Pet Peeve # 1

As a restaurant critic, I am a little more critical than the average diner. I’m supposed to be, though. It’s what I get paid to do. That said, when I’m dining just for the sake of feeding myself, not “working,” I can’t help but notice things.

Take for example, my meal last night at the darling CIBO restaurant near downtown Phoenix. On an early Tuesday evening, the place is jam packed. Good for them! (The first restaurant we stopped at has closed already even though it just opened…times are tougher than usual for restaurants nowadays.)

We waited only a few minutes for a table, and not much longer for the food. But before we had even finished half our starter, an over-eager beaver tried to swipe the dish away. She swoops back in again as we’re finishing up our outrageously delicious pizza. My honey still had a piece on his plate, and I had my last piece in my hand, and she still tried to remove our plates. Oh, and she grabbed my beer bottle, too, which still had about a quarter of brew left.

Note to restaurant managers and owners: train your staff to be a little more patient, and allow diners to actually finish their meal before you clear the table. Make your guests actually feel like guests -- not cattle that need to be herded into the next pen.