> strange mix of stuff on your plate Common problem for beginners, but with experience you can avoid it using more advanced buffet technique and strategy. One

> strange mix of stuff on your plate Common problem for beginners, but with experience you can avoid it using more advanced buffet technique and strategy. One trick is to switch to a two-pass algorithm. Before you grab a plate, walk around the buffet area and look over people's shoulders, survey what's available, and make a mental note of which items you want most, which go together, and which will fit on your plate. Then grab a plate, get in line, and fill your plate without being blind to what's ahead of you. You may mildly annoy the people whose shoulders you look over and your dining companions who have to wait on your slow process before they can begin eating, but it's a small price to pay for taking a buffet seriously. Another trick is to look at what's on other people's plates, both people sitting at tables and people exiting the buffet line. You may notice a food on someone's plate that you didn't see on the buffet line. Maybe it wasn't easy to spot or maybe there was some other serving area (a dessert table off in a different corner) that you didn't notice.