Roberta
Of course, someone would complain if they were served mashed potatoes that were lukewarm. Restaurants often have a separate childrens menu but I've never seen one where mashed potatoes were a featured "childrens" item. Restaurants don't have one set of food for adults and lukewarm food for an infant or toddler. Unless you're ordering chilled food, the food is supposed to be hot. People will gripe if it isn't.
As for hot plates, there are a number of explanations. Ever pull a clean plate out of the dishwasher? It's hot. If the restaurant is busy, the dishwasher is running stuff through as fast as possible and throwing it back out there to be used by the cooks on the line. They don't have time to let the plates cool off. Another possibility is the heat lamps to keep the food at optimum temperature until the server can finish dressing (a.k.a. garnishing) the plate and carrying it to a table. The third option I can think of involves the food ordered. Some items (like the proverbial "shrimp scampi") are run through the salamander (broiler), so of course the plate containing that food will be hot.
Like you, I still blame the mother for not checking the temperature of those mashed potatoes. If she makes them at home (which I somehow doubt) you can bet your britches she'd have checked them first. And if she'd been feeding her child herself, she'd have noticed the steam arising from the hot potatoes, too. Apparently she just handed the child a bowl of potatoes and a spoon with the atbreastude, have at it. I'm busy chatting with my dining companion. She only noticed when the child began to cry after getting a red spot from the hot potatoes.
Jill
