A regular at my station made me rethink how I plate desserts

So this older couple came in last Thursday night, and the guy ordered the chocolate tart. I sent it out with my usual swoosh of raspberry sauce and a few dots, pretty standard stuff. He called me over and said, 'Why does it look like a painting instead of food?' At first I was annoyed, but then he explained he just wanted to see the tart itself, not a bunch of tricks around it. I mean, it hit me that I've been plating to impress other cooks, not the people eating it. Has anyone else had a guest say something that made you strip back your presentation?

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the_eric18d ago

Man, that story hits close to home. A buddy of mine used to work at this fancy place downtown, and he told me about a regular who ordered the salmon every week. He always built this little tower out of the fish and veggies, with sauce painted on the plate like some abstract thing. One night the guy just looked at it and asked, kinda tired, if he could just get the food flat so he could cut it without an earthquake. My buddy laughed but started plating everything simpler after that, and he said the regulars actually seemed happier. It's funny how we get so caught up in the visuals that we forget people just want to eat the damn thing without a puzzle.