AIBU to find this an odd thing to state on a menu?

[DoItForTheDucks]

I went to restaurant with a friend the other day. We were looking at the menu and two of the pasta dishes had the subheading 'The Ladies' choice(Creamy chicken and mushroom pasta) and The Gentleman's choice(Pasta in spicy tomato sauce with strips of steak and sliced chillis)

I found this so incredibly weird and also rather offensive. I was tempted to order the gent's pasta just to see if the staff would keel over in horror(I know that they didn't write the menu.)

The only other time I've encountered in person the whole concept of food intended for women and for men was at a wedding when one guest decided that the man next to her was being emasculated because he ordered the lemon cheesecake and not the chocolate fudge cake(which his wife ordered) and tried to convince them to swap as she was sure that being a man he really wanted chocolate cake and was being deprived. It was bizarre.

Has anyone else encountered this?

Everyday sexism. Do they have a Facebook page? Call them out on it.

Quite often with my husband I will order steak, and he will order fish. 99% of the time, the steak gets put down in front of him.

It is just another example of the sexism that seems to have sunk into some people without them even being aware.

But in the OP's case, I would have complained to the restaurant. Or taken a photo, and complained/named and shamed on social media afterwards. There is absolutely no need for such nonsense.

I went to this wedding that must have cost an absolute fortune, can't begin to tell you the attention to detail with every single thing from the moment we arrived to the minute we left.

The main meal was some sort of lamb dish (different for vegs obv) and it was served all plated. My portion of lamb was tiny. When I looked at all the mens plates, they were literally 3 times the size

I suppose they've got to put the holes in the doughnuts somehow...

Meant to say, not just my plate was tiny. We were on long tables, all the womens portions that I could see were miniscule compared to the mens.

I'm not naming or shaming the restaurant because I don't want people's livelihoods, especially those who have nothing to do with it, ruined, but I will send them a polite if firm email stating my views on the subject.

For those who mentioned waiting staff giving their partners the steak or beer, how many fingers did they lose in the process? You'd think that staff would be trained not to make assumptions.

That's disgusting, Rousette. I'd have been very tempted to make a lunge at the plate of the nearest man and take half of his lamb.

Whenever we go to Nandos my OH is given the hot chicken that I ordered and I get the medium or below or whatever he's ordered...I forgot I'm not supposed to like spicy hot food

I might return with my Father, just to confound them. My Father hates red meat and much prefers creamy sauces. I guess that he'd better return his man card now.

I'd have probably questioned it too.

Even when me and a male both order steak, I always get handed the well done one, not the medium I ordered. Presumably because us girls faint at the mere hint of blood.

On holiday recently I had to almost persuade the waiter that my dd (8) really did want a pink steak. They checked twice

I used to eat meat, partner has always been veggie. I drink, he doesn't.

We frequently noticed they'd try to give the meaty dish to him first, and he always gets given my pint of cider. Some places always put the bill in front of him, too. When they do that I take great pleasure in paying for it on my (joint) card.

gosh, it is a thing, isn't it? I have been noticing with coffee, I drink espresso, my husband prefers cappuccino, every single time they give me the cappuccino and DH the espresso...

Very odd!
I don’t eat Yorkie’s after they said it’s not for girls. I like to think I’ve halved their sales!

See I'd actually prefer the ladies choice because I don't like steak!

I also buy women's shampoo and conditioner as they smell nicer than men's.

The people who came up with this would be appalled at me

Oh and that reminds me, my bestie is female and we went to pizza express. They tried to give her the light pesto pasta meal and me the quadruple meat feast pizza.

"The pasta is mine, actually" followed an icy stare from me.

Weird isn't it; if I order a beer and DH a cocktail they're served the other way round....

Last time DP and I ate out, he had tuna salad and I had meatballs.

Seems that our waiter should have been commended for giving us the correct plates according to some of the responses here.

There's a sushi chain in Zurich that do a "lady portion" sushi tray. Same sushi as the normal one but half the size. Irritates the shite out of me.

Clever marketing. The perpetually offended will order the opposite 'gender' meal.

My daughter was outraged at the Yorkie slogan "it's not for girls" and it was her chocolate bar of choice for years. She thought she was striking out for women. Yorkie got a lot of sales.

strawberrisc I just tend to not eat in those places

DotFor yes it was disgusting. If it'd been a restaurant I would've complained. But it was a really posh wedding so I suppose us women were back in Downton Abbey eating like sparrows!

Not helped by the fact we weren't sat with our spouses. Close but not close enough for me to nab a bit of his lamb

I’ve seen that done at a couple of weddings - one pudding for the men; another for the women.

Most people promptly cut them in half and swapped halves!

Oh. I'm male and much prefer lemon cheesecake to chocolate cake. Do I need to question my masculinity now? :(

I blame the TRAs. They must have designed this so they are not misgendered.

I must be very lucky because I cant actually remember a time when the waiting staff havent asked before putting down the food

Strawberrisc. I am far from 'perpetually offended' but I have every right to be offended by sexism. It is harmful, even seemingly 'minor' examples such as the menu. It is insidious and the constant reinforcement of sexist stereotypes in small ways are just as responsible for the way that women are treated as more obvious examples.