When you go to fancy restaurants they always have several forks, as well as other cutlery. How can you know what utensils are for what part of the meal?
2006-06-05 11:41:25 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
The general rule is that you always work from the outside in - as in, the first courses use the outside utensils, etc. A good resource is the one I've listed below - it has diagrams with usage.
2006-06-05 11:48:06 · answer #1 · answered by Kristie W 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Usually all your utensils are on either side of where your plate is going to be (all the forks on the left and all the knives on the right) so all you do is start from the outside (or the furthest) and work in for each course. Sometimes there is a little pesky lone fork with no corresponding knife - just be patient and watch for what someone else does but this is usually for oysters or some such thing.
2006-06-05 11:55:21 · answer #2 · answered by Leigh S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A general rule of thumb is to start on the outside and work your way in, one fork per course. Watch the person sitting next to you. If no one at your table knows, then don't worry about it - use whichever fork you want. No one else in the restaurant is paying attention to you, except your server, and they're paid to be nice and not mention things like that.
2006-06-05 12:07:11 · answer #3 · answered by lcraesharbor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am just as proper as everyone else, my grandma eats off her good china everyday but she dosen't do the weird 4 fork thing so i just eat with what ever one I want. Actually it is the right fork is salad. the left fork is dinner the top fork is shrimp and the bottom fork is desert. It looks like this:
I eat at a five star restaraunt every year on Kiawah Island near charleston South Carolina and every one looked at me lik I was an idiot when i asked my mom which fork to use.
I felt like an idiot too.
2006-06-05 11:54:58 · answer #4 · answered by nfjgiuliano 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just remember the Outside in rule, you start from the outside and work your way in, the smallest fork is your shrimp, then your main, then your salad depends on what restaurant you are in, good way to learn HIre the Princess Diaries it has it all in there !
Good luck !
2006-06-05 12:51:16 · answer #5 · answered by ozi_nut 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You work from the outside in...meaning if the salad is first then you use the fork on the outside...then you keep working in toward the plate.
2006-06-05 13:01:55 · answer #6 · answered by SeeNoEvil 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe it goes left to right when it comes to forks. If your not sure just wait till the host/hostess starts.
2006-06-05 11:47:47 · answer #7 · answered by caitie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