Sometimes I'm just glad that I don't eat in truly high end restaurants. Scroll down on that link to this:

I just don't know what to say to you. A well done steak, particularly a filet, is a crime against god. Anthony Bourdain, who I consider to be a personal hero, said in Kitchen Confidential:

[steaks], if ordered well done were routinely thrown into the deep-fryer until crispy, then tossed into an oven to incinerate further ...

I cannot imagine how offended your waiter and chef were by being asked to destroy a piece of beef like that. Seared, with a cool red center, if you please. Well done? For f**** sake. I bet you like Pilsners and drink Corona with a lime.

If the chef and/or waiter were truly offended, someone needs to remind them of a simple truth - the diner is paying their salary. It's really not their problem how the diner orders food, so long as he pays. We have this same problem in the technology sector. We like our little holy wars over languages, operating systems, and hardware - and certainly we are entitled to make our pitches. The end customer is the one paying though, and we need to remember that.