The thtead regarding the custom of the man ordering the woman’s meal brought up this one:
How many know about the green menu/white menu custom?
OK!
Two, count 'em! Two typos in only 5 words! In the thread title!
Yay me!
Actually it’s three typos in seven words, if you keep going into the post proper . . . You ARE awesome! 
To address your actual content . . . does it have to do with the menu with prices vs. the one without?
Got it in one!
Yep - the gentleman was given the white menu (with prices), the lady got the green (no prices).
This is likely the origin of the man ordering - he would “recommend” something (whch was cheap enough for his budget) - the lady would then either (let him) order the “recommened” dish or at least something in that general range.
It also served to let the lady know how highly he valued her company…
This survived into the 70’s in San Francisco (but then, smoking in movie theaters lasted into he 80’s in SF)
If you want to see others, there’s always parsley. It was always on the plate of any entree in an upscale restaurant when I was growing up. I think you can still get it at diners and such, but upscale moved on the kale.
Playboy Bunnies?
This makes no sense. If the woman was given a menu with no prices, how could she know what was in the “general range”? Or how highly he valued her company?
Yes, the spahetti is usually cheaper than the lobster, but after that it’s darn hard to generalize.
I’m not debating the existence of no-price menus for the ladies. Been here, done that. I’m debating your explanation.
When the practice was explained to me it was that if a man took you to a restaurant where your menu didn’t list prices it meant he could afford anything on it and you should not concern yourself with the price. (But still order the chicken).
Because she cannot see the prices in this place hardly means she has no idea of relative prices - if he suggests the mac and cheese, she is not going to order the steak (or, if she does, should not expect to see him again).
If he’s driving a Rolls and suggests a cheap meal, one could likely surmise he’s not that wild about one’s company; if he is driving a Chevy and suggests the steak, a different conclusion is warranted
Moping thread from IMHO {o Cafe Society.
Well, the point of the menu was that the woman should not worry about the price and just order whatever she wants. Not that it always worked out that way in practice.
Though the places that offered these things tended only to serve upscale entrees – if it was chicken, it was an expensive chicken dish. The variation was minor (and in many cases, things were prix fixe, anyway).
Great sig, Chuck-- now I know why I was repeating this whole poem in my head-- I must have seen your sig without registering it. I’m going to make a new thread … starring James James. Coming soon to a Café near you.
Nah, even diners have quit using parsley. I kind of miss it, because I enjoy eating it. I also enjoy eating other garnishes, but most diners have quit putting them on the plates. For instance, a breakfast combo usually had some parsley, a couple of slices of orange, and a couple of tomato slices, so even if you DIDN’T get your OJ you got your vitamin C. Nowadays, the plate arrives with just the bacon, eggs, and toast, and looks rather naked to my eyes.
I’ve been provided with price-less menus on a couple of occasions when Japanese colleagues were taking me out in Tokyo. (Of course, this was a step up, in terms of transparency/choice, from the usual dinners, which are typically ordered in toto for the table by one of the senior Japanese guys).
Want it reported to a mod?