When dinning in restaurants, Americans usually order drinks first, then soup, salad, main course or entree , and dessert at last. This is somewhat a different order way from that in Europe. Until about the middle of the nineteenth century, Americans didn't have to worry about whether the salad came before or after the main course since they didn't eat salad at all. Chomping  on greens was once considered sissy , and Americans preferred to get their greens indirectly, after they had been processed by rabbits or deer. The shift of public taste toward the salad may be attributed to New York's Delmonico brothers, who originally introduced smorgasbord from Europe, and served it in their restaurant. Such novelties  became so popular that by the end of the nineteenth century, the Waldorf salad has swept the country. Europeans still chomp on greens after the main course, as a way of clearing the palate , and being ready for the cheese. Why Americans eat their salad first is uncertain. The following joking suggestions might make sense: The custom may be related to the slimming craze, for "salad first" may fill you up without any worry about fattening; to avoid customers' impatience with waiting, the restaurant serves salad first to keep them busy while the main courses are being prepared; eating raw food while one is waiting for the cooked food may be a way of announcing that one is not wasting time, which is seen as a virtue; probably unfair to the restaurant, this custom has been encouraged by the merchant as trick-the meagerness  of a meal is less noticeable if it comes after "free" salad-after all, rabbit food is much cheaper than the rabbit. Before the middle of the nineteenth century,   _   .
Americans ate the salad before the main course Americans ate the salad after the main course Americans ate the salad either before or after the main course Americans didn't eat salad at all