# Bring your own steak knife to a fine dining restaurant?



## Castalia (Aug 14, 2015)

The earlier steak knife post reminded me of dinner the other night at a good steak restaurant for our anniversary. The waiter came to our table with the obligatory large steak knife, not serrated by the way. The knife was adequately sharp and did the job well enough, but I kept thinking of which knife I could have brought from home for some really sharp slicing. The dinner was delicious and I was not complaining too much to my wife about the knife. I wonderded about all the fellow knife nuts on the forum here. Do you all bring your own blade to a fancy restaurant or am I out in some sort of obessive compulsive realm?

And of course if you are in that realm with me, which blade would you bring and how would you carry it?:groucho:


----------



## oldcookie (Aug 14, 2015)

I have thought about buying one of those folding ones for JCK. The thing that always stopped me is that steaks are generally served on plates here in NA. I wish they serve steaks on wooden cutting board like in Italy.


----------



## Castalia (Aug 14, 2015)

I just looked up that JCK folding higo no kami 'steak' knife. Lots of bling with the chopsticks too. The knife might be a bit short but would very cool!


----------



## chinacats (Aug 14, 2015)

I thought that was the purpose of a neck knife.


----------



## MAS4T0 (Aug 14, 2015)

I don't think I'd ever be inclined to bring my own cutlery to a restaurant or at least I haven't so far.
I don't much like the idea of putting a dirty knife away in a case,so how would you wash it once you're done?


----------



## richard (Aug 14, 2015)

I haven't yet done it, but I would be inclined to do so. I have a set of Shun steak knives, or a 135-150 mm petty will do perfectly as well. To transport them (especially after once they've been used and are dirty) the magnetic blade guards would work for that, since they are easy to clean out the inside. I have a few of these, and they have some issues with the magnetic strip separating from the case, and I've had to reglue with super glue, but supposedly they've been redesigned to address this problem (haven't tried the new ones yet).

As for cutting on a plate, yeah it's harder on the edges, but I use my steak knives at home this way and also allow my guests to do so. I just ask that they be a little careful and not cut too hard against the plate or accidentally cut against the tine of the fork (also to not ever lick the knife!). They are quite sharp, and I keep them that way, so they quickly realize they don't need a lot of force. Yeah, I'll obviously have to resharpen them more often than knives that are used on a board, but I've accepted and factored in extra wear and tear when I purchased them (and I got them at a pretty good price). Haven't had any problems yet with them getting damaged.

Personally speaking, it's a lot more enjoyable having steak this way when I can cleanly cut the meat to any thickness I want without tearing or sawing it.


----------



## henkbam (Aug 15, 2015)

To be honest, I think it would be rather rude to bring your own cutlery, especially to a fine dining establishment. So no I would never be inclined to bring my own steak knife.


----------



## WildBoar (Aug 15, 2015)

How 'fine dining' are the high-end places that have crappy steak knives? Maybe some need to hear from the customers that they could/ should provide better?


----------



## Cheeks1989 (Aug 15, 2015)

henkbam said:


> To be honest, I think it would be rather rude to bring your own cutlery, especially to a fine dining establishment. So no I would never be inclined to bring my own steak knife.



:goodpost:


----------



## richard (Aug 15, 2015)

I don't think that it's automatically rude or disrespectful to want to satisfy one's specific tastes within reason. Honestly, I don't see how it would be much different than bringing a special bottle of wine or a birthday cake to a restaurant.


----------



## Ceramik (Aug 15, 2015)

richard said:


> I don't think that it's automatically rude or disrespectful to want to satisfy one's specific tastes within reason. Honestly, I don't see how it would be much different than bringing a special bottle of wine or a birthday cake to a restaurant.



For the wine you will be charged corkage, and with the cake, most places will refuse to store or cut the cake as outside food creates liability issues.


----------



## Cheeks1989 (Aug 15, 2015)

richard said:


> I don't think that it's automatically rude or disrespectful to want to satisfy one's specific tastes within reason. Honestly, I don't see how it would be much different than bringing a special bottle of wine or a birthday cake to a restaurant.


I have never been to a 'fine dining'* restaurant that you can bring a bottle of wine. I just don't see the comparison. It's more like I don't care for the way the cloth napkins feels when I wipe my hands so let me bring my own from home.


----------



## Cheeks1989 (Aug 15, 2015)

Ceramik said:


> For the wine you will be charged corkage, and with the cake, most places will refuse to store or cut the cake as outside food creates liability issues.



Cork charge forgot.


