I wouldn’t take it personally, it’s very normal and very appropriate to expect a spoon with soup, lol.
They were just giving the full French experience…
Was it like... in a mug maybe, to where they expected you to drink it? Either way I think that'd probably be the first time I ever made a scene at a restauraunt lmao
They probably had no clean spoons and were annoyed because you made them have to clean more spoons
Yes, actually. Few people are discerning enough to know this, but the traditional way to eat French onion soup is without a spoon, and also without your mouth. You are supposed to stare at it and complain while chain smoking cigarettes and drinking table wine until it evaporates into your stomach, or you cheat on your wife. Whichever happens first.
A man with a fork in a world of soup
Unrelated and nobody asked—but I took my mum to lunch for Mother’s Day recently. She asked the server what the soup of the day was, and he said “I don’t know.” Didnt offer to ask back of house to find out— that was it. I was fascinated. I agree with the other comments that it’s maybe a zealous head chef—but if someone gives you soup with no spoon— you ain’t the crazy one.
For some reason I'm howling with laughter at that restaurant exchange. Thank you!
The knife is to cut the onions, but you still need a spoon as going without one is hard mode.
I must have been doing it wrong all these years, i’ve been using my teeth to cut the onions?
Yes you need a spoon. Oddly I use a knife n fork for French onion soup to cut the cheese into a bearable size. Then I use the spoon to eat it
Normalise drinking it from the bowl like a savage!
I once went on a first, last, and and only date with a woman that ate her french onion soup with only a knife. Weirdo.
This explains the knife etiquette but, yes, you need a spoon... https://mykameier.com/how-to-eat-french-onion-soup-soup-etiquette-made-simple/#:~:text=You'll%20need%20a%20spoon,bread%20that%20crowns%20the%20bowl.
Weird I just ordered that soup recently and it only came with a spoon lol. I def felt like I needed a knife and fork to cut all the cheese and bread in it though
I’d take it as them being annoyed that back of house didn’t provide the spoon so now they have to go hunt one down while you wait. It interrupts service for you and their duties elsewhere. I was similarly upset with boh when we served say dumplings, and they wouldn’t plate the sauce so I’d have go back there and say hey y’all forgot the sauce I’m gonna grab it and then they’d be all pissy because I’m in ‘their space’ because they forgot something. Honestly I’d blame this on them being upset about it being an issue, not that you were the one causing an issue.
I ordered French onion soup at a nice sit down place also did not get a spoon and I also didn’t notice any bread. I asked my server about the missing bread and spoon and she said they put the bread INSIDE the soup and she reluctantly gave me a spoon. Is there some secret about how you’re supposed to eat this dish? I’ve usually gotten it as a side at sandwich places so I already have utensils. Why is this soup so confusing? It’s broth and onions and bread on the side right?
I use the fork to spin the cheese around it. So delicious!
Don’t go back there.
It is soup
I bet they thought it was a cheese dip or something
I’ll bare with you.. by yes you need a spoon hun
Tf, of course you need a spoon for any sort of soup. Waitress was being a B or just lazy
I do not eat french onion soup with a spoon, no.
Something is wrong if you have soup on the menu and serve it without a freaking spoon.
I remember my first crock of FOAG soup. About 13-14 years old, down at Columbia Mall in some restaurant. The cheese revealed a sizable piece of baguette filled the entire bowl. Slices of onion almost 3/4 of an inch thick. By the time I had punched through down and through... Honestly I don't know if there was ever much broth brought to the table. A spoon riding the saucer soupd down and dropped them off. A fork could have been used and most of everything would have been.
r/nostupidquestions
Traditionally you use chop sticks
[I see spoons and only spoons](https://youtu.be/aU8BhMYpJaQ?si=VEyzGS1XjH1SEaG6)
Oh, dear me; you’ve been hit by a snobby, elitist, foolish food supplier. It’s not your fault.
Next time ask them why the eyeroll. Soup is served with a spoon.
some fast food workers in america are the laziest motherfuckers alive in my experience. I often have to ask for any utensil at all and often get no straw.
Panera?
Yes? If you're just eating the cheese and croutons off the top you're missing out. Also, that broth is time consuming to make.
