The waiter sidles up to your party and chirrups, "Would you like to order something for the table?"
That's when the wise guy in me wants to bend down and ask, sotto voce: "Table? Are you hungry?"
Yes, it's an inanely posed question, a too-subtle solicitation for you to buy an additional appetizer.
At Le Virtu (1927 E. Passyunk Ave.) all through this winter, though, you really can order an appetizer for the table. OK. To be served on the table.
Chef Joe Cicala prepares polenta whose ragu changes daily. You can get it by the plate, sure, but the real fun is ordering Polenta Famigliare - a family style presentation that will send Cicala hustling out to your table with a wooden board upon which he will pour a heaping pot of the corn mush, followed by sauce, grated cheese, and fresh dried peppers.
You'd better like your tablemates as you clash forks scooping up the polenta.
They're $15 a person, 12-person maximum, and must be ordered a day in advance.