Dodging Dining Dilemmas
1. If you spill a small amount of a beverage on the table, dab it once or twice with your napkin. If it is a large spill, the host will call the waitstaff. Apologize to the host and guests.
2. If you spill a beverage on yourself, excuse yourself from the table to the restroom to clean the article of clothing.
3. If you spill food on a guest, apologize and offer to pay for the cleaning.
4. If you drop flatware in a restaurant, leave it on the floor and ask the waitstaff to bring a replacement.
5. If food falls off your plate onto the table, lift the food with your fork or spoon and place it on the side of your plate.
6. If there is an insect in your food, stay calm. Signal the waitstaff and ask for a replacement.
7. If there is food caught in your teeth, don't use a toothpick at the table. Excuse yourself from the table to the restroom.
8. To remove an olive pit from your mouth, use your thumb and index finger while covering them with your other hand. Put it on the side of the plate, not in the napkin.
9. If food is not at the right temperature, notify the host. The host will speak to the waitstaff away from the table.
10. If you don't know how to eat a particular food, follow the host.
Top Ten Dining Tips
1. Taste food before adding salt or pepper.
2. Don't add catsup or bottled sauces to the food.
3. Liquids are poured and cleared from the right.
4. Food is served from the left and removed from the right. Note: Some restaurants are serving from the right.
5. Food is passed to the right or counterclockwise.
6. Don't taste other people's food. Don't offer a sample of your food to another guest.
7. Once flatware is removed from the table, it is never placed on the table again.
8. Pass the salt and pepper together.
9. If a friend across the room waves to you, nod your head to recognize them. Don't interrupt the conversation at the table.
10. Don't apply lipstick at the table.
