In his New York Times bestselling book, "Kitchen Confidential," chef Anthony Bourdain shared advice on how to avoid a disastrous meal by being polite to your waiter.

It's common sense to be nice to your server, and Bourdain points out, "If he likes you, maybe he'll stop you from ordering a piece of fish he knows is going to hurt you."

In other words, showing a little kindness to your server may ensure that you get the best thing on the menu, not the dish the chef wants them to promote that day.

Servers have the inside scoop on which foods are frozen or made to order, which customizations or modifications are available, and if those requests will be honored.

Whether or not a server shares any of this information is at their discretion, but being extra polite can help you get a meal you truly enjoy while skipping the duds on the menu.