re: My Dream Plates!

There's nothing running together on your plates. I'd serve all of those foods on my regular plates.

This isn't about all foods. I use regular plates a lot of the time, probably most of the time. I prefer sectional when the entree and/or the sides are "juicy". I prefer not to have all of those juices mixing together. I like to taste the individual flavors of my foods. Making a nice strong gravy is pretty pointless if the pot liquor from my mustard greens is going to run up in it and dilute it. I don't care for the flavor of gravy and mustard green pot liquor together. I love both separately. May as well cook them all together otherwise.

All foods may go to the same place in your body, but that doesn't mean they must all travel the route at the same time shoveled in the mouth such that the palate isn't able to distinguish what is what. Again, just cook them all together.

I don't care if food slightly touches. I do care if all the juices or foods run together when there is fluidity. My foods don't generally touch because I don't load my plate such that every space is full of food. That's not pleasing to the eye and I won't eat that much at one time, anyway.

Like LL, I despise proteins put atop a starch or vegetable. I love my steak juices, for example, and I don't want them soaked up by the mashed potatoes which I probably won't eat anyway. If I know that's going to happen, I sometimes ask the restaurant to put the starch on the side or leave it off if its not too much trouble.

When I get the andouille crusted fish at Emeril's, I ask that the shoestring potatoes be served on the side rather than under the fish. The fish is substantial and I probably won't eat more than 5 fries anyway, especially if I've had an app or a salad. I'd rather them not soak up all the fine juices/sauce from my fish.

The one dish I didn't care for at Peche was the catfish and greens because the crispy catfish was served atop the juicy greens. The greens were delicious and I enjoy greens served with fried catfish, but the entire underside of the catfish was mush and unappealing.I ate the greens and left the fish. I wouldn't order it again.

Many restaurants serve the protein ala carte. Most steakhouses do not place that beautiful piece of meat on top of mashed potatoes. It gets a plate unto itself.

When I see someone mixing their foods on the plate or getting some of the meat and two or three sides on the fork for one bite, I wonder if they are eating to be full or eating to enjoy. Looks like the former to me and it looks sort of rustic caveman. On the other hand, some things are meant to be eaten together like roast and rice 'n gravy.

I use sectional plates for certain meals, not all of them. I have tons of other plates I use.