Another one for the “prepared as you watch” category: some Chinese restaurants offer “hand-pulled” noodles made from dough that’s extravagantly stretched out by hand at your table.
I’d laugh at such displays, but I’ve had way too many excellent Caesar salads, tableside guacs and carved-at-the-table prime ribs to condemn such outright. One of our favorite French restaurants in Vegas (sadly a Covid victim) had a Bloody Mary cart, where the bloodytender would make you a pitcher of customized Bloodies. Most excellent!
When the diner is presented with a screw-on cap, you know the ritual has lost all meaning.
Here in San Antonio there are a quite a few restaurants that offer this service. I’ve had tableside guacamole at La Paloma Blanca on Broadway and the venerable La Fogata on Vance Jackson, and there are others that offer it as well. Mind you, these are higher end restaurants, the kind of place you go for a celebration dinner or take out-of-town guests. Certainly not going to see it at the many excellent taquerias in town that I typically frequent.
My sister & nephew were visiting this summer and we ate at Range, a Tuscan-themed restaurant on the Riverwalk. A tomahawk ribeye was ordered with quite the elaborate presentation - steak was sliced tableside, seasoned with oil, salt & pepper. Then the chef pulled out a torch and applied it to a bunch of thyme directly over the steak. Absolutely delicious! Kinda pricey, but how often do you get to treat and impress your big sis?
Yep, down in Mexico, many moons ago, we stopped for late lunch. Well, the kitchen was closed for siesta. But they fixed us fresh made chips and guac, and it was great.