Last night while we were out to dinner, I overheard another diner placing their order and first mention that they didn't like shellfish, so could the shellfish that was part of the side-dish be removed? Also, they weren't so keen on garlic so maybe the roasted garlic sauce could also be deleted. I have to say they were perfectly polite about their request and the waiter and kitchen were absolutely accomodating. It was nothing like an exchange I overheard a few years ago where someone wanted to have a baked pasta dish without any cheese (the chef refused that request). But what interests me about this is that it's a way of looking at the world that's just alien to me. And, I think, to most people I know. If I looked at a menu and saw a dish that had one ingredient I didn't like, I wouldn't order it. It wouldn't even occur to me to order it without, say, the sauce. I guess I've always assumed that the chefs and the kitchens created that dish with sauce or shellfish or okra or whatever because that's how they thought it was best. If I'm at a restaurant it's because I want to eat their food, not some personalized fraction of their food. If I wanted to eat my cooking, I'd stay home. I'm sure that some chefs will just refuse to make changes. I've read that one of the things that can make high-end chefs crazy is customers who ask for lots of changes to a dish, then complains about it. Still, that said, I admire a kitchen that's willing to accomodate changes. I just don't understand why anyone would want them.