LORELAI: You know, Mom, in Europe, they eat the salad last and the main course first.
I’m not sure how many European countries this rule supposedly applies to, but in France and Italy at least, it is customary to eat the salad between the main course and the dessert, as a palate cleanser (it’s probably falling out of favour, like a lot of customs). Lorelai’s idea is actually pretty practical!
The Annotated Gilmore Girls 