----------



## Noodle Soup (Aug 15, 2015)

Pretty normal in the circles I travel with to pull your own folder out to cut steak etc in restaurants. Gives everyone to play one up on which of us is carrying the most interesting knife.


----------



## Keith Sinclair (Aug 15, 2015)

Noodle Soup said:


> Pretty normal in the circles I travel with to pull your own folder out to cut steak etc in restaurants. Gives everyone to play one up on which of us is carrying the most interesting knife.



Yep a folder does the job. When I go to those all you can eat crab places, bring a few of my own tools in a small Ziploc bag. No shame


----------



## richard (Aug 15, 2015)

Yes I am aware there is a corkage fee


----------



## oldcookie (Aug 15, 2015)

FWIW, BYOW is fairly common in places that allows it, like Quebec. Corkage is charged for a couple of reasons, the servers still need to open and pour the wine for you, a single glass you are using, especially in a fine dinning environment, is probably worth more than the corkage they are charging you. So it's kinda like rent/insurance. 

Bringing a knife to a restaurant is more akin to bringing one's handkerchief. If you don't make a scene and say, "look look! I am using my own handkerchief to wipe my mouth cause your napkins sucks" I don't think people would call you rude.


----------



## Adrian (Aug 16, 2015)

Interesting. I had never heard of carrying a knifer around one's neck until coming to US forums, and the concept of walking into a fine dining restaurant and getting out my own cutlery is completely alien over this side of the pond. Carrying a knife at all is unusual let alone getting it out in public. In steak restaurants, increasingly popular at the high end (though not what I would call fine dining)I have yet to encounter a knife that was not perfectly capable of cutting the meat.


----------



## JBroida (Aug 16, 2015)

if i were still working in restaurants, i'd be insulted by this for what its worth


----------



## spoiledbroth (Aug 16, 2015)

JBroida said:


> if i were still working in restaurants, i'd be insulted by this for what its worth


Jon hit the nail on the head. If anyone on the floor spots that steak knife in your hand you can rest assured that while you might get a great meal nobody is going to go above and beyond to make your experience a special one. If you have a problem with the cutlery you might do well to assist the business by mentioning it to someone so that the problem might be rectified. 

Personally it's not like I'd make you a bad meal but as I've said, you wouldn't be getting any palate cleansers, boards or amuse-bouche from me.

Wine and cake are a bit different. I can understand the convivial experience and tradition in blowing out the candles etc. perhaps cutting the cake (though usually we have to portion it... -_-), though I think if you're going to bother to have a birthday at a fine dining restaurant you should man up and buy desserts, you know, go all in supporting the business. Call me crazy.


----------



## richard (Aug 16, 2015)

Yes I'll call you crazy (or unintentionally obnoxious or something else). If a group of people choose to celebrate their special day at your restaurant, they will be ordering a good bit of food, perhaps a couple bottles of wine, and appreciate (and generally tip in return) for great service. But if they choose to bring a cake from somewhere special to the restaurant (say made by a loved one or a favorite bakery), then they are not supporting the business and need to "man up"? Where do you work again? I want to make sure never to come to your restaurant.


----------



## richard (Aug 16, 2015)

JBroida said:


> if i were still working in restaurants, i'd be insulted by this for what its worth



That's fair to feel this way, but practically speaking, even great steak restaurants are not going to spend $70-100 for each steak knife and have them maintained to the level that some of us knife nuts have come to maintain their own knives...I mean, in some perfectly good restaurants, the knives _in the kitchen_ may not be as sharp as some of us would like to have our steak knives. We quickly forget that not all restaurant kitchens use high-end Japanese knives or know how to properly maintain them.


----------



## spoiledbroth (Aug 16, 2015)

richard said:


> Yes I'll call you crazy (or unintentionally obnoxious or something else). If a group of people choose to celebrate their special day at your restaurant, they will be ordering a good bit of food, perhaps a couple bottles of wine, and appreciate (and generally tip in return) for great service. But if they choose to bring a cake from somewhere special to the restaurant (say made by a loved one or a favorite bakery), then they are not supporting the business and need to "man up"? Where do you work again? I want to make sure never to come to your restaurant.



Yeah, I think its wrong to bring outside food into an establishment. I did however say that I do understand it. A caveat is that I don't work in a lauded or particularly fancy restaurant. I suspect, though I don't speak from experience, that if you were to try to bring any of your own anything to 11 madison park or somewhere of that caliber you would be turned away at the door. IMO fine dining is a class of restaurant where it is acceptable, even logical to completely refuse dish modifications. People don't go to el bulli and bring a steak knife. Conversely you probably would find the steak knives there are quite sharp.

