“Dining is and always was a great artistic opportunity.” ~Frank Lloyd Wright
European and American eating manners tend to differ especially when it comes to using the fork and knife. For someone who was raised using the traditional American style, where you are supposed to cut food with the knife in the right hand, the fork in the left hand, and then switch the fork back to the right hand before taking a bite. Someone that was raised in a traditional Continental style setting (European) will find this way of manipulating the fork and knife to be inefficient and inelegant. They find the cutting and switching of the fork and knife to be a complete waste of time.
- Holding Your Silverware
- American Style: You switch your fork and knife between hands so the utensil being used is in the dominant hand. For example, if you are right handed, you switch the fork to your left hand so you can cut with your right hand. Once you cut a piece of food, you switch the fork back to your right hand and take the food to your mouth with the fork in your right hand.
- Continental (European) Style: You keep the fork in your left hand with the tines facing down and your index finger on the back of the fork. Your knife is held in your right hand with the blade facing down and your index finger extended along the back of it. Once you cut a piece of food, you keep the fork face down and your wrist flat as you bring the food to your mouth.
- Hand Placement
- American Style: Your wrists/hands do not touch the table.
- Continental (European) Style: Wrists always remain on the edge of and above the table, both when you are eating and when you are resting.
- Silverware Placement
- American Style: The resting position is the fork, tines facing up, in the 4 o’clock position and the knife resting along the top corner of your plate. Once finished, place your knife, with the blade facing towards you, next to your fork, tines facing up, both in the 4 o’clock position on the plate. This signals to the server that you are finished.
- Continental (European) Style: The resting position is in the middle of the plate as if you simply placed the silverware down exactly as you were holding them. The knife blade faces towards you in the 4 o’clock position and the fork tines face down over top of the knife in the 8 o’clock position. Once finished, place your knife, with the blade facing towards you, and fork, with the tines facing down, in the 4 o’clock position on the plate. This signals to the server that you are finished.
- Eating Dessert (my favorite!)
- American Style: Typically dessert is served with either a fork or a spoon. If you are given both, you may choose which utensil you prefer.
- Continental (European) Style: A fork and spoon (rarely a knife) are used. Hold the fork in your left hand and the spoon in your right hand and proceed to eat in the same manner as your main course (detailed above).
- In both styles, you cut one bite of food at a time. Put that piece in your mouth then cut the next.
- The side of your fork should not be used to cut something.
- Always use your knife (not your fingers!) to get a piece of food onto your fork.
- Do not place your elbows or forearms on the table.
- Same rules for your napkin! Place your napkin neatly on your chair if you will be returning to the table. Place the napkin neatly on the table if you are finished and exiting the table.