Mickey Mantle's

[Plutonic Panda]

I see no problem at all with that and if people wouldn’t be thin skinned they could actually learn something positive if they applied most of that. I do think it’s a bit strange they have that on their website and the only thing I don’t necessarily agree with is needing to research the menu online.

[hoya]

Found this online looking for something else. Seems a little presumptuous to tell people how they should hold their silverware, order their steak and what to drink.

https://mickeymantlesteakhouse.com/b...ner-etiquette/

I think I'm gonna show up in sweatpants and a t-shirt with a dragon on it.

[Celebrator]

I'm sure it gets pretty annoying as a server and a manager at a place like this to see people cluelessly coming in and treating the place like Applebee's. I agree with what a poster said above "be better." It matters. Think beyond yourself.

[Ginkasa]

I don't think a "how to" guide is necessarily a bad idea. It can be intimidating the first time you go to a nicer restaurant, so having something to refer to can be convenient and helpful.

I think the issue is just in the way its worded. Rather than a helpful tone it does have a bit of a holier than thou tone.

[Teo9969]

In my experience as a server at the Ranch, typically the only people treating the place like Applebee's were the people coming in multiple times a month dropping a decent chunk of change. It's as regular for them as Applebee's is for the majority of us. Those people wouldn't take the time to read an article like this.

Likely the only people who would read this article are people who have dined upscale less than a handful of times in their life and not frequently at all. I honestly can't believe a restaurant of this caliber (and that's not to say it's of a particularly high caliber) has a blog. About the only restaurant in this city that should have a blog is nonesuch.

[Plutonic Panda]

I think I'm gonna show up in sweatpants and a t-shirt with a dragon on it.

Don’t forget to have your phone out, don’t research the menu, and oh have phone conversations at the table that last for more than ten consecutive minutes.

[rte66man]

I think I'm gonna show up in sweatpants and a t-shirt with a dragon on it.

It's been a few years ago, but my wife and I ate there for our 25th wedding anniversary. We were conscious of not being underdressed so we were very disappointed to see people in other parties in shorts, jeans with holes (not the fashionable kind), flip flops, etc. If you have a dress you should enforce it, else just get rid of it.

[Jeepnokc]

I am a little torn here. We had dinner tonight at Ranch and last night at Mahogany (my wife and daughters are out of town so my 16 yr old steak loving son and I are doing an OKC steakhouse tour this week), there were several people in nice shorts and jeans. I don't see how their dress diminished my dining experience. In Oklahoma summers....I don't know that I have a problem with people in nice shorts. Even the country club relaxes the dress code in the summer to allow shorts, I am more concerned with how people are acting than how they are dressed. I would rather have a well mannered table full of people in shorts and jeans eating next to me than a table full of drunk loud assholes in suits next to me.

[BoulderSooner]

I guess I am weird in that I see no problem with it. It's a fine dining establishment - don't dress like a slop going there. It should be common sense, and they would still serve you, but still, be better. Also, in business school, we were taught fine dining etiquette (and having dined with clients, I am grateful for it). As a fine steakhouse, there is a always a bit of pretentiousness (like Peter Luger's Steakhouse only taking cash, unless you sign up for their credit card). But I guess since it is OKC, they are not allowed to do that.

very much all of this

[Rover]

When did civility and social grace become a negative?

[catch22]

When did civility and social grace become a negative?

I don’t think that is the issue - just the tone of the article.

[BBatesokc]

When did civility and social grace become a negative?

I think it's the tone of the statements on that page that set people off. To me it read like some article they found somewhere and simply reposted. Personally, I don't read over a restaurant's full website before I patronize it. I go there for the location, the hours, any specials and to see the menu.

I do find it interesting though that they play up how one should dress, then they post pics of a group they hosted there that was virtually all wearing matching t-shirts.

Lastly, they don't have a dress code - or, not at least one they enforce. I've been there with people dressed casually and nobody said a word and I seriously doubt any other patrons were offended.

[Rover]

OKC is not a place where many people aspire to social grace. Conversation seems to always turn to “they can’t make me”. And there seems to be little appreciation for people or establishments attempting to promote a higher state of etiquette or grace. Name me one place in OKC, or one event where sophistication and social grace is maintained. I’m always amazed and disappointed when going to events like the philharmonic or ballet and seeing so many in cut offs and flip-flops. But that’s what we are here and why so many consider OKC to be less than cultured or sophisticated.