Personally I'd feel embarrassed to be bringing a cake or a steak knife to a restaurant.


----------



## richard (Aug 16, 2015)

You know, you can always simply call the restaurant ahead of time and ask if they are ok with it. I'm not sure why you need to make such a big deal about it, or imply that just because you have a certain viewpoint that others should be pressured to feel a similar way.


----------



## Timthebeaver (Aug 16, 2015)

This.

Also, telling your guests how to use their cutlery? Cringeworthy.


----------



## Noodle Soup (Aug 16, 2015)

JBroida said:


> if i were still working in restaurants, i'd be insulted by this for what its worth



Feel free to be insulted but don't forget who is paying the bills. "My circles" includes most of the major players in the outdoor cutlery industry and it is standard practice to do "show and tell" over dinner. That includes some very high end restaurants on both coasts.


----------



## Ceramik (Aug 16, 2015)

My 2 cents...I think that the vast majority of "knife nuts" who work in the industry would not bring their own steak knife to a restaurant, just for some inside perspective. 

Also, the people that pay my bills are generally pretty low key, mostly laid back, and generally don't walk through the front door already assuming that what I offer to my guests is sub-par.


----------



## Adrian (Aug 16, 2015)

I think el bulli closed in around 2011 and is now a foundation. Was not really a steak kinda place...


----------



## Cheeks1989 (Aug 16, 2015)

Noodle Soup said:


> Feel free to be insulted but don't forget who is paying the bills. "My circles" includes most of the major players in the outdoor cutlery industry and it is standard practice to do "show and tell" over dinner. That includes some very high end restaurants on both coasts.



Just because you pay the bill doesn't mean you are right. The saying the customer is always right is not always the case.


----------



## chefcomesback (Aug 16, 2015)

Cheeks1989 said:


> Just because you pay the bill doesn't mean you are right. The saying the customer is always right is not always the case.



+1


----------



## oldcookie (Aug 16, 2015)

The opposing views on this is interesting. I see going to a restaurant for the food first, service second, ambience third. Cutlery doesn't really come into ranking, so it's odd that's there's such opposing views. The thing is though, we wouldn't be discussing this if steaks were served on a carving board and a sharp knife in the first place. Rather than getting insulted, and think the customer rude, a good restauranteur should really look at it as a point of improvement.


----------



## fimbulvetr (Aug 16, 2015)

It wasn't the speaker's intent, I don't think, but, in my experience, the phrase "don't forget who pays your bills" is always going to sound to restaurant employees a lot like "I get to do what I want because I own you." It's a phrase that's instantly inflammatory for that reason.


----------



## Noodle Soup (Aug 16, 2015)

They generally don't bring steak knives, they bring what ever new models they have, I've seen both fixed and folding but folders are more common. And yes they do produce them and cut their food with them on a regular basis. The only times I've seen a restaurant object was when the head marketing guy from a now closed New York cutlery company described over dinner shooting alligators in South Carolina and once in a NYC Italian place (the fact Meg Ryan was sitting next to us might have had something to do with it) when the CEO of a well known California cutlery company told about shooting baboons in Africa. Knives have never been a problem.


----------



## JDA_NC (Aug 16, 2015)

The guys at Bloodroot Blades are doing steak knives for a new restaurant opening in California. Single Thread is the name and if you Google their Instagram, you can see pictures of their prototypes. If I wasn't on my phone, I'd link it. Pretty awesome stuff. I would worry about folks trying to pocket the knives though.


----------



## spoiledbroth (Aug 16, 2015)

Adrian said:


> I think el bulli closed in around 2011 and is now a foundation. Was not really a steak kinda place...


Hi adrian, I think you're being intentionally obtuse. What does this have to do with my point whatsoever?

Thanks, have a nice day!


----------



## Rayuela (Aug 16, 2015)

spoiledbroth said:


> Hi adrian, I think you're being intentionally obtuse. What does this have to do with my point whatsoever?
> 
> Thanks, have a nice day!



I think he was just having fun and tring to lighten the mood. Heavy, heavy flame war about portable cutlery.


----------



## Keith Sinclair (Aug 16, 2015)

Working in a Hotel with a fine bakery we would bring in outside cakes for weddings and other parties at places that do not have the resources to bake cakes. Always let the place know what we are bringing.

