Dining Etiquette

After a long break from writing I'm back with some much needed advice. After recent events and displays of poor table manners I thought it would be great to give some tips, we could all use a reminder of what to do when dining in public. Some of these rules vary depending on if you are dining at a restaurant or at a dinner party but most are pretty standard and apply to any situation. Also this isn't only a lesson on what fork to use with a specific course but rather just basic table manners you should use at every meal.

When to start eating:

• At a dinner party... When your host or hostess picks up their fork to eat, then you may eat. Do not start before this unless the host or hostess insists that you start eating.
• At a restaurant... Wait until all are served before beginning to eat.

Using utensils and food order...

• Eat to your left, drink to your right. Any food dish to the left is yours, and any glass to the right is yours.
• Starting with the knife, fork, or spoon that is farthest from your plate, work your way in, using one utensil for each course. The salad fork is on your outermost left, followed by your dinner fork.
• Never let any utensils, once used, ever touch the table again.
• Pass food from the left to the right.
• Butter, spreads, or dips should be transferred from the serving dish to your plate before spreading or eating. Sometimes there will be butter pats on the plate already. If there aren't, then cut the butter with the the butter knife on the butter tray and bring the piece to your plate. Use the piece to butter your bread.

Common courtesy reminders...

• 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.
• Pace yourself and take your time. Don't fill your mouth with too much food. Try to keep the same eating pace as your host, so you all finish at the same time
• Pick up a dish next to you and give yourself a serving. Even though it may be your favorite, take one serving, to help ensure that everyone gets some, then pass the dish to the right. It is polite to take a little bit of everything, even though it may be something you don't like
• If someone asks for something to be passed to her, only reach for it if you are the closest one to the item. In that case, take the one item and place it directly next to your neighbor.
• Don't stretch across the table crossing other guests to reach food, wine or condiments. Instead ask a guest sitting close to pass the item to you.
• If someone asks you to pass the salt, do it in the same manner as above, but pass both the salt and pepper (even if only one of the two was asked for)
• Make sure you keep your mouth closed when eating and do not talk with your mouth full. Swallow your food completely before you take a drink.
• Always sit straight up in your chair, never leaning backward nor forward. Never let your elbows touch the table (though you can put your hands on the table all you want). When eating, do not bring your face toward the plate, but bring the utensil up to you.
• Picking teeth (unless toothpicks are provided) or licking fingers are very unattractive!
• Loud eating noises such as slurping and burping are very impolite. The number one sin of dinner table etiquette
• Keep elbows off the table. Keep your left hand in your lap unless you are using it.

Hope everyone finds this useful and remember if you have a question or are confused think of what your mother told you.. she was/is always right!