# When did waiters grinding pepper on salads become a thing?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-waiters-grinding-pepper-on-salads-become-a-thing/768219
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 11, 2016, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-waiters-grinding-pepper-on-salads-become-a-thing/768219 "2016-10-11T05:49:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2016, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-waiters-grinding-pepper-on-salads-become-a-thing/768219/21 "2016-10-13T02:02:11Z")
> [@jayjay](#):
>
> There is a little motel just north of my hometown that boasts of having [the largest peppermill collection in the world](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/00/c2/69/00c269291db6e2b518d04001c8d00f9a.jpg).
Nothing to sneeze at, to be sure.
---
### Author:  [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2016, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-waiters-grinding-pepper-on-salads-become-a-thing/768219/22 "2016-10-13T06:10:24Z")
TGI Fridays restaurants in Japan do that for certain salads. The waiter brings the salad and asks the customers to say SUTOPPU\* when enough black pepper has been sprinkled.
- SUTOPPU is the way many Japanese pronounce the word “stop” 😃
---
### Author:  [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-waiters-grinding-pepper-on-salads-become-a-thing/768219/23 "2016-10-13T23:42:48Z")
I think it started when table side food preparation began to fade away. Gone was the “glamour” of Steak Diane, Caesar Salad and Cherries Jubilee. Restaurants needed _SOMETHING_ to make the dining experience more hands-on. I don’t have to worry though, I travel with a fully-loaded peppermill when I’m going out to eat. Surprisingly, many restaurants are mill-less.
---
### Author:  [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-waiters-grinding-pepper-on-salads-become-a-thing/768219/24 "2016-10-14T01:32:08Z")
I seem to recall an article in one of the major news magazines more than a decade ago discussing how no matter how high-end the restaurant is, customers will walk out with whatever they can slip in a pocket or purse, even if they can damned well afford to buy their own stuff and in fact the very stuff the restaurant uses is available for sale. So, generally restaurants use lower quality cutlery than they used to. And I had the impression that the whole pepper-grinding waiter thing was part of this inventory control effort.
---
### Author:  [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-waiters-grinding-pepper-on-salads-become-a-thing/768219/25 "2016-10-14T02:01:50Z")
I miss the Japanese rep pan restaurant in our town that had a five foot pepper grinder.
---
### Author:  [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2016, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-waiters-grinding-pepper-on-salads-become-a-thing/768219/26 "2016-10-14T03:01:09Z")
> [@quiltguy](#):
>
> I think it started when table side food preparation began to fade away. Gone was the “glamour” of Steak Diane, Caesar Salad and Cherries Jubilee. Restaurants needed _SOMETHING_ to make the dining experience more hands-on.
I wondered about the Caesar Salad at table side. I read that some restaurants had a special cart just to prepare the dressing. Sounds really good.
At least Bananas Foster (bananas flambe) has survived, at least in the restaurant they were invented. Heck, I’ve made them a time or two myself.
Dennis
---
### Author:  [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-waiters-grinding-pepper-on-salads-become-a-thing/768219/27 "2016-10-14T03:02:10Z")
Dr Paprika, I dedicate this pepper thread to you.
Dennis
---
### Author:  [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2016, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-waiters-grinding-pepper-on-salads-become-a-thing/768219/28 "2016-10-15T03:12:00Z")
Thanks, you’re the salt of the earth.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-waiters-grinding-pepper-on-salads-become-a-thing/768219.md?page=1)