Nothing to be sorry for. It cheers me to think I am not the only one up at this time. When you know that the restaurant is usually good it is both a shock and a disappointment when you get something like this. We can all have an off day of course, no one is perfect. However I would not have reacted as you did so
1. Ignore your daughters scowl or whatever anyone else who is with you does. The issue is with your food. She was happy with hers , but in no way would I let someone intimidate me , or stop me from dealing with my own situation
2. I would have done as you did first and allowed that there may be a one off and let them take it away. However, when it is clear that all they have done is , take the pie and shove it in the microwave to just heat it up, with no care at all , I would have asked to see either the chef or the manager, and refused to eat it. If I bothered to eat anything at all after that it would be something completely different , so there was no chance of your waiting to be re served a poorly made dish.
3. You need to learn (practice in front of a mirror on your own) not to say Sorry for a start. Then again I mentally rehearse my complaints whether it is food or clothes or whatever. I was head of communications in several large companies, which meant that I had , in those days telex , teleprinters, some computers and the telephonists. The telephonists are the first people you speak to when you ring to complain. They answer you quickly and politely and ask who you wish to speak to. Yet many people dont even stop to recognise that their complaint is with the maintenance or the accounts or whatever. The fact that they ring at a busy time, or your employer is too mean to have enough staff to keep up with the calls, can mean that they have had to wait to be answered. Of course they are angry that they are kept waiting , but if they thought for one moment, they would realize that the person answering them was not part of the problem. I know that in one firm I was known as the Dragon, as I would be very quick to intervene and ask that my staff were treated politely. So in your case, I would not say Sorry, but would ask to speak to the manager or chef in a firm but not raised voice. Look the waiter in the eye, dont mumble and then sit very still, dont fiddle with the cutlery or fidget, and just sit quietly, showing that you have no intention to do anything until someone has come to speak with you. When they arrive, you can begin by saying you were very disappointed on this occasion , as you have always been pleased (or satisfied) in the past but that today, not only was it not fit to eat, but when it was brought back it was obvious that it had just been heated up.
4. The response should be an immediate apology, followed by an offer of a another dish of your choice, and of course you would not be expected to pay for the food in question. I would also expect to be offered some sort of compensation, for example, offered a glass of wine or a coffee free.
5 if that is the response you get, all is well and good, and you can leave , saying it has been a shame today but you hope things will be better next time. If you are a regular customer and they know you they will be pleased to be able to redeem themselves. This shows you as being reasonable and prepared to give them another chance. That you are not trying to get free food by complaining whenever you go out etc.
6. If there is any blustering, or bad attitude, where they try to blame you as the customer, then state that you will not pay for your food, as it was inedible, pay in cash for the meal that your daughter had (dont give your details or card) and then get up, collect your things in a calm manner and leave.
(I am assuming from your post that you only tried one small mouthful. In the past I was once sat in a restaurant where a man ate at least half of the meal and then complained!. You could understand if you had suddenly found a foreign object or something on the plate but surely you know after a couple of forkfuls that there is a problem!!)
I have lived abroad, and travelled widely, and have ranged from being the host of a large party to many times eating alone. Eating alone, I am quite happy not to take a table for 4 or whatever , but if they try to shunt me off to the table near the toilets or the banging door near the kitchen, I just look round for a suitable table and go across and sit down. If it did not say reserved on it , they can not complain. Only once was I asked to go to a very inferior table as I was on my own. I replied, no I preferred the table by the window. It was quite lucky that I also had a reservation for the following week for 4 of us from the firm to go there for lunch. The waiter ,obviously did not know me and said that he was expecting someone who always sat at the table I wanted. I replied that then they should have reserved it. He began to bluster and I just looked at him, said dont bother I will go elsewhere where I will get better service. Then added by the way you can cancel next weeks booking and it is unlikely that our firm will use you again. At that he looked worried and said Oh sorry , sit where you like. My reply was that I would like to sit in another restaurant and that in the future he should not make assumptions , because a woman came alone on that occasion. I hope that that made him think about his attitude. At the same time if somewhere is busy, I would try and find a small table and not take up one laid for four, but if it is just a quick lunch I say to the waiter that I am happy to share a table if anyone wishes to join me. Always remember that you are the customer and are equal to any other customer who pays their bill. The more we expect respect, the more we get it.
I try to live my life like the old adage "Do as you would be done by" but that also includes expect to be treated in a polite and respectable way and dont accept less. I think that a new years resolution especially for all women eating out alone should be I wont be treated in a less respectful manner than a man or a larger group. My money is as good as anyone!!