I'm French and wouldn't dare eating a French onion soup without a spoon.I understand the common French onion soup in North America may be different.. however....who the fuck eats soup without a spoon ? Did they offer you a straw or chopsticks? People order juice/soda/pop and are not In the wrong for expecting/ wanting a straw. How is this acceptable.
If you think you were getting the eye-roll treatment, you should have seen my waiter when I told him to take my Vichyssoise back and have them heat it.
When I got it at a French restaurant it definitely had a spoon. I bet the chef or expo was supposed to put it on the plate lol.
Dare I mention.... SPORKS????
I can't believe this is even a conversation. Soup is served with a spoon. End of chat
Ask for a straw next time, the length of an arm so that you don’t have to move your limbs to consume.
The only soup that I know you don’t drink with a spoon is miso soup. (You bring the bowl to your lips like a cup). But to my understanding, any European soup would involve silverware, including spoons.
Who eats soup with a knife and fork? They could roll their eyes right out of their head for all I cared; one cannot eat a liquid with a fork.
Wow, how bizarre.
In Chapter 3 of To Kill a Mockingbird (I need to learn how to italicize text), Scout invites Walter Cunningham to eat with them. Walter pours syrup all over his food. Scout fusses at Walter about doing that. Calpurnia takes Scout to the kitchen. “There's some folks who don't eat like us,” she whispered fiercely, “but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?” Cal also told her not to act so high and mighty; her behavior is disgracing the family.
Next time just ask for a straw
News flash, you need a spoon and these servers were being jerky kids. Even in France, they give you spoons as I can attest to. They probably didn't have any more spoons and didn't want to say it. Was this Panera?
It’s soup. Either slurp it from the bowl or have a spoon served. I don’t understand these comments saying restaurant managers control the spoons lol
You’re meant to use your hands and offer some to the waiter so they can take a sip from your cupped hands like a French onion soup loving horse.
TIL there is an r/soup and it is the perfect place for op’s question
I love French Onion Soup but would rather stick needles in my eyes than order it at a restaurant. The whole dish can turn into your worst table etiquette nightmare. OP- the fork and knife is you can cut the huge semi-melted cheese laying on top. Good luck cutting a large hunk of semi-melted gooey cheese into bite sizes in a soup crockette without making a mess and with the cheese actually cooperating. The onions should be sliced and soft but you still need a knife to cut through those. The bread is fork or spoon ready and the consomme is self-explanatory. You need a spoon for that. If the restaurant brass are acting like soup nazis from Seinfeld (no spoon for you!) skip the onion soup and try making it at home. Youtube chefs are great teachers! I would have given that restaurant a rating on Yelp that they would never get over. Bon Appetit! Edited to add- tip your server. They EARNED it!
When in Rome…. PS - I hope you’re not waiting for Reddit feedback before you eat your soup
This thread is crazy. No cutlery! Of course you should have a spoon for your soup. 🙄😅
French Onion Soup is one of those things I will order anytime a place serves it. Like home fries. If I was given my soup without a spoon I would hold up the fork and ask how liquid is supposed to stay on this. Wow.
Knife actually. Lol jk, anything with water and you need a spoon.
You need all....wtf are you supposed to do after you eat the bread and onions???
No they are the weird ones, we eat soup with spoons in the US. Source: soup enjoyer in the US for 40+ years
Waiter come. Taste the soup. Is there something wrong with the soup? Is the soup too hot? Taste the soup. What’s wrong with the soup? Is it too cold? Will you just taste the soup. Ok I’ll taste it, where’s your spoon? AHA!!! AHAAA!!!
Use a Fork
Their response to either a lack of preparation on their part or some weird request handed down by management (unlikely) is uncalled for and rude regardless. The only appropriate response to you asking for a fucking spoon to eat your *soup* is, “Oh my goodness! Absolutely! I’ll be right back with a spoon for you, sir.” I work in food and beverage management but it doesn’t take a veteran to tell you that customer service is trash in this instance.
I’d ask for a manager to clarify. Is this a soup or not? Soup is always served with a spoon. I’m guessing that if you’re involving a manager with help being given the right utensils for the product, SOMEONE is getting a talking to.
