Inside the House is a DCist feature offering an insider’s view of fine dining issues by the hostess at a D.C. restaurant. Her views are strictly her own and do not in any way represent those of her employer.

By DCist contributor Nadya S. Nikiforova

Ask anyone what makes a great dining experience, and you are likely to hear that only half of it has to do with food. Much of the rest comes from service that can be good enough to make you forget about mediocre food or bad enough to ruin the enjoyment of a perfect plate. Obvious service blunders — such as being left alone at your table for half an hour or having to remind servers about your requests over and over again — are easy enough to spot. But there are other, subtler signs that let you know that your waiter either isn’t paying attention or is plain incompetent.

“You Ordered Tuna, Right?”

Your waiter may prefer to write your order down. Or he might be a mnemonics champion and commit an order of 16 dishes from a table of eight to memory with no sweat. Whatever his or her preference or the restaurant policy is, he or she should get it right the first time. Nothing gives away amateurish or sloppy service like returning to tables for a double check of who ordered what. Your waiter should pay attention the first time he or she talks to your table.

“You Want the Wine List, Too?”

Guests come in all ages, outfits and budgets. A Birkenstock babe might be a high-powered attorney on her day off who wants to relax over lots of good food and wine, and a three-piece suit may turn out to be a penny-pincher. Your waiter should never make you feel as if he or she had formed assumptions about your taste, knowledge, degree of sophistication and inclination to spend money based on your looks and age. Nothing is more short-sighted and annoying than a stereotypical snooty waiter who talks down to a customer because he or she falls short of stereotypical diner perfection in his or her mind.