Lunch Interview

Why do people think it is a good idea to schedule a lunch interview? How is it possible to conduct any meaningful interview over a turkey club sandwich or salad?
Today I had such an interview with a potential employer. So not only did I need to be clever for more than an hour - a difficult task (as opposed to a regular office interview, which requires about 30-45 minutes of cleverness), but I also had to spend more time than a person should worrying about what to eat. And what to do if I should spill something (very likely for me). Or worse, get something stuck in my teeth (an even likelier scenario).

I asked my friend Sara "What does one eat in an interview?" more as a rhetorical question than anything else, and she quickly responded with: "Two cocktails and finger food." Sage advice.

I ended up defaulting to the Cobb Salad (I was under pressure to make a decision and my mind totally blanked on everything else) - a bold decision considering the lettuce, bacon and tomato factor - and between bites tried to subtly swish mineral water around my mouth to prevent any food from sticking to my teeth. My potential future employer conducted the interview between bites, scribbling notes on my resume, which sat between his bowl of soup and the bread basket.

Overall, a nightmare situation. I'm convinced that if I don't get the job it will be because I didn't order the steak, offending my interviewer's Midwest sensibilities. I was sure to use the proper fork, so hopefully I will score points for that.