Even at our Hotel banquets have a lot of ethnic groups that bring a few of their own eg. Korean Kim Chee's. Food is delivered to banquet chef & we plate it out. Works for both sides they get a few ethnic dishes and more food on the banquet.

A good banquet coordinator with update communication with the kitchen is very important in a Hotel..


----------



## pkjames (Aug 16, 2015)

i bet this place will satisfy most of you here in terms of steak knife. I had a chance to dine at narisawa in Tokyo early July. One very pleasant thing apart from the food was this


----------



## KitchenCommander (Aug 16, 2015)

I use my pocket knife to cut steaks at many places. None of them I would call "very fancy", but as long as there is not a dress code or something, i would probably use my pocket knife if it was descrete. My small sebenza works very well of this purpose and does not bring much attention, but I have been know to use my Umnumzaan or any other folder in my pocket This would be if the supplied knife was serrated or very dull. I would not bring a fixed blade steak knife for that sole purpose, as that is why i carry a pocket knife. As a point of reference I have never paid over $40 for my steak, and I live in Texas.


----------



## spoiledbroth (Aug 16, 2015)

pkjames said:


> i bet this place will satisfy most of you here in terms of steak knife. I had a chance to dine at narisawa in Tokyo early July. One very pleasant thing apart from the food was this
> View attachment 28712


hehe tlooks like takamura hana!


----------



## wrobelan (Aug 16, 2015)

I would just tell them at the restaurant that the knife was not appropriate/adequate. If you are paying $50+ for the steak, and more here and there for whatever you have accompanying it, you should have a positive experience. 

Obviously I say that never having had any experience on the other side of the restaurant and accept that I am a jerk for making extra work or complaining to some underpaid and under-appreciated person for a small matter such as a knife that someone picked out because it looked the part.

Cook the steak at home and you will have the perfect cut you picked out yourself, cooked just the way you like it, and cut with the perfect utensil you hand selected.


----------



## easy13 (Aug 16, 2015)

I bring my searzall to restaurants to get the desired char and crust on my steaks that is up to my standards.


----------



## knyfeknerd (Aug 16, 2015)

easy13 said:


> I bring my searzall to restaurants to get the desired char and crust on my steaks that is up to my standards.



Pics or it didn't happen!

AND.......................................

...........This thread is useless without pics!


----------



## daveb (Aug 16, 2015)

I've been known to bring my own stevia into a restaurant for coffee. Does that make me a bad person?


----------



## Cheeks1989 (Aug 16, 2015)

daveb said:


> I've been known to bring my own stevia into a restaurant for coffee. Does that make me a bad person?



:rofl2:


----------



## richard (Aug 17, 2015)

No but it makes it more likely for you to die by ricin poisoning (Breaking Bad reference).


----------



## Adrian (Aug 17, 2015)

spoled broth - actually I was not being obtuse. Just light hearted. And you seemed to think that people could still dine at el bulli. Not wishing anyone here to be disappointed I simply pointed out that the ex-No1 restaurant in the world has closed its doors to the dining public. And even when it was open, anyone taking a steak knife there was deluded about the kind of food they served irate1:

As it happens, I was an investor in a restaurant once. I recently sold the property and am now fully out of the game. Yay!! When I took it over originally (which was by accident) we focussed on seafood and fine steaks. I supplied a bunch of laguioli knives, which is what I use at home. They are fine table cutlery, but suffer from two problems: some customers become over attached to them, and they needed hand washing, both of which are a right pain. I needed up buying copies that were dishwasher proof. For a restaurant owner, steak knives are problematic. if you serve on china the knives blunt fairly quickly. if you serve on boards, hygiene is a problem pretty fast - I dislike the modern fad for boards as I am none too certain about the cleanliness of some establishments. If you use serrated (which a lot of customers like) then once they are dulled they are pretty much impossible to sharpen cost effectively. Nevertheless, I would feel that I was letting my customers (now ex thankfully) down if we did not supply good quality cutlery that is more than fit for purpose. 

Kind regards, Adrian


----------



## BrownBear (Aug 17, 2015)

I usually bring my own Laguiole knife to a steak restaurant. I wouldn't take it with me to a Michelin star restaurant, but elsewhere it's never been a problem.


----------



## mille162 (Aug 17, 2015)

Cheeks1989 said:


> Just because you pay the bill doesn't mean you are right. The saying the customer is always right is not always the case.





"The customer is always an *******..."

