DEAR ABBY: My wife and I live in a small town, so we invariably run into someone we know when we're eating out at a restaurant. If we run into people we know who have already been served a portion of their meal (an appetizer, salad or main course), we briefly say hello and then "... we won't interrupt your dinner."
What do we say when we're trying to eat and friends continue to come to talk to us throughout our meal? -- PREFERS TO EAT IN PEACE
DEAR PREFERS TO EAT IN PEACE: Smile warmly and say, "We're going to keep eating because we like our food hot. We hope you don't mind."