Who regularly shares meals

[frayedend]

So with all the debate about sharing I'm curious who actually shares meals at when they go out to eat on a regular basis. I go out a lot and I never see people sharing. But from reading these threads you'd think people all share every time they go out to eat. So tell me, how many of you actually share at restaraunts when not on the DDP or when not at Disney at all. (I know my wife ain't getting half of my steak no matter where I am.

 

[disney2d2]

When we go to Friday's or Chili's (or similar places like Diners) where we are not limited by a 'dining plan', we eat and share in the following different ways...

• Share an appetizer, order two entrees and then share a dessert
• Order one of each, appetizer, entree and dessert and share all
• When not that hungry, we order just one entree, a drink and (may be) a shake

Also, when we go out with friends, lets say 4 of us, it's not unusual for us to order just two appetizers and share three entrees and two desserts.

Then again, we usually NEVER go to those high-end restaurants (NY Metro Area) that charge an arm and a leg and have the tinniest portions of food possible. Places where we eat have entrees that we can't finish even if four people are sharing three of 'em. Going to restaurants is not always about the food (crazy, I know) it's just spending some time outside, like driving down to Jersey even though the same chain has a place down the road...

Mind you we're not really light eaters. Smart may be...

 

[3PRINCESSMOM]

posted by frayedend

But from reading these threads you'd think people all share every time they go out to eat.

I think that those, like you, who don't often/ever do it, do not see this as an issue, therefore don't participate on the threads/debates here. JMO.

 

[LadyOmega]

Absolutely no sharing (at least entrees) in our household!! I understand you frayedend, I think my husband would stab me with a fork if I tried to get a bite of a steak he really liked!! We do share appetizers and desserts though, even though we rarely get them, we aren't big enough eaters to be able to stomach that much food.

 

[dodukes]

WE only share an appetizer and maybe dessert but if we really want dessert we just get one for each of us, someimtes we have been known to get 2 apps just cuz we each like them usually like at chili's but no we never share and are not about to do it at disney to "STRETCH" the ddp...no way i enjoy my food way too much to be stingy with it

 

[punkin]

We almost always share. We are a family of 4 and usually order 1 appetizer, 3 entrees and (sometimes, very rarely) one dessert. We will share at Disney as well.

I find it hard to believe that other people don't share. How do you go out for Chinese food without sharing? That's impossible. The same goes for sushi when the entire sushi order is brought out on one plate (OK, it's a wooden board).

Somewtimes on this board, I feel like I live on another planet.

 

[Pedler]

We almost always share. We are a family of 4 and usually order 1 appetizer, 3 entrees and (sometimes, very rarely) one dessert. We will share at Disney as well.

I find it hard to believe that other people don't share. How do you go out for Chinese food without sharing? That's impossible. The same goes for sushi when the entire sushi order is brought out on one plate (OK, it's a wooden board).

Somewtimes on this board, I feel like I live on another planet.

I have to admit I understand the sharing of appetizers but entrees I don't quite get. If I get a steak I want all of it. If I share a 12 ounce steak I will end up hungry. If I get a sushi platter then I really want all of it as it is impossible to get filled up on sushi. For some eating is a communal sharing type of event. For me it is territorial.

 

[beattyfamily]

We only share an appetizer and maybe sometimes a dessert.

My 6 year old is a very picky eater but for some reason I always get her her own meal, hoping she'll eat it. I guess I'd feel weird making her share with her sister and I feel like its not fair to her big sister and also they don't have the same tastes.

I definitely would never share an adult entree with my DH and he would never ever let me.

For the record, Chinese food and other family style foods are quite different then when you each order an entree. Of course we share at those family style places.

 

[bluejasmine]

I agree sharing the appetizer is normal. We normally do except in WDW since we can get our own. Now normally my DD and I dont share unless she isnt real hungry or there isnt anything on the menu she likes than we end up sharing. Pecos Bills is one of those places my DS and I LOVE Pecos but the kids meals SUCK! DS is 12 so he gets adult meal (eats like an adult anyway) and DD and I normally share a chicken wrap but Im hoping to be able to get her a plain burger and fries so I can get a burger myself!

 

[disney2d2]

I find it hard to believe that other people don't share. How do you go out for Chinese food without sharing? That's impossible. The same goes for sushi when the entire sushi order is brought out on one plate (OK, it's a wooden board).

I agree with you 100%. It's natural for us to eat off eat others plates, especially if we're having Asian or even Italian food. I understand hogging on steaks, but I don't mind sharing a portion of those either. It's mutually understood that each one shares, and extremely rare for us to go thru a meal without sharing. That goes even if we are having two seperate entrees.

As far as sharing between parents and kids, I think that's a no brainer. My parents did it all the time. Not because we couldn't afford to order seperately for me, but because I just wanted to have some of what they were having, and vice versa.

P.S. What happened to all the love in the world...?

 

[Lisa_Belle]

My DD and I share all the time. I also share with my mom sometimes. I have also shared with my DH.

I know my wife ain't getting half of my steak no matter where I am.

Personally I find this comment to be quite selfish.

 

[powellrj]

we are a family of 4 and when we go out we may get an appetizer to share with the table, but we each get our own entree.

That doesn't mean we can't share parts of the meal. Example...... DH and I each get a chicken dinner, I like dark meat, DH likes white, I will trade my white pieces for his dark ones, but we are discreet about it so I am sure nobody would realize what we are doing.

If a full entree is too much food, many resturants now offer appetizer sized meals that include a side. I know Texas Roadhouse has a ribs basket that includes fries on the appetizer menu.

