I saw something on a menu last night that I've never seen before:
"Maximum suggested dining time is two hours."
Those words appear on the menu at Catonsville Gourmet, where, incidentally, I had a terrific Caesar Salad with Grilled Salmon ($14.79).
My husband, kids, parents and I spent nearly two hours at the restaurant. And while the place was hopping, nobody hustled us out the door.
So what's with the "suggested" time limit?
It appears as part of an explanation of the restaurant's B.Y.O.B. policy.
"Catonsville Gourmet invites you to bring in your own alcoholic beverages, provided you are 21 years of age or older. These beverages may be consumed while you are eating. Catonsville Gourmet reserves the right to utilize tables for dining purposes. Maximum suggested dining time is two hours."
It seems almost silly that a restaurant has to assert, in print, its right to use its own tables for dining purposes. Or to set a "suggested" time limit on dining. But I guess people could treat the place like a bring-your-own bar, occupying tables for hours and hours without ordering much of anything from the kitchen.
Maybe this is standard B.Y.O.B. verbiage and I've just never noticed it before. If anybody out there has seen it elsewhere, let me know.
In any case, I love being able to bring my own wine or beer to a restaurant, since that saves money. If the trade-off is some surprising fine print at the bottom of the menu, so be it.
Oysters Muir at Catonsville Gourmet. Sun file photo