I haven't eating at someone's home from each of these places, but honestly yes. I really think it's a logistics question. If you eat at someone's house the choices are:

* All eat Salad together and then guests wait while the person doing the cooking prepares the main course

* Guests eat Salad while the cook prepares the main course (and misses the Salad)

* Everything is put on the table at once and everyone eats together. Salad will be eaten last because it wont get any colder just sitting there.

For me the last option is the only practical one and I can't imagine any tradition being strong enough to make people willing to endure cold steak, schnitzel or whatever.

Or how I do it:

* Salad first and the cook plans the main course such that it's finished when people are done eating the salad.

The cook may have to leave the table to check the stove during the salad instead of during the drinks, but that's not such a big deal.

How do you cook several hot courses with your method?

I've never eaten a 5/7 course meal outside of a restaurant. I would think that required a dedicated server, which is normally not what I'm looking for if I go to someone's house.