Galateo at the table, suggestions to not forget!
Did you ever happen, during a wedding or an important dinner, to be seated in front of a lavished table with more cutlery than food?
And have you ever thought “are three forks, two knives and four glasses really necessary?”
If it is your case, do not feel bad, it happens to anyone!
The formality often make us feeling inadequate, scared of making a bad impression is the main thought before grabbing the first cutlery, watching shyly the other tablemates. Have you ever thought that also the other people seated at the same table do not know on how to start?
Table Galateo, here you are how it works: first of all it is important to know the objects that you have in front of you.
What you should do in front of a lavish table:
– 4 glasses: from left to right you will find the glass for water that is bigger, then a medium one for red wine, a small one for the white wine and eventually, another glass for Spumante or other type of wine for the dessert.
– An under-plate (do not take it off), waiter will lay down on it the dishes of every course. Dinner plate both for first and second courses, soup plate just for liquid dishes.
– A series of fork on the left of the dish: there’s a for each course but you will always start with the one at the very end, unless there is a fork for oysters, which will be the one on the very right of all.
– Knives and spoons on the right of the dish: two spoons (placed with the blade toward the plate) one for the meat and one for the fish, and then a spoon;
– Above the plate there are the cutlery for the dessert that should be used according to the type of dessert: use a fork for a pie crust whereas prefer a teaspoon for a Catalan cream. (Depending if it is a lunch or a dinner there can be the cheese cutlery);
– Cutlery for fruit is generally served together with it and a bowl to wash your hands;
– On the right top there will be a plate for bread or a small dish for the butter with a specific small knife according to the lunch or dinner.
– The napkin, generally, is on your left or on the plate;
– Sometimes (generally in the Anglo-Saxon countries) you can find the spoon and the cup of tea on the right of the plate.
– Last but not least, before sit down and start eating, find your name on the place card that I generally next to the glasses
In the next article, we will deal with the chapter of the “good manners” of the table Galateo.
To be continued…
