With this cat in the house, you absolutely cannot leave food on the table.
My cat is no nervous wreck, but he's definitely a food wreck. There is nothing in this world he wants more than to eat human food.
No matter how much you try to discourage him from begging or stealing your food, he will beg and steal your food. It doesn't matter how fancy his cat food is; his true passion will always be the food of humans, for it is the nectar of the gods.