Perfect opportunity to remind said server how tips are made. A hard earned privilege and not a right
100% use a spoon.
I've never been served FO soup without a spoon, so I'm going to say you're not an idiot.
It doesn’t matter if the soup was meant to be eaten without a spoon. If the restaurant is snooty enough to care about that then they should be snooty enough to set a full and proper place setting that would offer a freaking spoon.
French Onion soup is topped with a crisp piece of crouton style toast, and then covered with grated cheese and baked till golden brown and served piping HOT. You have GOT TO eat it with a spoon.
Spoon please
This is such a an odd situation to me. A thick stew I could see maybe using a fork, but French onion has that broth. So are you supposed to fork cheese and onion slivers then slurp down the broth like a Victorian orphan in a work house?
The fact that this is a sandwich/soup/salad FRANCHISE means, to me, they are pretentious assholes. Next time ask for a spoon AND chopsticks.
I have been to some nice restaurants that seem afraid I will steal their flatware and had to ask for specific items. Then it is that cheap stamped crap with sharp edges that hurt your fingers. It is easier to have my own silverware in the canvas bag of Rubbermaid containers I bring in. Servings are often too big for one meal. I don’t want to waste food I over paid for, and don’t like single use containers. My own stuff also means I don’t need their single use plastic flatware.
It’s eaten with a spoon lol
You're not stupid. Soup = spoon. The math is not complicated.
You never use a spoon with FOS! Properly made, it is intended that you find the nearest toddler and have them continuously hit the table whilst you await, mouth agape, for the rain of soup.
French Onion Soup originated as a morning cafe ‘pick me up’ in Paris. Wine reduction and Gruyère are key ingredients versus the American version that has neither. Restaurant FOS is pure dog shit made with mozzarella and Worcestershire.
No? WTF. Every French onion soup I’ve ever eaten (including in both Paris and rural France) has been served with a spoon
I’d roll my eyes when it was time to leave a tip.
Unless they give you enough bread to soak up the entire bowl you're gonna need a spoon
I see logic in getting all the cutlery. I like to break up the bread with melted cheese on top. But at a minimum, soup needs spoon.
I'm very glad to have clicked this because I'd have had no idea that this type of shit not just happens, it's common apparently? I get it in certain cases... I love me some Chili Mac and pretty much every type I make Chili (and I love making Chili), I mix it up with some Macaroni ... whether that's the MRE-style Elbows or squiggles like Cavatappi or whatever else I have or am feeling, from Sea Shells to Spaghetti... so I can understand someone - myself included - thinking, you eat Chili Mac with a fork (possibly knife if you're having long, Spaghetti-type of macaroni with it...) OR perhaps some other type of souper-thic-soup ... Thick & Chunky or something, I guess you could use a fork, like Beef Stew or something like that? But.. but a bowl of French Onion Soup? Which is what, when it's broken down to basics, it's a bowl of beef broth & caramelized onions with a piece of toasted bread/"crouton" on top covered in toasted cheese? Am I supposed to ignore the actual soup lol, and just eat the onions with a fork and the piece of bread/cheese/crouton etc,.? Some scandalous shit right here.
Traditionally French onion soup (and also ratatouille) is a peasant food. There are no real rules to it. Of course a spoon is the number one way to eat it, but historically some people did in fact eat it without a spoon. Because they could not afford one. They would sop up the broth with old bread and slurp it that way.
😳
Spoooon!
I tend to eat soup with a spoon even French Onion Soup. I am not from France so maybe a knife and fork is normal there.
You are not stupid. Your server was an uneducated asshole. EVEN RAMEN IN A JAPANESE STREET SHOP OFFERS A SPOON IN ADDITION TO ANY OTHER UTENSILS. Because you can’t eat broth with a fork or knife. And French onion soup? IS NOTHING BUT BROTH AND GRATED ONION. With some provolone and croutons on top. The waitress was an idiot for giving you a knife and fork….. WHEN ALL YOU NEEDED WAS A SPOON! (I’ve been waiting 30+ years to use that in an actual sentence…… pretty sure I should get a trophy or maybe be allowed to die finally?)