Restaurants aim to serve polite customers

Dear Readers: For most of us, dining out is a real treat, so we want the experience to be a good one. Here are six hints from my longtime friend Francois Maeder, a chef and restaurant owner, to help you get the most enjoyment from a dining-out experience:
If you are unhappy with the food or service, tell the waitperson immediately so he or she can try to make it right.
If you make a reservation during the holidays, call to cancel if you cannot make it.
If you want a dish that is not on the menu, ask for it. The chef or owner should be the one to tell you "we cannot make it."
If you order a steak cooked to a certain temperature, slice it in the center to check for doneness -- not the edge.
Don't be afraid to ask questions or give feedback. Most restaurants like to know what you think.
And, if you order wine, order a label you know something about, or ask a waitperson for advice.
Bon app & eacute;tit! Heloise
P.S.: If you have a problem, tell the person in a polite manner, not huffy, loud or rude. You'll get a better response.
Dear Heloise: When I was in college, I worked at a balloon-delivery company. The job taught me to look at things differently -- especially if you want to personalize a gift.
I have used brand-new paint cans (the empty ones that you find at home-improvement stores), Chinese takeout boxes, toolboxes and imported coffee sacks to put a gift in. As far as wrapping paper goes, the sky is the limit! Foreign newspapers (the Asian ones look really sharp), old blueprints, movie posters, menus, etc., are all perfectly good for wrapping gifts. John C., via e-mail
Don't forget the daily and Sunday comics of this newspaper! Heloise
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate