Posted by Barton Lorimor
Alyssa Rider opened Wednesday nights etiquette dinner by proclaiming that proper etiquette is a broad subject.
That’s a tough point to argue, especially for this part of southern Illinois, where students from around the world come to study. Rider, a graduate assistant in nutrition to the dining halls, shared some etiquette tips to the 40 people that had gathered in a Lentz Hall dining room for a five-course meal and presentation about how to prevent offending a potential employer at a meal.
Listed below are some of the tips Rider shared with the group.
- It seems like a never ending debate on whether or not one is allowed to pick up a soup bowl and drink its contents. It turns out that it is possible to drink soup broth so long as the dinnerware is right. If the soup was served in a cup, drink away. However, it is considered uncool to drink soup served in a bowl. (Also, though the rules are different in Japan, slurping soup while eating does not fly in the U.S.)
- Though it may be normal to use only one fork and spoon in the dining halls, fine dinner parties layout multiples of each utensil. What seems like a nightmare at first is actually not so terrifying. Rider says the way to handle that situation is to use the utensil on the end first, change switch it out to the next one in line as the the next course is served. In some cases, a fork is positioned horizontally and at the top of a plate. That bad boy is reserved for dessert.
- If one were to excuse themselves from the table but are not finished with the course that has been served, turning a fork upside down on the right hand side of a plate is the universal signal to a waiter the person is not done eating from this plate.
- To avoid a potential disaster such as sauce on the face, or splatter on clothing, avoid foods that have the potential to be messy such as barbecue ribs or spaghetti.
- The proper way to eat soup is dipping the spoon into the bowl/cup and pushing it away from the torso. Most people have naturally just brought the spoon closer towards them, however Rider said going the opposite direction can prevent the soup from finding its way onto a nice blouse or tie.
- Most people our age enjoy a good slouch in that old sofa Mom tried to throw out years ago, and for health reasons probably should have. But slouching at the dining table is not the way to go. That does not mean sit straight as a board, but at least sit-up.
- Finally, if you are eating out, it is the unwritten law that the person who invited you to dinner pick up the check. However, if it is a comprehensive meeting, Rider says asking about splitting the tab should be done at the time of the invitation.
