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"After poor service, noise has become the second most common complaint of restaurant goers in the United States, according to Zagat Survey's 2008 edition of America's Top Restaurants," writes Alexandra Gill in I really hope you said fork .

"In the most recent Zagat survey for Vancouver, noise ranked as the third most irritating aspect of dining out (after bad service and lacklustre food); in Montreal and Toronto, it placed fourth."

And as the racket continues to grow, diners are finally speaking up - over the clatter of silverware and booming background music - to voice their disapproval."

Ms. Gill will was online earlier to take your questions on restaurant noise -- from why it's an issue to what restaurateurs can do about it.

Your questions and Ms. Gill's answers appear at the bottom of this page.

Alexandra Gill is a Vancouver-based restaurant critic for The Globe and Mail. Her column appears in the Life section on Wednesdays.

She served as the Globe's Western Arts Correspondent from 2001 to 2007. In 2005, a collection of her feature articles were nominated for a National Newspaper Award.

Editor's Note: globeandmail.com editors will read and allow or reject each question. Questions may be edited for length, clarity or relevance. HTML is not allowed. We will not publish questions that include personal attacks on participants in these discussions, that make false or unsubstantiated allegations, that purport to quote people or reports where the purported quote or fact cannot be easily verified, or questions that include vulgar language or libellous statements. Preference will be given to readers who submit questions/comments using their full name and home town, rather than a pseudonym.

Rasha Mourtada, Globe Life web editor: Thanks, Alexandra, for joining us online today. Your article on restaurant noise has struck quite a chord. We've got lots of questions, so let's get right to them.

Albin Forone, Toronto: Thanks for bringing this up, I hate noisy places, apart from joyous Munich beer halls and homely lunchtime dim sum - so try to avoid spending even casual dinner money on a noisy place. Few restaurant reviews mention the noise level, and as a Chowhound reader and some time contributor, I find it's not always identified or discussed as a factor in the dining experience. For me, on the spectrum of badness, ambient noise is closer to outright crummy food than serving hard butter on peeled paper palettes. Question: do you think noise will become a serious restaurant review issue so we can know in advance, or do restaurant reviewers really think their readers are incapable of undistracted dinner conversation and are secretly happy that table talk is impossible?

Alexandra Gill: Hi Albin. Great question. This is the one that launched the article. Yes, restaurant reviewers do care. I am a restaurant critic in Vancouver and the noise levels in restaurants -- new establishments, in particular -- are driving me crazy. When I reviewed Chow, the restaurant mentioned in the story, I had to shout my order at the waitress and could barely hear a word my friend was saying from the other side of the table. The noise problem became a big part of my review, and was also mentioned by several other reviewers. When I began researching the subject, I realized that there are several newspapers in the United States that routinely include noise ratings in their restaurants. The San Francisco Chronicle and the Philadelphia Inquirer both use a noise meter. Frank Bruni at the New York Times doesn't take an actual sound-level measurement (which doesn't always tell the whole story anyway), but he does include a general impression in all of his reviews. The week before we published this article, I received two letters from readers asking me to include noise as a regular element of my reviews. Was it just coincidence? I think this is an issue that's been rattling around in the zeitgeist and is only going to get louder. In my reviews, I usually only mention noise when it is notably annoying, but I do plan to start commending the restaurateurs who do a good job of controlling the din. A pleasant aural environment is as important as courteous service and comfortable seating. Call me optimistic, but I do believe that more and more critics will be treating the issue with the seriousness it deserves.

K Bruner, Vancouver: Hello Alexandra, Thank you for your excellent article about restaurant noise, a long-overdue and much-needed article IMO. However, I believe restaurant noise is just one aspect of a much larger trend that seems to aim at 'stamping out silence' in all public spaces, not just restaurants, but retail shops, hairdressers, garages, medical offices, parking lots (West Van's Park Royal Village comes to mind), etc. This piped-in 'music' (which really doesn't qualify as music) is a pervasive, insidious scourge, which I believe is numbing our collective minds and preventing us from being present in the moment, with the natural sounds of the environment we happen to be in. i.e. every place now sounds the same! I'd be interested to know your thoughts on this larger issue, and whether you think there's any hope of reversing the trend, either through regulation or other means.

