Eating together

Meal times Quiet, set time each day Spontaneous dropping by of friends and family to eat a casual meal Time to catch up on everyone’s day The way food is served depends on the number of people, menu, and space available

Serving Food Family style service Plate service Head-of table service Dinner plates are placed at each person’s seat Food is served in dishes on the table Dishes are passed so that people may help themselves Plate service Individual plates are prepared in the kitchen and taken to the table Head-of table service Special occasion meals Person at the head of the table serves food on plate and passes it down the table to each person Buffets Way to serve people when there are too many to sit around table Dishes, flatware, napkins, and serving dishes of food are placed on a table/ counter and people help themselves

Advantages/ disadvantages to each style? Family style? Plate service? Head of table? Buffet? How do you properly pass food for each style? Challenge: plan an easy prepare meal for your family to have time to set together and enjoy each other’s company. Use one of the styles above. We will discuss experiences next week.

Table setting Are you ever confused by arrangement of plates, glasses, and flatware? Except at picnics and buffets, most tables have individual place settings- arrangement of flatware and table ware for each person There is a logical organization for this Tableware includes dishes, glasses and flatware ( eating utensils) Each place setting has at least one plate, fork, glass, knife, spoon, and napkin Depending on the food being served, other tableware may be used

Place Setting Activity Pg. 44o in the book Go over formal place setting

Table manners Etiquette- accepted rules of behavior at a meal Knowing etiquette can give you confidence in different social settings

Table Manners Place napkin in your lap Not sure what flatware to use, observe what the person at the head of the table is using Use serving forks and spoons to serve food Cut one bite of food at a time and then eat it Eat quietly Chew with your mouth closed Avoid talking while you have food in your mouth If food is too hot, wait until it cools You can use your fingers to eat foods like sandwiches, bread, carrots, celery, pizza After eating, put your knife and fork across the center of the plate and your napkin to the left of the plate

Eating Out Ordering from the menu Behaving in a restaurant Paying the bill and tipping

Ordering from the Menu Menus are divided into courses- parts of meals Example: appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, desserts, and beverages Appetizer is an optional first course Entrée- the main course Items will be listed and priced in two ways: May be listed separately- a la carte ( individual pricing for each item) May list a complete meal for a price Make note of what is included in the meal

Behaving in a restaurant Most people want to eat, talk quietly, and enjoy themselves Do not be loud and disruptive to the people around you If you need something during the meal, politely ask the waiter/ waitress They will generally stop at the table periodically to check on your needs while you are eating If the problem is urgent, get the server’s attention by raising your hand

Paying the bill and tipping End of the meal- pay If the check isn’t given to you-ask for it Who pays? Try to agree before you get to the restaurant If you invite someone out, be clear about who is paying If you’re invited out and its not clear about who is paying- bring enough money so you can cover you own bill just in case Check the bill to be sure it is accurate Sales tax is usually added to the bill

Tipping It is customary to tip 15-20 percent of the bill before tax The tip is for service, not food When large groups dine in, some restaurants automatically add a service charge- in this case you don’t have to leave a tip Some checks may say “Pay the cashier” Leave a tip at the table and pay on the way out Often the server will take your check and money to the cashier When you get change, tip the server If you are not sure what to do, ask someone

Activities Practice tipping Practice taking orders- fast food, casual dining, fancy dining