Archive for the ‘Flatware’ Category
Tipping Your Waiter
I have always tried to reward good service at a restaurant. The old standard of 15% for full service and 10% for bar service or buffet is not totally true. There should be a sliding scale, but always a scale. It irks me to no end when I see people skipping the tip out of simply being a tightwad. As much as I love my Latin American friends and acquaintances (I am married to a lovely lady for Guatemala and lived in Mexico for several years), I can’t believe how many Latin Americans refuse to tip their waiters. Anyway starting with nice clean carefully laid out flatware and table settings through polite efficient service, one can gauge and reward good service. If flatware, glasses etc. are not clean or sloppily presented then this is a bad start and preparation for bad service.
When i was in La Jolla Sunrise Rotary, I remember a great talk about this subject by the owner of George’s At The Cove Restaurant. He made a point of saying that excellent service should be rewarded at 20% in a fine restaurant with close personal service, as long as the service was truly excellent. Also that the table service should never reflect whether you liked or disliked the food. That has to do with the cook and not the waiter and if you don’t like the food then say so and have it replaced. Getting back to the waiter, if there is bad service then for heaven’s sake don’t tip. The tip would be from 10% to 20% otherwise depending on degree of service. Then I would say the old 15% for normal service, 10% for buffet, or bar with 20% for excellent very personal service would hold.Starting with clean shiny flatware, glasses and plates through the delivery and service of food should be rewarded or not based on the service. Enjoy life!
There’s a Fly in My Soup
What should we do when there’s something in our soup, glass, food etc.?? First of all don’t make a scene. If you are at a restaurant quietly ask the server for a new glass, flatware, soup or whatever has the spot, old food, fly etc. on it or in it. Explain nicely and quietly and I’m certain it will be replace quickly and efficiently.
If you are at someone’s home, if possibly remove whatever it is with a spoon from your table setting flatware or clean it quietly. Place the hair, or whatever on the side of a plate and continue eating or continue using the glass or flatware if you are not too grossed out by whatever it was. Always act courtiously and as a gentleman or lady and be gratious to your host. On an aside, if you must replace the food, drink, flatware because of whatever the problem is, do so quietly and without accusation or disgust. Life will continue much more peaceably and you will enjoy life more.
Some More Tricky Table Manners
At the dinner table When you are passing food, it can be a nightmare without some order to the situation. The standard is always to pass the food to the right (clockwise). Of course if someone starts passing to the left then follow suite to avoid collisions(Ha, Ha). Don’t grab across the table when wanting an item like salt, pepper, or maybe a refill. Always ask the person next to the item to pass it to you. They then can pass it across the table, if practical or pass it around the table to the right if the table is round or too wide. Also keep the serving flatware on the serving plate and don’t use and leave your flatware on the plate.
When cutting your food on your plate, with your flatware at your place setting, cut 1 bite sized piece at a time and then place the knife on the plate with blade facing in. Never cut up multiple pieces unless you are cutting up your toddlers food for them. It just looks better and is more appropriate this way. Thaks to Emily Post and my Mother. As always, enjoy your food and your company!
How to Signal You’re Done Eating
The Basic Table Setting
Every day dining at home is always nicest when there is a little order. Setting your Stainless steel flatware, and plates in the proper place setting keeps down arguments as to whose fork, glass, bread and butter plate belongs to whom. Although little interfamily bickering always adds a little spice to life doesn’t it.
Anyway! In an everyday table setting, the basics for your flatware, plates and glasses are from left to right, the forks are on the left, followed by the plate, then the knives with blades turned in to center, and then the spoons. The bread and butter plate tends to be above the forks but at times is a little more to the left. The glasses are to the right starting above the knife tips (water, wine…). This is how we did it at home for routine meals and I was able to remind myselft on Emily Posts web site. Mom always referred to Emily Post as the standard so this only makes sense to me. Enjoy life!
Don’t Burn the Meat, Just Barbecue It
An article in Time magazine reminded us to “just say no to burning the meat”. The Carbonized black proteins caused by over charring or burning the meat are known carcinogens. They also taste bitter and leave the taste of ash in your mouth. Barbecue all of your meat at medium high heat to get the nut brown color from edge to edge. Cook it medium plus or minus and never well done. Also do more marinating, since research apparently shows that marinating with rosemary and to a lesser extent, lemon and garlic not only make meat taste great but also hinders the formation of the toxins. Turn the meat over halfway through cooking with your barbecue tools (especially the thongs or spatula from your barbecue grill accessories). I tend to turn more often to keep down flair ups but always try to time the cooking. Enjoy the Summer barbecues.
Treat Children as Adults
Just a thought. But I was brought up by a mother and father who didn’t believe in baby talk. They talked to me always in an adult fashion and as soon as possible, they taught me the proper way to behave at a dinner table and how to behave around company. Children develop into thinking, responsible people when encouraged to learn, speak and eat like an adult.
Learning proper dining habits can come very handy in an executive adult world. If you wish the child to live their adult life around the bar talking about high school days, it doesn’t really matter. But if they are going to set their sites on a good, prosperous (intellectually and hopefully economically) successful future, table manners and good intelligent speech are a prerequisite.
I would make certain they knew the proper use of their flatware utensils and the proper table setting as soon as they are able to learn this. Just a thought. I see too many young people behaving like little animals and feel they would benefit by learning how to behave in social settings. Above all, enjoy life, and enjoy good dining.
Table Manners
I just have some thoughts about manners at the family table or even in more formal settings. When dining, even at home but at the table, don’t act barbaric if possible. Keep your elbows off the table, always ask for the serving plate that you desire, don’t grab across the table. It then, can be passed to you across the table by the person nearest or possibly passed left to right until it reaches you. If you are not being served(like at home), The serving platters are always passed left to right to the next person. Generally the serving spoons and forks from your flatware set are in place in the serving dishes. And please don’t take the serving spoon or fork and put in on your plate. My family had great manners but couldn’t ever get this passing thing correct, and platters generally went in a chaotic manner in both directions. It worked but made life a little interesting.
Also never place the flatware, back on the table once it has been used. Place it on the side of the plate. That’s about it for now. And most of all eat with enjoyment and humor and good taste buds.
Proper use of your knife and fork American style
In the American style of the proper use of your flatware, you should hold the knife in your right hand, and the fork is held in your left hand with the prongs held upright. You pick up your food with your fork and cut the food with the knife into a bite sized portion. Then you switch the fork to your right hand (unless your left handed like me. Then don’t switch). Pick up the food with the fork and eat. Remember to chew with a closed mouth and never rest your elbows on the table.
Your flatware, once used should not touch the table again (including the handles). Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on the side of your plate or in the bowl.
Table Manners Basics
With a proper table setting the basic guideline for you plates and glasses is that you eat to your left and drink to your right. Knowing that the salad plate is always to your left and your water glass(wine etc.) is always to your right is a great help towards not embarrasing yourselft with grabbing your neighbors food and drink.
The use of your flatware is always starting with the knife, fork or spoon that is farthest from your plate, working your way in, using one utensil for each course (unless it is knife and fork of course). The flatware layout starts with your The salad fork is on your outermost left, followed by your dinner fork. Your soup spoon is on your outermost right, followed by your beverage spoon, salad knife and dinner knife. Your dessert spoon and fork are above your plate or brought out with dessert. If you remember the rule to work from the outside in, you’ll be fine.
In a formal restaurant the flatware to be used for each course is removed at the end of each course and the flatware for the next course is then brought to the table or is present on the table setting as above.