dining etiquette Archives - Professional Courtesy, LLC

Real Thanksgiving Etiquette

November 26, 2014 by procourtesy

Happy Thanksgiving table place setting

Real Thanksgiving Etiquette…the Reason for the Holiday

As we all gather together with our families this Thanksgiving, be mindful of the important things that bring us together and sustain us throughout the year.

While it is important to be well-mannered and know how to navigate the silverware on the table, there are larger things behind all of the rules. Consider focusing on those things this Thanksgiving.

Be respectful of the generations in your family.
Be considerate of your host.
Be willing to help and share.
Be present and a participant in conversation at the table.
Be willing to “disconnect” from your technology.
Be kind.
And most of all, Be Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Blessing to you all. Safe travels.

Guest Thanksgiving Etiquette

November 19, 2014 by procourtesy

Dining for Business and Pleasure

Thanksgiving starts off the holiday gatherings in earnest. It’s the time we eat drink and make merry and share good times with family and friends. It is also the time we gather at the dining room table for special meals. So if you have been invited for dinner at someone else’s house, there are some things to keep in mind so you can be the perfect guest. So here’s some guest Thanksgiving etiquette.

Arrive on time. Showing up late and keeping everyone waiting or causing the turkey to dry out
doesn’t win any points with your hostess.

Don’t come empty handed. Even if your hostess has the meal all taken care of be sure you bring some sort of hostess gift. This is a good time to bring wine or a gourmet food item that the host can use at another time.

If you are assigned a dish, be sure you bring what you say and that it is ready to go in the oven or be served so you don’t cause more confusion in the kitchen.

Sit where you are assigned. If place cards are on the table don’t move them around to sit by someone of your choice.

Bring your best manners to the table. If need be, brush up on your dining etiquette.

Don’t bring your technology to the table.

Make sure your children are supervised and well behaved at the table, too.

Try a little of everything served. You may find out that you like that oyster dressing.

Offer to help with the dishes.

Send a thank you note after the day .

Most of all, bring your good humor and be tolerant of those who may make you a little crazy at other times of the year. Be of good cheer.

Menus and Place Cards

May 9, 2014 by procourtesy

Menus and Place Cards

If you are having a wedding or special event, consider doing menu cards featuring your menu. They can become a lovely keepsake for you and your guests. Menus also let your guests know what is being served and in multi-course meals, menus help you pace your eating. Be sure to put the date and any other notable information on the menu.

Place cards are also another nice touch for dinners and celebrations.

Here is the menu and place card that I had done for the special dinner my husband and I hosted for former First Lady, Barbara Bush, when she was visiting our town. She was kind enough to sign everyone’s menu.

Mrs. Bush said that at State dinners, the guests at each table often signed each other’s menus. If it was good enough for the White House, I thought it would be a nice touch at our dinner.

A friend did the beautiful art work on all of the menus and name cards and I then had a calligrapher do the printing on them. I had one menu for each couple and of course, one for anyone attending as a single. It was a memorable dinner and all of our guests went home with a lovely keepsake of the evening …plus a photo with Mrs. Bush, at her suggestion. She was a very gracious guest.

How to Eat Pasta

April 3, 2014 by procourtesy

Italian pasta spaghetti on fork on black background

How to eat Pasta
There is a debate about how to eat pasta, even among etiquette experts. I have seen both methods listed as “correct” in American etiquette books. And I, too, have seen both methods of eating spaghetti while dining with others. And I am not offended when people use the bowl of the spoon to twirl the strands of pasta. However, if you were in Italy or asked an Italian how to eat long strands of pasta, he or she would tell you the only correct way is to eat it with a fork only. Italians consider eating pasta with a fork and a spoon for children, amateurs or people with bad table manners. So, it is up to you as to how you eat your pasta; the American way, with a spoon and fork, or the Italian way, with only a fork. Or consider the old adage, when in Rome do as the Romans do.

If you are going to use the fork only method, pull a few strands of pasta to the side of the plate or edge of the pasta bowl and twirl the strands around the tines of the fork, with the fork tines perpendicular to the plate, and then convey the pasta to your mouth. You may want to have your napkin poised and ready to collect any errant drops of sauce from dropping on your clothes. Bibs are a no-no when eating pasta, unless you are a child. And you would not cut the pasta in polite company.

It is important to gauge when and with whom you will be eating pasta. If you can’t eat it with confidence and without getting it all over yourself, choose something else to order — you may make a better impression.

t way is to eat it with a fork only. Italians consider eating pasta with a fork and a spoon for children, amateurs or people with bad table manners. So, it is up to you as to how you eat your pasta; the American way, with a spoon and fork, or the Italian way, with only a fork. Or consider the old adage, when in Rome do as the Romans do.

So, how do you eat your pasta?

Tips for a Savvy Diner

October 8, 2013 by procourtesy

Tips for a Savvy Diner
Your table manners say a great deal about you and can make or break business situations. Here are my tips that everyone should know to navigate a meal with grace and style.

1. Assess the table, pause before picking up any silver. Wait for your host or hostess to start
or senior person at the table.

2. Put napkin on lap to
unfold. When leaving the table temporarily, place the napkin on the chair.
At the end of the meal, place napkin to the left of plate.

3. When encountering a
multi-course meal with multiple pieces of flat ware and you are
questioning what fork to use first, start from the outside and work in
toward the plate.

4. Cut one bite at a time.

5. Solids are on the left
of your dinner plate, such as, bread and butter plate and liquids are on
the right.

6. Break bread in bite
size pieces and butter one bite at a time over the bread and butter plate.

7. Your food will be
served from the left and cleared from the right. Liquids are served from
the right.

8. We pass food to the
right because the guest of honor sits to the right of the host. If you
start the food, offer it to the person on your right and then take your
portion before sending it around the table counterclockwise.

9. When someone asks for
the salt, pass both the salt and pepper in anticipation of their need. It
also keeps the pair together. Do not pass hand to hand because in some
cultures it is considered bad luck. Place the pair in front of the receiver.

10. Keep personal items
such as; purses, glasses, cell telephones, etc. off the table. Purses
should stay on your lap or under the chair.

11. Refrain from putting on make-up, combing
hair, picking teeth, blowing nose vigorously at the table. “If you do it
the bathroom, don’t do it at the table.”

12.If someone offers a
toast to you do not drink to yourself.

13. When offering a toast,
remember the three B’s; be
prepared, be brief, be seated.

14. If in doubt about what
to do, watch someone at the table who knows. It can prevent an
embarrassing situation.

15. When leaving the table
temporarily do not announce where you are going; just say, “Excuse me.”

16. Chew with your mouth
closed. Take small bites to avoid talking with food in your mouth.

17. Try a little of
everything presented unless you are allergic to a certain food.

18. Don’t talk about food
likes and dislikes at the table.

19. Maintain good posture
at the table. Keep arms and elbows off the table.

20. Don’t push your plate
away from you when finished eating, wait for everyone to finish before
plates are cleared.

21. Don’t gesture with your
knife and fork.

22. Eating in the American
or Continental fashion is
acceptable in America
today.

“Nothing indicates a
well-bred man more than a proper mode of eating his dinner. A man may pass
muster by dressing well, and may sustain himself tolerably in conversation; but
if he is not perfectly au fait, (up
to date), dinner will betray him.”—— “AGOGOS”, 1834

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Real Thanksgiving Etiquette

Guest Thanksgiving Etiquette

Menus and Place Cards

How to Eat Pasta

Tips for a Savvy Diner

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