A debate over matching restaurant orders — and whether this is acceptable or not — started after President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden both ordered the same rigatoni dish during a recent night out at The Red Hen, a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
The Bidens' matching orders provoked strong reactions from people on social media, with one person tweeting, "I have honestly never heard of a couple — married or otherwise — who order the EXACT same [meal] at a restaurant."
Etiquette experts note that while it's perfectly fine to order the same meal as a date does when eating out, there are certain meals that people should reconsider ordering to avoid potential awkwardness.
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"Most of the time, partners who know one another extremely well will often order different entrées, so they can try a little bit of both," longtime etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore of Palm Beach, Florida, told Fox News Digital via email.
Whitmore is founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach and the author of the book, "Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work."
She continued, "But it is not a faux pas to order the same meal as your partner if you like the same thing."
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She added, "If you are on a date and your dining partner wants to order the same thing, so be it. It’s not a big deal."
Ordering the same meal could even provide an opportunity for a laugh, she also indicated.
"You might even make light of it and say, ‘I’m so glad we share the same taste in food!’" Whitmore said.
She added that while there is "no etiquette rule that states one side should defer to the other," sometimes societal norms do come into play in situations in which both parties want the same thing.
"In a social setting, a man may want to defer to a woman, as a courtesy," said Whitmore.
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"In business, the host should always defer to his or her guest."
That said, there are foods that a person on a date should avoid ordering, to bypass a potentially awkward situation.
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Etiquette states that people should avoid ordering "difficult-to-eat foods," such as shellfish and "big, bulky sandwiches," said Whitmore.
Dishes with red sauces and "big bones" should also be avoided while out on dates, said Whitmore.
"Don't gnaw on the bone!" she added.
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