As an American circa 2008, I've been known to eat in a restaurant from time to time. And there's probably nothing that irks me more than hearing all about the chef's specials -- except for their cost.
You fret about blowing your paycheck by blindly ordering something with no price tag. But you don't want to be the cheap-o hick rube who interrupts the server with, "Uhh, how much does that fish cost?"
Anyway, that might be changing in Nassau County, NY:
That familiar dining dilemma would end under a proposed Nassau County law that would require restaurants to divulge the prices of specials not listed on menus.
"I'm sure that at one time or another you have been enticed by a waiter or waitress into ordering the special of the day, only to discover that it was really the price that was special," said the proposal's originator, Harvey B. Levinson, chairman of Nassau County's Board of Assessors. Mr. Levinson does not regulate restaurants, but he discussed his pet peeve with other officials.
David W. Denenberg, a county legislator and fellow Democrat, sponsored the legislation. "The special of the day should not be the surprise of the day in terms of price," he said.
I'm not sure whether I think this is really something the government should regulate. But speaking solely as a diner, it would be kind of nice...
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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