[Pete]

^

Absurd.

What you describe is absolutely not an OKC-specific thing.

I lived in SoCal for 25 years and people have way better etiquette here and generally dress better at nice restaurants and events.

[jn1780]

I can understand the dress code recommendations and cell phone use. Everything else was over the top though. Trust the chef on cooking preference, really? Everyone has different tastes.

Why does the thing about wine even need to be said? What do they expect someone to do if they don't know what kind of wine they what? Run around the restaurant asking people if they like their wine?

[BoulderSooner]

OKC is not a place where many people aspire to social grace. Conversation seems to always turn to “they can’t make me”. And there seems to be little appreciation for people or establishments attempting to promote a higher state of etiquette or grace. Name me one place in OKC, or one event where sophistication and social grace is maintained. I’m always amazed and disappointed when going to events like the philharmonic or ballet and seeing so many in cut offs and flip-flops. But that’s what we are here and why so many consider OKC to be less than cultured or sophisticated.

the coach house was once such a place ... ..

[Greggo71]

Yeah, I'm not really sure what the big deal is; nothing on the list is untrue - nothing wrong with a little education.

[Jeepnokc]

When did civility and social grace become a negative?

When you write an article that completely lacks civility and grace in it's tone.

[Rover]

^

Absurd.

What you describe is absolutely not an OKC-specific thing.

I lived in SoCal for 25 years and people have way better etiquette here and generally dress better at nice restaurants and events.

LA is not a place I would hold up as a cultural standard.
I have traveled extensively and been blessed to be able to sample many, many cities. The cultural level in OKC is not considered among any sort of high standard communities. Even with the casualness accepted everywhere, okcitians are not among the polished. I love the genuine attitude of our citizens, their care and their openness. But we aren’t loved for our general sophistication. Sorry, but it’s the truth.

[Rover]

When you write an article that completely lacks civility and grace in it's tone.

Argue the facts instead of just attacking personally.

[Ginkasa]

Argue the facts instead of just attacking personally.

Unless you wrote the article on the Mickey Mantle website in question I don't see how Jeepnokc's post is a personal attack.

[Rover]

Unless you wrote the article on the Mickey Mantle website in question I don't see how Jeepnokc's post is a personal attack.

Sorry if it wasn’t intended for me... it was the sequence it was posted in and a lack of quoted post to reference to.
In Re-reading it, my apologies to Jeep. I’m not defending anyone else’s article or post.

[Jeepnokc]

Argue the facts instead of just attacking personally.

It was in response to your statement but I wasn't attacking you personally and sorry if you took it that way. My statement was towards the article. I should have said "when a store..." instead of "When you".

The fact still remains that their article lacked civility and grace.

[Pete]

LA is not a place I would hold up as a cultural standard.
I have traveled extensively and been blessed to be able to sample many, many cities. The cultural level in OKC is not considered among any sort of high standard communities. Even with the casualness accepted everywhere, okcitians are not among the polished. I love the genuine attitude of our citizens, their care and their openness. But we aren’t loved for our general sophistication. Sorry, but it’s the truth.

Then what cultural standard are you using to make such a sweeping and condescending judgment?

OKC is very similar to other American cities of its size, and I've 'traveled extensively' as well.

It's an American mid-sized city thing, not an OKC thing.

[SoonerDave]

There's a balance between sounding snotty and instructive. This one tends somewhat to the former. I never like an establishment that implies I owe them this preemptive groundwork before they deign to open the door to me. Food *service* is - surprise - a *service* industry. I don't mind accommodating basic considerations for any establishment, but this notion that I should have this *pre-emptive* attitudr that I should make the server, staff, etc as comfortable as possible for what will be an expensive event smacks of, well, elitism.

On the etiquette side, I don't have as much problem with the instructions on proper use of utensils. I'm stunned at the number of people who don't know how to hold a fork and knife, and grab it like they're stabbing the nightly cave kill. I'm no Emily Post, but some obvious lack of instruction is prevalent. A minimal sense of use and utility isn't crazy.

The overall tone is a little (okay, maybe a lot) condescending, but I can consider the general.spirit in which it was intended. But foodie places that exhibit superiority complexes are a big turnoff.