[video=youtube;XOXAs9o3xUE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOXAs9o3xUE[/video]


----------



## mille162 (Aug 17, 2015)

There's a steakhouse here in Philly, Barclay Prime, before your steaks come out, they present you with a tray of highness steak knives: Global, Shun, Zwilling, Dubost. It's a nice touch, and when you're cutting into a $50-$150 cut of meat, refreshing to know you have a nice knife that is going to cut easily instead of using a dull butterknife a lot of other places give you.


----------



## Mucho Bocho (Aug 17, 2015)

Richard and Adrian make some excellent points. I'd love a restaurant proprietor ask me to leave or serve me inferior food because I brought in a gentleman folder. 

I brought mine to Art and Soul in DC (under Chef Travis Kern) last year and he didn't as me to leave? I've never been to a decent steak restaurant that provided what I would consider a sharp knife. Most of the time, its those hunky, tall 1/2 serrated steak knives that operate more like saw than a knife.

http://knives.dexter1818.com/shop/dexter-basics/steak-knives/31365.html

IMHO, This is the most practical and useful steak knife I've found. Good Ole Opinel

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040I46VM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


----------



## richard (Aug 17, 2015)

mille162 said:


> There's a steakhouse here in Philly, Barclay Prime, before your steaks come out, they present you with a tray of highness steak knives: Global, Shun, Zwilling, Dubost. It's a nice touch, and when you're cutting into a $50-$150 cut of meat, refreshing to know you have a nice knife that is going to cut easily instead of using a dull butterknife a lot of other places give you.


That is really cool. Did a little research and food looks good too (also important!)...I just bookmarked this place in case I go to Philly in the near future.


----------



## aboynamedsuita (Aug 17, 2015)

Cheeks1989 said:


> Just because you pay the bill doesn't mean you are right. The saying the customer is always right is not always the case.





mille162 said:


> "The customer is always an *******..."
> 
> [video=youtube;XOXAs9o3xUE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOXAs9o3xUE[/video]



Hearing mention of "the customer is always right" reminds me of this movie even years later (may be NSFW):

[video=youtube_share;djzaEbDalRM]http://youtu.be/djzaEbDalRM[/video]


----------



## Knifefan (Aug 18, 2015)

I'm occasionally bringing my own steak knife to a restaurant, and have never got any negative reaction from the wait staff. In a restaurant environment, it is almost impossible to offer the customer a sharp, non-serrated knife. Thus they are very well aware that there are better products for cutting an expensive steak than the knives they provide. Usually I ask them in a friendly way if they can clean my steak knives after use. Usually this triggers a nice conversation about the knives.

Naturally, if the restaurant has good steak knives, I leave mine in my pocket. But that has happened only once - actually at Barclay's Prime in Philadelphia.


----------



## Benuser (Aug 18, 2015)

BrownBear said:


> I usually bring my own Laguiole knife to a steak restaurant. I wouldn't take it with me to a Michelin star restaurant, but elsewhere it's never been a problem.



In France this is perfectly common -- in fine restaurants at least. Staff of a Michelin star restaurant abroad should know.


----------



## oldcookie (Aug 18, 2015)

Benuser said:


> In France this is perfectly common -- in fine restaurants at least. Staff of a Michelin star restaurant abroad should know.



That's good enough for me, I'll grab a Laguiole folder.


----------



## Keith Sinclair (Aug 18, 2015)

Long before invention of stainless steel people ate with their weapons. :knight: Then forks and spoons and rounded tipped knives evolved :hungry:.

In the East going way back chopping up meats and vegetables go in a wok so eating done with chopsticks.

Around the Victorian age upper crust table settings went to the extreme.

Bottom line good eating involves taking care of your teeth


----------



## Tall Dark and Swarfy (Aug 19, 2015)

keithsaltydog said:


> Bottom line good eating involves taking care of your teeth



Nothing worse than eating a steak with the dull house dentures.


----------



## gic (Aug 19, 2015)

If it wasn't serrated couldn't one give it enough of a sharpening on any piece of china like a coffee cup that had an unglazed portion or would that be too weird??


----------



## _PixelNinja (Aug 19, 2015)

Benuser said:


> In France this is perfectly common -- in fine restaurants at least. Staff of a Michelin star restaurant abroad should know.


Back in the day maybe. Now it is a lot less common, especially considering the laws regarding carrying around a knife.


----------



## spoiledbroth (Aug 19, 2015)

Personally I think it's bad etiquette... If you were to show up at my house with your own steak knife I'd politely ask you to dine at home. I maintain that the same sentiment would be shared by any waitstaff who see you using your own cutlery. You're going to a friends house or a restaurant, so you bring your steak knife. I view that as a presupposition on your behalf that some aspect of the (house/restaurant) will not be up to your standard (cutlery) and therefore you've preemptively made other accommodations. It's like bringing your own food... or wine! because you know nothing in the house will be up to you standard or to you liking. 

