Eating places in the USA

There are a variety of places to eat in the United States. Americans especially love fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chickens, etc. These restaurants offer a variety of cheap, fast and tasty food. Prices range from $1.00 for a main dish to $ 3.50 for an entree meal. Customers may order and eat inside the restaurant, or order food from their car at a drive-through window and take it home to eat.

Other restaurants in the USA offer sit down meals in a pleasant atmosphere. These may offer either American or ethnic food. A patron should expect to pay at least $ 5.00 a meal. Once you are seated at the table, the waiter (or waitress) will bring you water. Now you are considered a customer and it is impolite to leave.

Ordering food is simple and pleasant process. A waiter will approach you a table with menu that he will give you to look at. He will tell you what the specialty is in detail. In a few minutes he will return to take your order. Choosing a dish can be a problem because of the variety of foods and their unfamiliar names. Ask the waiter to help you. Drinks are ordered first, then the main dish. The wait to receive your main dish is usually 10-20 minutes. Drinks and appetizers are brought immediately. Don’t let the number of knives, forks and spoons confuse you. Use them in the order they are set starting with the farthest ones from your plate.

The check is paid at the front cash register, or taken by the waiter, depending on the restaurant. A tip of 15% of the check should be left on the table for the waiter. Don’t say anything about the tip, just leave it on the table.

Most Americans like fruit salads, ice-cream, vegetables, beef, potatoes, ethnic food, hamburgers, hot dogs, Chinese food, spaghetti, pizza, sea food.

They don’t like fat meat, cabbage as a garnish or liver.

A special note:

- all drinks and water should be served with ice;

- serve cream separately;

- coffee is much more common than tea. Typical American coffee is usually very weak. The best varieties of coffee are Cappuccino, Espresso, Cafe Mocha, and cafe Vienna;

- salads are very popular in the United States.

IN THE LUNCH HOUR (MEALS).

I usually have lunch at half past one, but yesterday I went to the office without breakfast (I only had a cap of tea) and by twelve o’clock I was already hungry. I don’t like having lunch alone, so I said to Nick: “Let’s have lunch together”. “All right,” he answered, “I’ll join you in a few minutes”.

When we went to the canteen, there weren’t many people there. We got tickets or checks for lunch, sat down at the table near the window, and called the waitress. She brought knives, forks, spoons and plates and took our tickets.

“Will you have any soup today?” I asked Nick.

“ No, I’m not very hungry,” he said. “But I’ll have some mineral water, salad, meat and potatoes, and ice-cream for sweet.”

“Oh, here is the waitress.”

The waitress bring the dishes.)

“The salad is very good, but there is not enough salt in it. Will you pass me the salt, please?”

“ Certainly. Here it is.”

“Thank you.”

“Shall I pass you some rye bread?”

“No, thank you. I usually have it with the soup, and I like white bread for the meat course”.

The waitress came up to us in a few minutes and asked if we would have coffee, or tea.

“Yes, please. Tea for my friend and coffee for me,” I said.

“Black or white?”

“Black and some cake, please.”

“How do you like your tea? she asked my friend.

“Not very strong,” he answered, and only two lumps of sugar, please.”

We talked a little, when lunch was over, and at twenty five to one went back to the office. We had a little time before work to read the newspaper and have a smoke. We begin work again half an hour later.

EVENING IN A RESTAURANT

Mr. and Mrs. Mason are in a restaurant. It is there wedding anniversary and Mr. Mason wants his wife to enjoy the evening.

Waiter: Good evening, madam, sir.

Mr. Mason Good evening. Have you a table for two? I want us to be alone at table today.

Waiter: A table for two? Of course, sir. This way, please.

(Ten minutes later after they have read the menu and made their choice)

Mr. Mason: Waiter.

Waiter: Yes, sir?

Mr. Mason: We shall take fish, one steak, two salads.

Waiter: One fish, one steak, two salads.

Mrs. Mason: Have you any German wine?

Waiter: German wine? No, I am very sorry, madam. We haven’t any German wine. We have some Italian wine.

Mrs. Mason: Oh, yes. I like Italian wine. Do you, John?

Mr. Mason: Yes, I do. So – a bottle of Italian wine, one fish, one steak, two salads.

Waiter: Good.

READ AND DRAMATIZE DIALOGUES

* * *

- I’m hungry. Let’s go somewhere and have a snack.

a) There is a good cafe at the next corner.

b) Do they serve soup there? I always eat soup for the first course.

c) Even if they don’t, the food is so good, you won’t mind.

d) All right. Let’s go.

* * *

e) Where are we going for dinner tonight?

f) Let’s go to the restaurant on the corner.

g) O. K. Great! I’ll treat.

h) No, no, let’s go Dutch.

* * *

i) What would you like today, sir?

j) What kind of soup do you have?

k) We have tomato soup and chicken noodle.

l) I’ll have tomato soup, French fries and coffee.

***

- Fish-and-chips for four, please.

- No. Coke for me, please. Sorry.

- All right. Three fish-and-chips and one coke.

- Is this for here or to go?

- Here, please.

***

(Ordering food from a drive-through window of a fast food restaurant)

a) May I help you, sir?

b) I’ll have 3 hamburgers, 2 cokes and 1 milk.

c) That will be $ 4.74 cents. Please, drive up to the window.

d) Thank you.