A close relative and I were out having dinner and I watched with horror as she stacked all of our plates, one on top of the other, in an upscale restaurant. She had done this before of course, but on this occasion there were seven of us at the table, and it was highly inappropriate in that particular setting.
She became very defensive when I asked her to please not do this as it is very bad manners. Erroneously, she insisted that I was being “passé” as I sat silently, and helplessly, in embarrassment, with every plate we were served stacked in a dirty mess in front of us.
Rest assured, that good manners never go out of style, and are never passé.
Plates are not stacked because it’s easier to rinse one side before placing it in the industrial dish washer. I know this because I washed dishes for a time at a quaint French restaurant in my youth.
Please leave your plates and allow the server to pick them up. They have a system for doing this. If you don’t believe me see what Miss Manners has to say below.
“Miss Manners Weighs In On Plate Stacking
According to Judith Martin, “Miss Manners” herself, it is bad manners to stack plates for the wait staff to remove from the table. In her words, “Miss Manners knows that you were only trying to help. A waiter who takes pride in his professionalism would never stack plates at the table, and could be in trouble if you made him appear to have done so.” Make it a practice never to scrape or stack your plates at the table. It is aesthetically unappealing, dirties both sides of the dishes, and could damage the dishes.”
Thank you.
Love and blessings to all.
Sydney 