Now, I don't have an inferiority complex. This is just HOW I VIEW THINGS, and WHY I DO NOT BRING MY OWN STUFF TO A RESTAURANT or DINNER PARTY (unless asked to do so). Corkage fees and slicing up big mountains of gaudy fondant covered mess don't cause me to lose any sleep, nor do I (usually) resent that type of thing... this is all just if I were to actually analyze any of it. I think etiquette is a dead art along with chivalry anyway, so I'm not sure what any of this is worth.

:shocked3:


----------



## Matus (Aug 19, 2015)

Even if I happened to have a usable pocket knife along I probably would not pull it out in a "fine" restaurant and rather call a waiter and kindly ask for a proper tool for the job - after all I may have got the inproper tool by accident. It was mentioned before that using your own knife could be negatively received and I can see that. Most good restaurants often go to great lengths to sastisfy their customers and pulling out your own knife is like telling them they failed withoug giving them a chance to improve.

On the other hand, in lower-end establishment I have used a couple of times my pocket knife to get through less-then-perfect piece of meat, but I still would do that discretly without trying to show-off or make a point or something.


----------



## malexthekid (Aug 19, 2015)

spoiledbroth said:


> Personally I think it's bad etiquette... If you were to show up at my house with your own steak knife I'd politely ask you to dine at home. I maintain that the same sentiment would be shared by any waitstaff who see you using your own cutlery. You're going to a friends house or a restaurant, so you bring your steak knife. I view that as a presupposition on your behalf that some aspect of the (house/restaurant) will not be up to your standard (cutlery) and therefore you've preemptively made other accommodations. It's like bringing your own food... or wine! because you know nothing in the house will be up to you standard or to you liking.
> 
> Now, I don't have an inferiority complex. This is just HOW I VIEW THINGS, and WHY I DO NOT BRING MY OWN STUFF TO A RESTAURANT or DINNER PARTY (unless asked to do so). Corkage fees and slicing up big mountains of gaudy fondant covered mess don't cause me to lose any sleep, nor do I (usually) resent that type of thing... this is all just if I were to actually analyze any of it. I think etiquette is a dead art along with chivalry anyway, so I'm not sure what any of this is worth.
> 
> :shocked3:



I would quite often prefer to bring my own wine. And yes it is usually of a better quality than what they offer. 

Though it is a tough question, and the counter argument is would a restaurant refund my meal if it is ruined to me because the cutlery isn't sufficient. 

Just stirring here, I would never take a cutlery to a restaurant. It is just an interesting idea. And nothing ruins a nice steak like a blunt knife.


----------



## Matus (Aug 19, 2015)

Ehm, I would never take a bottle of wine to a restaurant (One would probably get politely kicked out or something I guess)either, unless some bigger event is being organised and I have prior agrement with the restaurant on that (e.g. wedding, etc.) as in that case bringing your own wine or cakes is rather common.


----------



## malexthekid (Aug 19, 2015)

BYO (bring your own) is reasonably common over here, though most upper end restaurants don't allow it. It just depends on the establishment.


----------



## Dardeau (Aug 19, 2015)

I always bring wine to dinner parties, as a host gift. Home Training.


----------



## malexthekid (Aug 19, 2015)

I consider it rude not to


----------



## WildBoar (Aug 19, 2015)

So what if you've been to the restaurant in the past, and the food is good but the steak knife situation results in you literally tearing up your $65 steak? Never go there again, or consider bringing your own knife? I have not looked at this thread as bringing a knive on the supposition the cutlery would not be par at the restaurant, friend's house, etc. but rather going to a place where you know it is not fitting for the meal/ price so you do what you can to enhance your enjoyment.


----------



## panda (Aug 19, 2015)

i would rather eat tore up steak than bring my own knife, haha, y'all are nuts!


----------



## Noodle Soup (Aug 19, 2015)

Why so down on bringing your own knife? For starters, its a given I'm going to have a knife on me anyway. It is just a question of whether I feel the need to use it instead of what ever the restaurant provided. Maybe I'm just not eating at that very top rung of places but I've certainly been in some most considered 5 star. None ever provided me with a steak knife that would meet my own standards at home.


----------



## Dardeau (Aug 19, 2015)

I cut stuff with my pocketknife I don't want to eat.


