Real Simple | Life Made Easier, Every Day
Make RealSimple.com My Homepage|Simply Stated|Newsletters|Real Simple Rewards|Time-Saving Tips|SUBSCRIBE
  • Food & Recipes
    • Browse All
    • Enhanced Recipe Search
    • Recipe Collections & Favorites
    • Cooking Tips & Techniques
    • Shopping & Storing
    • Tools & Products
    • New Uses For Old Things
    • Everyday Meal Planning
  • Home & Organizing
    • Browse All
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Decorating
    • Home Improvement
    • Gardening
    • Green Living
    • New Uses For Old things
    • The Black Thumb Guide to Gardening
  • Beauty & Fashion
    • Browse All
    • Clothing
    • Shoes & Accessories
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Makeovers & Tips
    • Clothing Care
    • The Ultimate Skin Care Guide
  • Holidays & Entertaining
    • Browse All
    • Holidays
    • Weddings
    • Birthdays
    • Entertaining
    • Gifts
    • Is It Your Turn to Host?
  • Health
    • Browse All
    • Nutrition & Diet
    • Fitness & Exercise
    • Mind & Mood
    • First Aid & Health Basics
    • Preventative Health
    • Getting Fit for Life 
  • Work & Life
    • Browse All
    • Money
    • Family
    • Life Strategies
    • Technology
    • Travel
    • Etiquette
    • Entertainment
    • How Busy Moms Can Save Time
  • Magazine & More
    • Browse All
    • Inside the Magazine
    • Inside the Website
    • Newsletters
    • Real Simple Products
    • Real Simple Rewards
    • Books & Back Issues
    • Simply Stated Blogs
    • Subscribe
    • Subscribe to Real Simple Magazine
The Guide to Happiness
  • Main

How to Make Positive Changes in Your Life

 By Amy Spencer

Easy tips on how to improve everything from your dinner order to your career.

  • PRINT
  • E-MAIL
  • COMMENT
  • SAVE
  • SHARE:
  •    more
Page 9 of 12

Mark Lund

How to Change Your Food Order

It's been 15 minutes since you ordered the chicken, but, boy, does that salmon look good. Too late? "It's always worth asking," says Brian Johnson, general manager of Joe's Stone Crab in Miami. "But it is too late if the chef has started cooking something that can't be put back on the grill and won't be ordered by someone else soon―like a broiled Maine lobster." If you're still determined to switch, tell your waiter it's OK if you're served last. "The hardest part is when the change has to be expedited to keep up," says Tracey Spillane, partner and general manager at Spago Beverly Hills. If you want something else once your food has been served, "we'd prefer to hear that it wasn't what you expected and wasn't to your taste, as opposed to hearing it was the worst thing ever," Spillane says. "But we'll get you what you want, because we want you to be happy." Maurice Rouas, owner of Fleur de Lys, in San Francisco, adds, "Be mindful of how you say things. We always appreciate politeness."

Next: How to Change Someone Els...
Skip to Daily Finds slides.

Related Content

Decipher Your Handwriting

It is, say graphologists, a key to your personality. See what your letters say about you.

  • The Best of RealSimple.com
  • February 2010 Keep-It-Together Checklist
  • Reclaim Your Mornings
  • A Room-by-Room Guide to Making Your Home Safer

What do you think about this article? Share your own solutions and ideas

View Earlier Comments
  • Mouse Icon Tools
  • Camera Icon Videos
  • Checkbox Icon Checklists

Time-Saving Tricks

Browse Tips
Tips
  • The Best RS Time-Savers
  • 14 Shortcuts for Everyday Tasks
  • Time-Saving New Uses
  • Time-Saving Foods

How-To Videos

Browse All Videos
Videos
  • Peel and Chop Garlic
  • Treat Puffy Eyes
  • Stretch Your Lower Back
  • Clean an Iron

Checklists

Browse All Checklists
Checklists
  • Basic Spice Checklist
  • Start a Book Club Checklist
  • Start-a-Garden Checklist
  • Makeup-Organizing Checklist
Advertisement

Top Galleries

See All Galleries
  • Nettie Floral Dress by BB Dakota

      Figure-Flattering Floral Dresses

  • Illustration of a red hair dryer with nozzle

      3 Easy Steps to a Perfect Home Blow-Dry

  • Enzo Star Boxes by Roost

      8 Smart Office Organizers

  • Cascade hairstyle

      20 Gorgeously Simple Hairstyles

  • Ketchup bottle as batter dispenser

      50 All-Time Favorite New Uses for Old Things

Real Simple | Life Made Easier, Every Day
In The Magazine
  • This Month's Issue
  • Subscribe
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • Books and Back Issues
RSS
  • Sign up to get ideas instantly!
Inside Real Simple
  • Food & Recipes
  • Home & Organizing
  • Beauty & Fashion
  • Health
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Work & Life
  • Magazine & More
  • Weddings
  • Travel
  • Technology
 
  • Decorating
  • Gardening
  • Cleaning
  • Money
  • Family
  • How To Guides
  • Ask Real Simple
  • Simply Stated Blogs
  • Daily Finds
  • Real Simple Products
More Information
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Customer Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Print Media Kit
  • Digital Media Kit
  • Real Simple Rewards
  • Site Map
Real Simple Newsletters To receive any of these free e-mails, select the ones you're interested in and enter the required information.
  • Weekly Tips Newsletter (see sample)
  • Daily Finds (see sample)
  • Daily Thought (see sample)
  • Wedding Newsletter (see sample)
  • Daily Recipe Newsletter (see sample)
  • Ask Real Simple (see sample)
  • Keep-It-Together Checklist (see sample)
Copyright © 2010 Time Inc. Lifestyle Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.