DEAR MISS MANNERS: My wife and I went out to a newly opened restaurant for dinner. Towards the end of the meal, the waiter asked how things were.

I replied that my meal (chicken parm over spaghetti) was very good, but that the deep cast-iron dish it had been baked in, and subsequently served in, was challenging to eat from.

My wife chastised me for saying this, which I thought was odd coming from an outspoken woman. She said that I should have only said how good the food was, since the waitstaff has no control over the serving dishes. Apparently, according to her, I’m only supposed to say something if it’s a compliment.

GENTLE READER: Your wife, like just about everyone else, has mistaken the restaurant-customer relationship for a social one.

However pleasant the atmosphere as a sett

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