DINING ETIQUETTE

…JUST THE BASICS

 The formal table setting

A dinner party at someone’s home:

Arrival: Arrive at least 10 minutes early unless otherwise specified. Never arrive
late!

Hostess Gift: It is proper to bring a small hostess gift, one that the hostess is
not obliged to use that very evening. Gifts such as flowers, candy, wine, or
dessert, are not good hostess gifts, as the hostess will feel that it must put it out
immediately. You must not never expect your gift to be served at the dinner party.

Seating: At a dinner party, wait for the host or hostess sits down before taking
your seat. If the host/hostess asks you to sit, then do. At a very formal dinner
party, if there are no name cards at the table, wait until the host indicates where
you should sit. The seating will typically be man-woman-man-woman with the
women seated to the right of the men.
Thank You Note:  After a formal dinner party, a thank you note should be sent to the
hostess. Depending on how well you know your hosts, a telephone call is also
acceptable.
Formal Table Setting
General Dining and Social
Etiquette
 Serving food:
 Food is served from the left. Dishes are removed from the right.
 Always say please when asking for something. At a restaurant, be sure to say thank you to your
server and bus boy after they have removed any used items.
 Butter, spreads, or dips should be transferred from the serving dish to your plate before spreading or
eating.
 Passing dishes or food:
 Pass food from the left to the right. Do not stretch across the table, crossing other guests, to reach
food or condiments.
 If another diner asks for the salt or pepper, pass both together, even if a table mate asks for only one
of them. This is so dinner guests won't have to search for orphaned shakers.
 Set any passed item, whether it's the salt and pepper shakers, a bread basket, or a butter plate,
directly on the table instead of passing hand-to-hand.
 Never intercept a pass. Snagging a roll out of the breadbasket or taking a shake of salt when it is en
route to someone else is a no-no.
 Always use serving utensils to serve yourself, not your personal silverware.
Why etiquette matters!
Table Manners:

 Unfold your napkin and place it on your lap. When you are finished,
place it loosely on the table, not on the plate and never on your chair.
If you leave the table during the meal place your napkin in the chair.
 Keep elbows off the table. Keep your unused hand in your lap. Do not
talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth closed.
 Guests should do their best to mingle and make light conversation with
everyone. Do not talk excessively loud. Give others equal opportunities
for conversation. Talk about cheerful, pleasant things at the table.
 Don't clean up spills with your own napkin and don't touch items that
have dropped on the floor. You can use your napkin to protect yourself
from spills. Then, simply and politely ask your server to clean up and to
bring you a replacement for the soiled napkin or dirty utensil.
 Loud eating noises such as slurping and burping are very impolite. The
number one sin of dinner table etiquette!
Table Manners, cont’d.
 Do not blow your nose at the dinner table. Excuse yourself to visit the restroom.
Wash your hands before returning to the dining room. If you cough, cover your
mouth with your napkin to stop the spread of germs and muffle the noise. If your
cough becomes unmanageable, excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your
hands before returning to the dining room.
 Turn off your cell phone or switch it to silent or vibrate mode before sitting
down to eat, and leave it in your pocket or purse. It is impolite to answer a
phone during dinner. If you must make or take a call, excuse yourself from the table
and step outside of the restaurant.
 Do not use a toothpick or apply makeup at the table.
 Say "Excuse me," or "I'll be right back," before leaving the table. Do not say that
you are going to the restroom.
 Whenever a woman leaves the table or returns to sit, all men seated with her should
stand up.
 Do not push your dishes away from you or stack them for the waiter when you are
finished. Leave plates and glasses where they are.
Eating:

 Do NOT talk with food in your mouth! This is very rude and
distasteful to watch! Wait until you have swallowed the food in your
mouth.
 Always taste your food before seasoning it. Usually the hostess has
gone to a lot of work making sure the food served is delicious to her
standards. It is very rude to add salt and pepper before tasting
the food.
 Don't blow on your food to cool it off. If it is too hot to eat, take the
hint and wait until it cools.
 Always scoop food, using the proper utensil, away from you.
 Cut only enough food for the next mouthful (cut no more than two
bites of food at a time). Eat in small bites and slowly.
 Don't make an issue if you don't like something or can't eat it – keep
silence.
 Break your bread into small bites and then butter it.
Eating cont’d.
 Even if you have dietary restrictions, it is inappropriate to request
food other than that which is being served by the host at a private
function. If you have serious dietary restrictions or allergies, let
your host know in advance of the dinner.
 Do not "play with" your food or utensils. Never wave or point
silverware. Do not hold food on the fork or spoon while talking, nor
wave your silverware in the air or point with it.
 Try to pace your eating so that you don’t finish before others are
halfway through. If you are a slow eater, try to speed up a bit on
this occasion so you don’t hold everyone up. Never continue to eat
long after others have stopped.
 Once used, your utensils, including the handles, must not touch
the table again. Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on the side
of your plate or on the saucer of a bowl.
 
Proper tipping etiquette in a restaurant:

 At a restaurant, always leave a tip. Tips can vary from 15% to 25%. 
 Waiter: 15% to 20% of the bill; 25% for extraordinary service
Wine steward: 15% of wine bill
Bartender: 10% to 15% of bar bill
Coat check: $1.00 per coat
Car attendant: $2.00 to $5.00
 Remember that the amount you tip reflects the total price before any
coupons, gift certificates, etc. Just because you get a discount, does not
mean that your server did not serve up the full order.

 Buffets - Remember that someone has to clear your table, refill your drink
and bring you more plates. Ten percent is the usual amount to tip in these
restaurants.
 Cafes and coffeehouses -Typically, it's appropriate at cafés and
coffeehouses to contribute 10 to 15 percent to the countertop tip jar.
 http://whatscookingamerica.net/Menu/DiningEtiquetteGuide,
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What to wear
 To the TRiO-Student Support Services graduate luncheon
What not to wear…
 To the TRiO- Graduate Luncheon