- Most people are familiar with the overall guide to table setting etiquette, that utensils are used from the outside edge inward toward the plate. Thus, the soup spoon is further away from the plate than the utensils used to eat the entree. Although settings may vary according to the meal, the general rule is to begin with the salad fork and the meat fork at the left of the plate. On the right of the plate, set the salad knife on the outside and the meat knife on the inside, with the serrated edge facing the plate. Even further outside the knives is the place for the soup spoon. There are two approaches to dessert settings. One technique is to bring the dessert spoon and fork with the dessert plate at the time of service. The other approach is to set the dessert flatware on top of the place setting, the fork pointing to the right and the spoon above it, its bowl pointing toward the left.
- Beverages have their own set of etiquette guidelines. Hosts should serve water in a full-body glass that has a short stem. Brandy belongs in a brandy snifter. Diners can warm the snifter between their hands, which releases the brandy's bouquet. White wine tastes best in a glass with a wide bowl to present its bouquet. Red wine should be in a bigger wine glass. Burgundy reds and pinot noirs also require a wide bowl, but are typically poured in a taller glass than the one used for white wine. Champagne requires a fluted glass that allows it to stay bubbly.
- Table setting etiquette varies according to the meal being served. If you are serving bread or rolls, include a butter plate, placed above the forks. Lay a butter knife diagonally across the plate, from the upper left to the lower right. The knife's serrated edge faces the edge of the table. For wine and other beverage glasses, set them in a straight row according to size above the knives. The row should slant a bit downward from the upper left. For coffee service, set the coffee cup in a saucer and place them to the right of the setting. Place the coffee spoon to the right of the saucer.
- Some dining etiquette is culturally relevant. For example, in the United States people cut their food with the knife and fork and then transfer the fork to the right hand to use it for eating the food. In Continental Europe, this method would appear rude. Instead, diners should keep the fork in the left hand and eat from the fork with the fork's prongs curving downward. In Korea, all dishes are typically served at once, including the soup. In Thailand, soup is drunk straight from the bowl, without a spoon.
- While the location and spacing of table settings are of vital importance, the surprising truth is that the settings need not match. If the dinner is formal, sterling silver flatware is preferred, but it does not need to share the same pattern. Dessert settings do not have to match dinner settings, though knives and forks should match. In fact, the table can appear more colorful and the meal more interesting if the settings have some variation.
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