The Proper Ways to Set the Silverware When Finished With a Meal
The rules that guide general table etiquette, including what to do with a knife, fork or spoon after eating, can vary depending on the social situation or location. Whether enjoying a quiet meal with a significant other, a night out with family and friends, or sharing the table during a business meeting, using good manners also extends to what you do with the silverware after finishing a meal. Does this Spark an idea?
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Advice from a Private Chef
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According to Chef Albrich, who is based out of Miami, there are numerous guidelines regarding the placement of any flatware once it has been used. Any dirty spoon, fork or knife must not touch the surface of the table, so as to not dirty a linen or tablecloth. A utensil must also not be left in any dish that is not flat, such a soup or salad bowl, for example. Instead, it can be placed on the plate that is normally presented underneath the bowl.
Advice for a Business Meeting
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Virginia Tech's Career Services offers a simple dining etiquette guide in the event a job or internship interview takes places at a dining table. In the event you must leave the table, it is recommended that utensils are left at ten and four o'clock (handles at four, knife blade toward you) if you are finished. Leaving the knife and fork three o'clock to center (handles at three) indicates you are not finished.
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Advice For Formal Dining
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The United States Dining Etiquette Guide agrees with Chef Albrich that, once used, all utensils, including the handles, must not touch the table again. Forks, knives and spoons should always rest on the side of a plate. To signal that you are done eating, it is most proper to rest your fork, tines up, and knife blade in, with the handle resting at five o'clock and the tips pointing to ten o'clock on the plate. Any unused silverware should be left on the table.
More General Advice
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When you're finished eating at home, you may stand up and wander away from the table as a sign that you're done with a meal. In restaurants, however, the placement of silverware acts a non-verbal clue for a waiter, waitress or busboy. Utensils placed on top of a plate indicates it is OK for the helper in a public dining room to begin removing those dirty utensils, dinnerware and napkin from their place setting.
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