Alexandra Gill: Hi K. The scourge of elevator music is indeed a much larger pest. Interestingly, I came across some studies for the retail sector that explained how background music contributes to higher sales (which is why you hear it everywhere). In restaurants, background music contributes to higher table turnover. I suppose the theory works for fast-food joints, where the average check is small anyway and the owners don't want people to linger. But it seems counterintuitive for mid-market or fine-dining restaurants to be chasing their customers out. Loud music = small bills. I don't suppose there will be much hope of reversing the trend until restaurant owners realize that the racket is hurting their bottom line.

Andra Girgis, Montreal: I have to admit that I cannot tolerate the noise of ringing cell phones, people telling their life stories for the audience of an auditorium of ancient Greece, or the music that is o accepted by the general public- often a top 40 syndicated feed, however the change in interior decor definitely has an impact on how long we stay and how we behave. Which are the biggest trends of restaurant interior design? Is the strategy to make it look authentic, make us stay longer, encourage us have a couple drinks, make the place look popular and festive?

Alexandra Gill: Hi Andra. I have a question for you. Why are Montrealers seemingly more tolerant of noise in restaurants than people in Vancouver or Toronto? I interviewed dozens of restaurant goers across the country and the people in Montreal were much more easy going. But I digress. Back to your question. Yes, modern interior design has a huge impact on sound levels and is probably the worst culprit. There are studies that show customers spend more money when seated in booths (which also happens to be the quietest type of seating available). And I'm sure the larger corporate chain restaurants take this into consideration. But I think for most small or independent restaurant owners, design is a matter of taste. They want their restaurants to look hip and trendy. The trends today include concrete floors, bare walls, glass, wooden tables, open kitchens, high ceilings and lots of sharp, hard surfaces that reflect noise and turn a room into an echo chamber. As mentioned in the story, some restaurant managers blame customers. They argue that if they were to put carpets on the floor and drapes on the wall, people would consider it fusty and avoid it like the plague. It sounds like a lame excuse, but people can be that superficial. Lots of people go out for the scene, not the food.

JawBone Hamilton, Canada: My question is: What can we do as customers to deal with the noise in restaurants, short of staying at home?

Alexandra Gill:Hi JawBone. Some restaurants will always be loud. My advice is to ask about noise levels in advance, when making a reservation. If the receptionist indicates that the music could get loud or there is a large party expected that evening, request a quiet table or go elsewhere (and explain why!). Likewise, if you find yourself in a noisy restaurant, don't be afraid to say something about it. Restaurants do keep track of complaints. The noise levels are only going to go down when enough people speak up about it.

Eric Budgell, Vancouver: I so agree. Why do we need so much background noise around us all the time? I work in a coffee shop and during my shifts I have the music to 'background noise' level. I find if the music is high then so do conversation levels become high, which is annoying not just for customers but everyone around. My question is why do restaurants feel the need to have their music or TV levels up so high? Why can't they be at a comfy level for all staff and guests?

Alexandra Gill: Hi Eric. When it comes to noisy restaurants, I think servers have it way worse than customers. They are exposed to and travelling between so many different noise levels and frequencies (in the kitchen and dining room), I sometimes wonder how they can hear at all.

Generally, if music is being used as background filler, it should only be heard when the restaurant or cafe is empty. I can understand why it's there. The only thing worse than an excessively noisy restaurant is a restaurant that is dead quiet. When it's too quiet, there's no privacy.

What happens though, is that most people crank up the music when the room fills up, forcing everyone to speak louder to be heard on top of it. Big mistake.

Noise levels are, of course, subjective. As are musical tastes. That's why it's so hard to regulate.

The noise levels at most restaurants, although uncomfortable, fall within the current safety regulations. The only way those regulations will change is if workers like yourself begin complaining. If you think the noise at your workplace is damaging your hearing, call your provincial Workers Compensation Board and request a proper sound survey.

Rasha Mourtada, Globe Life web editor: Alexandra, thanks so much for coming online today. I think it's clear that most people are looking for a little peace and quiet while they eat dinner. Any last thoughts you'd like to leave us with?

Alexandra Gill:Thanks, Rasha. It's been my pleasure. A peaceful dinner is certainly getting harder to find. Ironically, the sound levels in restaurants won't get any better until people start making some noise about it. If you are in a restaurant and the music or cell phone chatter is driving you crazy, say something about it. Complain. Speak up and be heard.