An anonymous survey of chefs across the country revealed insider tips about how to get the best value when eating out, as well as some other things that might curdle your appetite:

* Wine is marked up at least 2 and a half times what you could buy it in the store
* Don’t order the chicken or the pasta. The dishes are the most overpriced on the menu relative to their ingredients’ cost, and are often the least interesting.
* “Vegetarian” and “vegan” are open to interpretation. One time a cook saw another pour lamb’s blood in a vegan’s primavera.
* If you’re the kind of diner who keeps sending dishes back to the kitchen “to get them right,” you may become a target of revenge. “Someone once ran a steak through a dishwasher after the diner sent it back twice. Ironically, the customer was happy with it then.”
* Of all the fast food joints, chefs prefer Wendy’s.

Have you worked in a kitchen? What tips can you slop about what goes on behind the flapping doors? Sound off in the comments.

25 things chefs never tell you [Yahoo! Green] (Thanks to James!)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.