----------



## Noodle Soup (Aug 19, 2015)

I do to but my "get all cleaned up going town knife" is not the same as my EDC working in the field knife.  South west Law Enforcement guys have what they call "barbeque gun," I have my barbeque knife. I have a friend that throws a backyard gathering every year where one of the rules is you come with your best barbeque knife to show off.


----------



## Keith Sinclair (Aug 19, 2015)

Dardeau said:


> I always bring wine to dinner parties, as a host gift. Home Training.



That's a given. When I cook Stefan brings the wine. JohnF another forum member used to work as Sommelier our last dinner had plenty good wine:biggrin:


----------



## JohnF (Aug 19, 2015)

keithsaltydog said:


> That's a given. When I cook Stefan brings the wine. JohnF another forum member used to work as Sommelier our last dinner had plenty good wine:biggrin:



Yes we did have good wine...to go with some excellent food that you made. I figured that I wouldnt have to bring my own steak knife


----------



## mille162 (Aug 19, 2015)

malexthekid said:


> I would quite often prefer to bring my own wine. And yes it is usually of a better quality than what they offer.



There's a local restaurant in Philly my girl likes to go to and I really like the food. Chef is a great guy and always does something special for us... but horrible Tequila options, pretty much Patron selections only! I want to drink good tequila when I go out, and it's pretty much all I drink, but I like their food so I approached it by asking the bartender (we usually eat at the bar) if they've ever tried a few of my favorites for carrying at the var, and when he said no, I asked if he'd like to try some next time I come in, I'd be more than happy to bring in a bottle and share. Now, he looks forward to when I come in, usually with a new bottle to try, I still tip as if I ordered my drinks from him and even the chef comes out to try a glass. I think the etiquette part is how you approach the problem and present your wishes.

If you wanted to bring your own knife to use, you could start off by telling the waiter that it's a special knife to you (maybe you got it as a gift from your deceased father, maybe it's your good luck charm) and would they mind if you used it for your meal. No matter how weird they think they request is, I'm sure any good waiter/restaurant would honor your special request...


----------



## spoiledbroth (Aug 20, 2015)

WildBoar said:


> So what if you've been to the restaurant in the past, and the food is good but the steak knife situation results in you literally tearing up your $65 steak? Never go there again, or consider bringing your own knife? I have not looked at this thread as bringing a knive on the supposition the cutlery would not be par at the restaurant, friend's house, etc. but rather going to a place where you know it is not fitting for the meal/ price so you do what you can to enhance your enjoyment.



dude that's a totally false choice. The third option is to bring it to the attention of an establishment you for whatever reason chose to patronize twice. That second visit implies you or someone you care about likes the place so step up and tell them you deserve better cutlery! I'm not advocating anyone try to cut a medium well steak with a butter knife.

I'm not down on anyone for bringing a knife, if it's cool to you then do it. I'm just saying, if you think a sufficiently expensive establishment has **** cutlery you should let a manager or someone know. I don't want to make anyone feel ashamed, I don't think anyone is crazy or nuts for carrying around a knife, steak or otherwise. I just feel like it's a bit of a slight... that's more my point I was trying to get across. I don't work at a small plates or tasting course place I work at a surf and turf type place. We don't have great cutlery, to be sure. I think this is a very important thread because I would never have thought about it before. I'll be mentioning something at work but I'm not management, so I'd doubt if anything happened. I don't think everyone would share my opinion, I should take back my comments that most wait staff would be offended etc.

Cheers.


----------



## WildBoar (Aug 20, 2015)

Agree about letting them know after that first visit (I should have put that in my post). And you may get immediate feedback about change not happening from the server/ manager. So at that point is when I would consider bringing your own to future meals to be an option. To be clear, I have never brought my own steak knife to a restaurant for any purpose other then to show it to the KKF members I was meeting up with and/ or who worked in the kitchen and wanted to see them (hey, Butch makes a killer steak knife -- I'm happy to let as many KKFers see one as possible). But I have dined with a KKF member who pulled out a folder and cut his steak during a dinner. It was a complete non-event; I don't think anyone else in the place besides me even knew he was using a personal knife. If the server saw it, they did not indicate any sort of apprehension. I think the key is to not make a show of it.

