Pet Peeve

I've noticed that a lot of places around Melbourne (Richmond, in particular for some reason) have gotten into a bad habit. They overstate on the menu what the dishes on their menu are. I wouldn't say this is my number one pet peeve when eating out, but it's pretty close. I infinitely prefer to be pleasantly surprised by a bland sounding dish that is more than it sounded, than to be disappointed by one that sounds amazing and just doesn't deliver.

My most recent example of this happened in Richmond a few weeks ago. (I won't name the place unless I get requests for it. I'm not here to disparage the place, I'm just hoping others might learn from their mistakes.) I ordered what sounded like a great gluten-free vegie brekkie. Corn fritters, beetroot relish, poached eggs and herbed wild mushrooms. Simple, but potentially delicious. Now I don't know about you, dear reader, but when I hear 'corn fritters' I expect a corn fritter. something like this.

From Chimmy in Richmond, gluten free and reasonably delicious!

What I don't expect, or want is a square of polenta. Don't get me wrong, I quite like polenta. I think it can make wonderful gluten-free addition to a lot of dishes. But If I'm getting polenta, I would like the menu to say that. Not mislead me with dreams of fritters.

On top of that, the 'beetroot relish' was really beetroot dip, the kind that can be bought at any deli, and the mushrooms were clearly supermarket standard, with no herbs that I could discern. Now by any standards, the breakfast was fine. It just wasn't what it said it was, and that meant that every bite tasted of disappointment, to the extent that I couldn't just enjoy it for what it was.

I love places that deliver exactly what they promise. That's what I look for in my eateries. Understatement can occasionally be a pleasant surprise, but overstatement is always a disappointment. Is that too much to ask for?

Comments: your pet peeves?