Chefs have revealed what menu items you shouldn't bother ordering as appetizers.
It's all too tempting to get a bit carried away when ordering an array of starters before you tuck in to the main meal.
However, which appetizers are actually worth potentially not leaving enough room in your stomach?
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If you're mad enough to prefer dessert over appetizers, well, then you know where the door is.
My personal weakness often takes the form of some squid and I regret to form any fellow fans that sadly, calamari has made the list.
Executive chef at Metropolitan Cafe in Texas Randall Braud argues fried calamari is 'the same' from restaurant to restaurant, so you shouldn't expect anything different.
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"It’s always fried and the biggest difference from one place to the other is the dipping sauce," he tells Huffington Post.
Although, you could argue that's the whole point of choosing it - knowing it's consistent. And professor of food studies at Syracruse University's Falk College Mary Kiernan partly agrees.
She notes she wouldn't make fried calamari at home and so she'll often order it 'over other choices' - as long as she knows a restaurant 'knows how to prepare it properly' that is.
The second item takes the form of fried mozzarella sticks, Kiernan arguing the 'quantity' you receive 'never seems to match the price you pay'.
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"For me, it’s also a nutrition-based decision. I can be satisfied with one but will still eat them all," she says.
However, if a restaurant is making them with a special twist, then the chef notes it could be worth trying out if you have other people to 'share' the dish with.
Snails can rest a little easier with this one, with food lovers advised against ordering escargot as Kiernan urges people to not order something just because it's a delicacy when they actually 'only sort of' like it.
Foie gras and sweetbreads can also take a pass from being included in your next appetizer menu pick, the chef arguing 'a taste or two is sufficient' and there's no need to 'gorge' on them all the time.
Brussel sprouts aren't just taking a hit at Christmas either, but from the appetizer suggestion list too.
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If you're a fan of the green, leafy balls and hoped to nab a bite post the autumn and winter season, Braud notes they're 'best served during those seasons' and when they're not, they're typically 'fried' - far less superior to when they're in a gratin or a galette.
And alas, if you're a cheese and cracker fan, chef Nik Fields thinks you're making a poor decision because the dish is 'easy' to prepare on your own if you order 'common simple cheese and cracker platters'.
She adds: "It’s more interesting to make your own board and choose the things you like instead of going with what’s already there.
"Instead, I often prefer to explore more elaborate, chef-crafted offerings on a restaurant’s menu to experience unique flavors and techniques."
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Insert Chef's Kiss here.
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