His name is The Bitchy Waiter and he'll be taking care of you folks this evening. Earlier this week, the popular blogger served up five ways that customers get in the way of their food arriving in a timely fashion.

And a whole lot of folks bit back, with more than 1100 comments about the role of waitstaff in getting meals to people in a timely fashion - and even their value in society. Here's a sampling menu of some of the most popular sentiments.
FULL POST

Things are not always as they appear to be. Our recent story "The waitress, the autistic girl and the broken hamburger" shared the experiences of Anna Kaye MacLean, a young woman who was deeply touched by the kindness of a Chili's server to her seven-year-old sister Arianna, who has autism.

While many people interpret Arianna's behavior - sometimes involving violent tantrums and grunting - as uncontrolled brattiness, her older sister will take the time to explain the condition if asked. Occasionally, fellow restaurant patrons will ask to be moved to other tables, give dirty looks, or criticize MacLean's handling of the situation. While the family has never been asked to leave a restaurant, they're keenly aware of other patrons' comfort and will leave of their own accord.

Scenes like this play out in public every day, as evidenced by the over 650 comments that poured in when we posted the story. In observance of National Autism Awareness Month and April 2, World Autism Awareness Day, we're sharing insight from some of our commenters who have experience weathering the minefield that is a restaurant meal.
FULL POST

Even the most adventurous eaters often give their inner food warrior the day off on Thanksgiving – nothing but the same turkey, stuffing (or dressing!), cranberries, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie they've been eating since childhood. If one of those dishes goes missing, the whole meal just doesn't feel right.

Other families stray away from the standards (some friends of ours have to have collard greens, whiskey sours and banana pudding for the day to feel right, while another family dives into duck) and develop their own must-indulge traditions.

And for some, like our commenter traveldoc, it's less about what's on the table than who's gathered around it.
FULL POST

From Barbecue Digest: Cook the opossum, spare the bear, a reader named Simon advises:

I gotta say, I've had opossum, and it was delicious. You gotta parboil it first – let the grease rise to the top, but then you take it out and smoke it, basting it as you go in a part vinegar part tomato sauce, kind of like Piedmont of Western North Carolina style BBQ sauce. It might be OK with just a vinegar base like in Eastern North Carolina, but I haven't tried that.

FULL POST

Yesterday, we posted a plea to get consumers and farmers talking to each other, and by gosh, they did. This comment by a farmer named M.A. really stood out to us, so we're sharing.

Who needs farmers? All we are is a bunch of dead-beat, lazy, filthy loons. Some of us sporting big goofy hats that work all of our dreaded lives sacrificing time with those we love only to be condemned.

The weeds are getting bigger as are some folks pocket books. Bugs are getting stronger too. Vegetables aren't as nutritious as they once were and the meat does not even taste the same. Not to mention the salt and sugar laden foods we're all being presented with. We need more hormones, antibiotics and chemicals! Just to "keep up."
FULL POST

Chef John Currence's recent essay on the use of immigrant labor in restaurant kitchens sparked a debate that's still raging in the article's comments section. Hundreds of people weighed in, and over 1000 comments later, several themes emerged: work ethics of immigrants, why Americans don't seek restaurant jobs, and who bears the cost in the end.

But first, the results from our poll, which received over 21,000 votes:

If you knew a restaurant hired undocumented workers, would you still eat there?
FULL POST

Editor's note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community.

Some of the biggest talkers in the news last week were stories revolving around food that might make you look at your menu a little differently.

Paula Deen, change your diet

Lots of our readers have been talking about Paula Deen's type 2 diabetes revelation. The popular foodie has had the disease for three years, and is now a paid spokesperson for a diabetes medication. Andrew Weil issued her a challenge to change her eating. Some folks were outraged.

Here's what readers had to say - "Overheard on CNN.com: Paula Deen's diabetes, chocolate slavery, food stamps"

Our commenters are on a bit of a roll.

Last week, our colleague Jo Parker extolled the virtues of her childhood sandwich favorite the peanut butter and Vidalia onions sandwich. She wrote in part, "The cool, crunchy sweetness of Vidalias pairs terrifically with the peanuttiness. Smooth or crunchy – up to you. I remember eating these as a girl in Illinois, but I really don’t know the sandwich’s pedigree."

In response, more than 200 readers served up love letters to their favorite non-traditional ‘wiches. They ranged from strawberry preserves paired with mayonnaise to peanut butter and…well, everything under the sun, stackable between two buns.
FULL POST

Food says so much about where you’ve come from, where you’ve decided to go, and the lessons you’ve learned. It’s geography, politics, tradition, belief and so much more and this week, we invite you to dig in and discover the rich, ever-evolving taste of America in 2011. The week will culminate with a Secret Supper in New York City, and Eatocracy invites you to participate online starting Monday July 11th at 6:30 p.m. E.T.

From commenter Kelsey on iReport: Rice – the grain that feeds the planet:

I'm an ESL teacher in South Korea, and in some kindergartens over here, it has taken a lot of time and effort for young students to see similarities between themselves and some of the Indian children also in the classroom. Something that my Korean students and Indian students bonded over? Rice.

My Indian student packs her lunch every day, but that food was one of the first things that students could see was the same between them, even though they speak entirely different languages in their homes and are of different cultural backgrounds. "Teacher, she eats the rice and I eat the rice TOO! Same same!" – something seemingly small, but when acceptance has not been easy for some of them, it's a memorable moment.

Read more about the inextricable bond between food and cultural identity

From our post Does 4-H desensitize kids to killing?:

Momof2 says,

I think children are desensitized more to killing by playing violent video games, but, I do not preach to people about what they expose their own kids to.

We have always believed in being honest with our kids (4&6) about where meat comes from. They know chicken is from real chickens, pork from pigs and beef from cows. My son did question "angel" hair pasta.