Ordering at a restaurant. . .getting what you want

My mom was ordering and she expressed that she didn't want toast, so the waitress suggested she substitute tomatoes for toast.

What a brilliant idea.

"I would also like substitute tomatoes for toast." I said when I ordered my Mediterranean omelette. Nice, that way I'll get some enzymes from the fresh tomatoes while avoiding gluten.

When my plate came out it contained an omelette and several large tomato slices, but no home fries.

"Doesn't this come with home fries?"

"You substituted those for tomatoes."

I explained that my intention was to substitute the toast, not the potatoes (which I love).  She explained that tomatoes were expensive so they can't "stand in" for toast.

Being told that tomatoes were expensive was very annoying.  I said if I had known I couldn't substitute toast for tomatoes, I wouldn't have ordered them.

In any case, she figured out a solution by handing my tomatoes to my Mom and somehow producing a side of home fries.

I never asked for anything, or asked her to do anything.

Moral of the story?  Getting what you want isn't always easy, especially when it doesn't fit the "standard order."  Pointing out the facts as you understand them, however, can be an effective way to get what you want. It sort of gives cues to others about what they can do to solve the problem.