Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Awesome. You know that is a fresh fish! My mouth is watering.

How would you know if drinks/ apps are going to be ordered? Should a restaurant have to deny a full party a table so an incomplete party can share an app?

Ribster - If you're having a serious business discussion try a board room. A restaurant is a public place where you are being served by strangers. Handing a glass to a server is in bad taste. It is also usually when accidents/spills happen. A good diner should always let the server place and remove items from the table not hand to hand i.e. do not reach for a plate being placed in front of you and do not hand your empty plate/glass to them, they may not be ready.

#3 has caused a lot of discussion. I've worked in a busy restaurant with 24 seats. A table for 4 is too valuable to let 3 people sit there for an hour while waiting for a fourth who is always "just around the corner." In that hour another party could have come, eaten, and left. Wait at the bar. Coordinate with your friends. Respect the restaurants time and space. You are a guest, you're not at home, you're not entitled to anything just because you walked in the door.

About the silverware. It's very common in NYC to reuse silver. Do you use five different forks when eating at home? If you're grossed out by your own fork you have serious issues. If you're grossed out by the table at the restaurant it's your fault for going to a dirty sub-par restaurant.