Saturday, February 21, 2015

How to set a table in formal way



The world was my oyster, but I used the wrong fork." - Oscar Wilde


   How I am attending college class about hospitality and catering, (by the way is a great school,has a well known name for this type of classes, is one of the leading college in hospitality and catering in Budapest),so I was thinking to write some very useful tips how to set a table in formal way or which eating utensils  in a fancy restaurant.One blog post is very little to write about this huge and important topic, but I will try to write in this post the most important ideas.
   Sure many of us are confused about the tools and glasses in fancy restaurants. Lets think a little, what is the difference between dessert fork and fish fork, soup spoon and mocha spoon?
   We know two big or should I say famous service, first is the French, what meant all the food served at a meal was placed on the table at once, and guests passed the platters and served themselves, or the waitress bring the food portions from the kitchen.
   The other famous service style is the English or Silver service, the server presents a platter or food from the left and serves each guest from the platter, beginning with all the female guests. This fancy English restaurant use the service table.
   Keep in mind that traditions and cultures will often influence what a proper dinner table setting should be like, but as long as you keep your table organized, it will be acceptable. he one rule for a formal table is for everything to be geometrically spaced: the centerpiece at the exact center; the place settings at equal distances; and the utensils balanced. Adding a table centerpiece will complete the decor and you can buy something appropriate or make your own.

   Picking your tablecloth, napkin, centerpiece, and dinnerware colors should be planned around what type of dinner you are having. Try to plan the table setting to match your menu. When bread and butter are served, add a butter plate to the table. Use separate salad plates if serving your main course with gravy.
The list of things needed again can vary on what type of dinner you will be having, but for this simple set up you will need the following:

Service Plate: in the center of the place setting.
Butter Plate: a small bread plate is placed above the forks, above and to the left of the service plate.
Water Glass: is placed above each guest's dinner knife. The other glasses are then arranged around the water glass as follows:
Red and white Wine Glass: are placed near the water glass.
Sherry Glass: may also be present to the right of the wine glasses, sherry can be served as aperitif.
Salad Fork: directly to the plate's left. One 1 inch from the plate.
Dinner Fork: left of the salad fork
s.Forks are placed at the left of the dinner plate in the order of use, from the outside in toward the plate. The only exception to "forks on the left" is when you need an oyster or a shellfish fork. The oyster fork is placed at the right side of the dinner plate, to the right of the knives.
Fish Fork: on the dinner fork's left.
Dinner Knife: directly to the right of the plate. One (1) inch from the plate.
Knives are set at the immediate right of the dinner plate, with blades facing the plate. The soup spoon, if needed, sits at the right of all knife.
Fish Knife: on the dinner knife's right.
Butter Knife: on the butter plate, diagonally with the handle toward the guest.
Soup Spoon and/or Fruit Spoon: right of the knives, for the salads it will go above the plates.
Dessert Spoons and Forks: a dessert fork and/or spoon may be placed horizontally above the dinner plate. These utensils may also be provided when dessert is served, but you can find them above the plates.
Salt and pepper Shaker is placed on the left, between two place settings.

Name card on the right, above the glasses.
   First rules once you begin the meal, your utensils should never touch the table, as no one enjoys the site of a soiled tablecloth. It's improper to even allow the handle of a utensil to touch the table while the other end rests on the plate.
   Utensils are placed about an inch from the edge of the table, with all placed either upon the same invisible baseline or upon the same invisible median line. Utensils in the outermost position are used first (for example, a soup spoon and a salad fork, then the dinner fork and the dinner knife). The blades of the knives are turned toward the plate. Glasses are placed an inch or so above the knives, also in the order of use: white wine, red wine, dessert wine, and water tumbler.
   The dinner plate is placed on the table when the main course is served and is not on the table when the guests sit down.
If salad will be served as the first course, place the salad plate on top of the dinner plate. If space allows, the salad plate can be arranged at the left of the forks.If the salad is served after the entrée (European-style), place the salad fork at the right of the place fork, next to the plate.If you are setting a salad knife, place it at the right of the plate, to correspond with the placement of the salad fork.
   The wine glass, red or white, is placed slightly at the right of the water glass.
   When using both red and white wine glasses, place each (red, then white) at the right of the water glass.Place a champagne flute behind the other two wine glasses, thus forming a triangle.
   A cup and a saucer are not part of a formal place setting. They should be brought to the table along with the teaspoon and the dessert plate.
   Do not forget about your napkin. Arrange a folded napkin in the center of the top plate. If the soup bowl is set on the top plate, then place the folded napkin to the left of the forks.

   If you are serving cheese plate you should add at least 3 types of cheese and you to serve with fresh buns or toast.
Never give for aperitif bear or creamy alcohol, if  you start with vodka or dry white wine than you should follow with rose and for the main course serve red wine, you can end the dinning with Shampain.




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