I think it's pretty cool that this thread has created such polarizing opinions. Who would have thought there would be such strong feelings in any of the camps? It's good for people to hear the reasoning behind others' dissenting opinions, as it helps everyone understand the full range of the issue. Geeze, I better stop as I sound all touchy-feely now, but rest assured I pretty much am the polar opposite


----------



## mano (Aug 20, 2015)

WildBoar said:


> But I have dined with a KKF member who pulled out a folder and cut his steak during a dinner. It was a complete non-event; I don't think anyone else in the place besides me even knew he was using a personal knife. If the server saw it, they did not indicate any sort of apprehension. I think the key is to not make a show of it.



+1
Asked my daughter who is a server at Del Frisco's Grille in NYC for two years. None of the servers pay attention to that kind of stuff.

Her POV is they're buying an expensive steak and can use whatever they want to cut it. If she noticed, and it looked like an interesting knife, she'd ask about it because her dad is into that stuff. It'll probably get her a bigger tip.


----------



## Mucho Bocho (Aug 20, 2015)

+2 Mano, my sentiment exactly, seems like BOH & FOH should have other things on their mind during service than if one of their patrons uses their own knife to cut something they just paid for.


----------



## Noodle Soup (Aug 20, 2015)

mano said:


> +1
> Asked my daughter who is a server at Del Frisco's Grille in NYC for two years. None of the servers pay attention to that kind of stuff.
> 
> Her POV is they're buying an expensive steak and can use whatever they want to cut it. If she noticed, and it looked like an interesting knife, she'd ask about it because her dad is into that stuff. It'll probably get her a bigger tip.



I can add Del Frisco's in Vegas to that list too. They have never paid any attention to the knives the folks at my table were pulling out. I've also been in there with the management from a well known firearm company when they were passing new model handguns around the table but it was private room event.


----------



## Noodle Soup (Aug 20, 2015)

Sorry that should have been Delmonico's not Del Frisco. I mixed the two but corrected myself after I thought about if for a while.


----------



## Cheeks1989 (Aug 20, 2015)

Noodle Soup said:


> Sorry that should have been Delmonico's not Del Frisco. I mixed the two but corrected myself after I thought about if for a while.



Just got back from Vegas really enjoyed Delmonico's.


----------



## Dardeau (Aug 20, 2015)

Is the Delmonico in Vegas an Emeril's Delmonico or is it another bastard branch of the NY restaurant?


----------



## Cheeks1989 (Aug 20, 2015)

The one I am refereeing to is Emerils's.


----------



## Cheeks1989 (Aug 20, 2015)

referring*


----------



## Dardeau (Aug 20, 2015)

Just curious, the one here in New Orleans that Emeril bought opened as a branch of the classic NYC restaurant (home of baked Alaska among other dishes) in something like 1915 and evolved into a totally different place. That restaurant then evolved again when Emeril bought it (maybe 15 years ago?). There are some really old Mardi Gras traditions connected to Delmonico since it is on the St. Charles parade route.


----------



## Dardeau (Aug 20, 2015)

Just fact checked myself. Opened in 1895, bought in 1997.


----------



## Noodle Soup (Aug 20, 2015)

And there are two in the same casino complex in Vegas. I was referring to the steak house, not the seafood/New Orleans place but I actually eat at the later most of the time.


----------



## JohnF (Aug 20, 2015)

Cheeks1989 said:


> Just got back from Vegas really enjoyed Delmonico's.



I don't want to digress too much, but have you been to other Vegas steakhouses (ie SW, Bazaar Meat, Craft, Vic and Anthony's, etc)? How does it compare? It's just always been on the radar but havent got any personal reviews good or bad. 

To stay on topic, I thought the knife selection at Bazaar Meat, where they offer you several different options of knives (serrated, straight, thin, etc) was one of the best knife presentations I've seen.


----------



## Cheeks1989 (Aug 20, 2015)

Yes, I really enjoyed the double cut pork chop.


----------



## Cheeks1989 (Aug 20, 2015)

I don't think its in the same league as any of tom colicchio's places, but for the price it would be hard to beat imo.


----------



## gregg (Aug 29, 2015)

Benuser said:


> In France this is perfectly common -- in fine restaurants at least. Staff of a Michelin star restaurant abroad should know.




Yeah, there's is still a sizable contingent of "older gents" who've always carried Opinels and use them as steak knives. Never seen it be a problem, even in Michelin joints. I think it depends a bit on the customer's attitude, as well. As an aside, I sharpen professionally in France, and do restaurant steak knives, usually Opinels or Laguioles, (or a version thereof) quite often. The wait staff loves it, since the steak seems "tenderer"! (I just realized that that sounds bad; these are good places with good, aged meat, but it's true that a bavette, even a really good one tends to put up a fight if the knife is blunt!).


----------