I just could never go into a resturant and order 2 meals for my family of 4 and ask the resturant to split them for us. If it doesn't bother you, thats fine, its just not in my comfort zone.

 

[LadyOmega]

We almost always share. We are a family of 4 and usually order 1 appetizer, 3 entrees and (sometimes, very rarely) one dessert. We will share at Disney as well.

I find it hard to believe that other people don't share. How do you go out for Chinese food without sharing? That's impossible. The same goes for sushi when the entire sushi order is brought out on one plate (OK, it's a wooden board).

Somewtimes on this board, I feel like I live on another planet.

Maybe it's the difference in the places we go? You will not catch my husband in a Chinese or Japanese restaurant, he doesn't like either. If we did go to those places, then yes, we probably would share. But no way are we splitting entrees, if for no other reason than we eat totally different things - such as, my dear hubby eats nothing greener than an underdeveloped potato. I like my veggies, so there is no way we could share an entree. So I think it's just personal situations that dictate the no sharing rule in many households.

 

[mrsltg]

It depends. We share. Sometimes an appetizer, sometimes an entree, sometimes a dessert. It just depends on where we are and what our mood is. I often share a meal with my 5 year old. She and I like the same food and I always end up having leftovers anyway - we may as well share!

 

[disney2d2]

If a full entree is too much food, many resturants now offer appetizer sized meals that include a side. I know Texas Roadhouse has a ribs basket that includes fries on the appetizer menu.

I just could never go into a resturant and order 2 meals for my family of 4 and ask the resturant to split them for us. If it doesn't bother you, thats fine, its just not in my comfort zone.

The appetizer size is our reason for sharing an entree and an appe. Because sometimes there's something under appetizers that has a healthy portion of food and it's not available under the entrees. So, one of us would choose just to get an appetizer instead of an entree.

And why do you feel the need to tell the restaurant to split your meals? You simply order what you are going to have and in most cases (like sharing an entree and appetizer between two) you don't need additional plates. And if you order three entrees for 4, the server should be smart enough to bring you an extra plate or two. Ours always are...

 

[twinkletoesmom]

My kids 6 & 4 share alot of the time. Sometimes they may eat off mine if we are not that hungry. Yeah my Dh shares MINE after eating all of his . But if we do share we always over tip. It's not fair for the sever to serve a family of 4 and only get tipped on 2 meals. they attend to all of our needs/wants and we are taking up a spot that could be being used for people raking up a larger bill by ordering 4 meals.

 

[frayedend]

My DD and I share all the time. I also share with my mom sometimes. I have also shared with my DH.



Personally I find this comment to be quite selfish.

Okay to clarify my opinion a bit. First off, I am not selfish. My wife can order the 22 oz porterhouse if she so chooses, so I don't know why I would have the need to give her half of mine. I don't think I said my wife has to sit and watch me eat steak while she has nothing.

Also, I would share if, say, I got ribs and my wife got a steak and we both wanted some steak and some ribs. This is sharing 2 entrees so it isn't really relevent to the sharing 1 entree on the Dining Plan.

And lastly, Chinese food and things like that are more like a buffet and also don't really count. Sure we will all share a Pu Pu Platter but if there are 4 of us, we get a Pu Pu Platter for 4, not for 2 and share.

But it is interesting to see how different people do it. Thanks for all the responses

Edit to add: Also I was talking more about entrees since Apps are usually meant for more than 1 and dessert, well we are usually too full to order it and if we do, we can share that no problem. As a matter of fact I can't see us all needing an app and a dessert on the DDP.

 

[Praying Colonel]

So with all the debate about sharing I'm curious who actually shares meals at when they go out to eat on a regular basis.

Depends on the meal and how hungry we are. For example, my wife and I regularly split the 16 oz. ribeye at Rafferty's--it comes with a big salad, huge hunk of beef and an oversized sweet potato (with butter and brown sugar--Yum....). It's way too much food for either one of us, so we'll split it. Ditto Outback or other "family casual" places. It seems these places justify their prices by giving you a larger portion. I'd rather they make the portions more reasonable and lower their prices, but I'm not holding my breath. But we regularly share meals and have never had any problems whatsoever.

 

[frayedend]

Depends on the meal and how hungry we are. For example, my wife and I regularly split the 16 oz. ribeye at Rafferty's--it comes with a big salad, huge hunk of beef and an oversized sweet potato (with butter and brown sugar--Yum....). It's way too much food for either one of us, so we'll split it. Ditto Outback or other "family casual" places. It seems these places justify their prices by giving you a larger portion. I'd rather they make the portions more reasonable and lower their prices, but I'm not holding my breath. But we regularly share meals and have never had any problems whatsoever.

Good point about the portions. My wife's favorite steak is a porterhouse and at the Outback she never wants to order it because they only have a 22 oz monster steak that is very pricey. She would be happy with a steak half that size. I always tell her to get it, then I get a 16 oz prime rib. I eat mine, then I eat 10 ounces of her porterhouse (I know, I'm a glutton, but I just love steak)

 

[punkin]

I have to admit I understand the sharing of appetizers but entrees I don't quite get. If I get a steak I want all of it. If I share a 12 ounce steak I will end up hungry. If I get a sushi platter then I really want all of it as it is impossible to get filled up on sushi. For some eating is a communal sharing type of event. For me it is territorial.

OK. Here's my problem. A serving of meat is approximately 4 ounces, so if I order a 12 oz steak (which I never do), I can feed 3 people with it.

I also see some of you order 22 ounce porterhouse steaks. All I can say is WOW!!!. I would die having to eat a steak that size. Tell me the weight includes a VERY large bone (I know next to nothing about steaks, forgive my ignorance).