What's the name of the plate the waiter takes away first?

Question

In fancy restaurants there is often a place setting on the table when the diners are seated. Part of this setting is a plate that food is never put on, but is taken away by the waiter early on. What is this plate called? "Charger" has been suggested, but that seems rather vague.

Answer 1

Well you are right! Charger plates are larger decorative plates used to dress up dinner tables at parties, weddings, and other special events. Since food is not actually served on chargers, they are often called underplates or chop plates.
Some restaurants etc. remove the decorative charger plate as soon as the guests are seated. Often a decorative charger plate is left on the table as a large coaster for the soup and salad courses and then removed for the main entree. Others keep the underplate, charger or chop plates together until the end of the entire meal!!!

Answer 2

Charger is correct. It is the plate that is on the table when you first sit down. The salad our soup course may be set down in/on the Charger but both will be removed prior to the next course.

Answer 3

Entree or Hor deurve depending on how may courses you have to get through an empty plate remains in frount of the guest a ridicuolous fashion but one form ed by the yuppies in the eighties , most of them bankrupt or soon will be with the next recession

Answer 4

George