“Waiter, taste the soup!” (joke)

A classic New York old-Jew_at-a-restaurant joke was told in a Leonard Lyons (1906-1976) ‘The Lyons Den” column in the New York (NY) Post in October 1956:
 
“The story is being told of an old customer in a midtown restaurant who had ordered soup. He sent for the owner and demanded that the man taste the soup. The owner was puzzled. ‘If you don’t taste the soup I’ll never come back here again,’ the customer said. The owner agreed, bent over to taste the soup—and asked: ‘Where’s the spoon?’...The customer sat back, at the spoon-less table, and in triumphant tones replied ‘Uh-HUH.’”
 
American comedian and actor Eddie Murphy portrayed an old Jew to tell the joke at the end of the movie Coming to America.
 
 
12 October 1956, Boston (MA) Herald, Leonard Lyons syndicated column, pg. 79, cols. 7-8:
The story is being told of an old customer in a midtown restaurant who had ordered soup. He sent for the owner and demanded that the man taste the soup. The owner was puzzled. “If you don’t taste the soup I’ll never come back here again,” the customer said. The owner agreed, bent over to taste the soup—and asked: “Where’s the spoon?”...The customer sat back, at the spoon-less table, and in triumphant tones replied “Uh-HUH.”
   
28 February 1968, Variety, “New Acts,” pg. 53, col. 3:
HERSCHEL BERNARDI
Comedy, Songs
55 Mins.
(...)
Patter on Jewish humor with some typical body-English, reverse-type Jewish jokes, i.e., “Taste the soup, waiter”—“Where’s the spoon?”—“Ah,” brings him to his first song entry, “Miracles.”
 
1 October 1968, Harper’s Magazine, “The Joys of Yiddish” by Leo Rosten, pg. 86:
For twenty years Mr. Sokoloff had been eating at the same restaurant on Second Avenue. On this night, as on every other, Mr. Sokoloff ordered chicken soup. The waiter set it down and started off. Mr Sokoloff called, “Waiter!”
 
“Yeah?”
 
“Waiter, please taste this soup.”
 
The waiter said, “Why? Twenty years you’ve been eating the chicken soup here, no? Have you ever had a bad plate—”
 
“Waiter,” said Sokoloff firmly, “taste the soup.”
 
“Sokoloff, what’s the matter with you?”
 
“Taste the soup!”
 
“All right, all right,” grimaced the waiter. “I’ll taste—where’s the spoon?”
 
“Aha!” cried Sokoloff.
 
Google Groups: net.jokes
A cute restaurant joke
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
7/1/83
For twenty years Mr. Sokoloff ahd been eating at the same restaurant on Second Avenue.  ON this night, as on every other, Mr. Sokoloff ordered chicken soup.  The waiter set it down and started off.  Mr. Sokoloff called “Waiter!”
“Yeah?”
“Please taste this soup.”
“The waiter said, “Hanh?  Twenty years you’ve been eating the chicken soup
here, no?  Have you ever had a bad plate—”
“Waiter,” said Sokoloff firmly, “taste the soup.”
“Sokoloff, what’s the matter with you?”
“Taste the soup!”
“All right, all right,” grimaced the waiter.  “I’ll taste—
where’s the spoon?”
“AHA!” cried Sokoloff.
   
You don’t HAVE to be Jewish…
OZ
   
Google Groups: k12.chat.senior
Lame Jokes
Ross A Keller
2/23/93
Here’s a really lame joke but you have to use a polish accent when saying it:
 
A man walks into a reasturant and orders a bowl of soup.  He says"vaitor vaitor come taste my soup”
“Is your soup to cold?” said the waiter
“No just taste the soup”
“Is your soup to hot?” asked the waiter
“No just taste the soup”
“OK”
“where’s the spoon?”
“aaahha”      “aaaaahhhha”
 
Google Groups: rec.food.cooking
Food Humor
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
3/6/95
Beth’s post about matzo balls reminded me… 
Fella goes into his favorite deli.  He orders his usual matzo ball soup. He signals the waiter to come back.  “Taste the soup!” he commands.
 
“Why” inquired the surprised waiter.  “Taste the soup!” was the reply.
 
“Max, you’ve been coming in here every day for ten years.  There’s never been anything wrong with the soup.”
 
“Taste the soup!”
 
“What’s wrong, too much salt—not enough salt?”
 
“Taste the soup!”
 
“The matzo balls aren’t fluffy enough for you?  Not enough?”
 
“TASTE THE SOUP!”
 
The waiter agrees, and looks around, “All right all right, I’ll taste the soup.  Where’s the spoon?”
 
“A-HA!” says Max.
 
YouTube
Where’s The Spoon? Neo knows
Cory A
Uploaded on May 29, 2009
I overheard someone say “wheres the spoon?” and suddenly these two movies came to mind. So I did a little Coming to America/Matrix mash-up. Enjoy.
 
YouTube
Coming To America… “Where’s the Spoon”... Eddie Murphy as Saul the Jewish Guy
Nebiyou Essayas
Published on Dec 8, 2013
Coming To America… “Where’s the Spoon”... Eddie Murphy as Saul the Jewish Guy… Eddie Murphy… Arsenio Hall