But the order has to be written eventually, right? To give it to the kitchen staff.
Why do the magic trick before hand? Write it down and get the order right.
No, the kitchen staff is just that damn good that they don't need it written down, either!
Seriously: I don't know - I've never worked in the restaurant business. But I do frequently dine out, and can confirm that it makes for an improved dining experience when the wait staff is super-competent and can maintain eye-contact with the guests during the entire ordering process and is conversant in typical gastronomical terminology, so that when I order my steak bleu, or my spaghetti al dente, or ask a pertinent question like "Is the Sauce Hollandaise prepared sous vide or not?", the wait staff doesn't give me a blank stare in response, and start to whimper.
Regards,