365QOD- Day1103

Ordering From the Right Side of the Menu

“I always order the same thing I had last time when I go to that restaurant”- anonymous

I was having a conversation with a friend about food.  She told me that she often goes to the same restaurants and orders the same thing.  Her husband on the other hand orders something else that she fancies and takes samples of it.  I immediately saw a post idea.

I believe that most of us order from the right side of the menu.  What is the right side of the menu?  The price list.  We make financial decisions instead of taste decisions.  We choose the chicken because it is priced at 7.99 instead of the shrimp at 13.99.  Why?  Because our belief is that we should not overspend and it was ‘good enough’ last time.

My challenge to my friend was next time she goes out is not to look at the menu at all.  Let everyone else decide what they want.  Talk with them while they are deciding and when it comes down to choosing simply point to one of the people at the table and say, “I will have the same thing.”

I believe by doing this it will allow her to try something new.  It will get her out of the pattern of same food every time.  Hell, she might just get to start looking at the left side of the menu.    Not that money is not important, but maybe the choice will become less about the money and more about what she really would enjoy.

Today’s question is:

“Do you order from the right or the left side of the menu?”