Restaurants: Cocktails, Wine, Meal....Check, Please!
The Basics of Dining
Cocktails & Wine
There are a few tips to remember when ordering cocktails and wine. When you and your guests are seated the waiter may ask if anyone would like a cocktail. If you are the host you should ask the others what they would like and give the order to the waiter. No one should be urged to drink cocktails once he has refused, but neither should a guest feel uncomfortable because they want a cocktail. How much is too much? You want to be polite to your guests so beyond one or two when your guests are left with none is just the perfect amount.
Menu & Ordering
If you know the restaurant well and you are familiar with the food you can recommend a certain meal to your guests. When a man is taking a woman to dinner he orders the meal after asking her what she would like. If both are unfamiliar with the type of food served, he should ask the waiter to recommend a specialty. The woman should never give her order to the waiter herself. Unless she knows that her host is very well off, she should be considerate of his pocketbook (wallet) and either ask for a table d' hote dinner, if one is offered or choose only a soup or appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. If you are wondering what a table d' hote dinner is don't get frustrated. There is also a a la carte menu. The difference between the two is a table d' hote dinner means a set price for a complete meal, irrespective of how many courses are ordered. "Club" breakfasts and lunches, "blue plate" dinners, or any meals at fixed prices are table d' hote. A la carte means that you order from a list of dishes and you pay for each dish ordered, often including the bread and butter. The popular menu we are most accustomed with is one that has a price following each entree.
On a sidenote - some restaurants will give the host the menu with prices listed...and give the guests one without the pricing.
Cocktails & Wine
There are a few tips to remember when ordering cocktails and wine. When you and your guests are seated the waiter may ask if anyone would like a cocktail. If you are the host you should ask the others what they would like and give the order to the waiter. No one should be urged to drink cocktails once he has refused, but neither should a guest feel uncomfortable because they want a cocktail. How much is too much? You want to be polite to your guests so beyond one or two when your guests are left with none is just the perfect amount.
Sometimes it can be difficult to choose from the wine selection. If wine is to be served, it should be ordered after the choices for the meal have been made. The host, or whichever man is best qualified should choose a wine that goes well with the meals. For example, if more people ordered chicken or fish, choose a white wine; a red wine goes great with a steak dinner which is the most pleasing combination. If you or your guests have a preference for red or white wine, it isn't incorrect to order either with any food.
Menu & Ordering
If you know the restaurant well and you are familiar with the food you can recommend a certain meal to your guests. When a man is taking a woman to dinner he orders the meal after asking her what she would like. If both are unfamiliar with the type of food served, he should ask the waiter to recommend a specialty. The woman should never give her order to the waiter herself. Unless she knows that her host is very well off, she should be considerate of his pocketbook (wallet) and either ask for a table d' hote dinner, if one is offered or choose only a soup or appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. If you are wondering what a table d' hote dinner is don't get frustrated. There is also a a la carte menu. The difference between the two is a table d' hote dinner means a set price for a complete meal, irrespective of how many courses are ordered. "Club" breakfasts and lunches, "blue plate" dinners, or any meals at fixed prices are table d' hote. A la carte means that you order from a list of dishes and you pay for each dish ordered, often including the bread and butter. The popular menu we are most accustomed with is one that has a price following each entree.
On a sidenote - some restaurants will give the host the menu with prices listed...and give the guests one without the pricing.
I'm sure we all heard of the word smorgasbord but how many of us actually know the story behind it? It is a pleasant importation from Sweden. It is simply a buffet, many of us who have gone to a buffet know there is a high variety and interest in the food, this style of breakfast, lunch or dinner has become very popular in the United States. When a man dines in this fashion with a woman he may fill a plate for her, but this eliminates much of the fun dining in such a restaurant.
Check, Please!
Check, Please!
When everyone is finished with their meal, the host catches the eye of the water and asks for the check kindly, "Check, please". Tipping is part of the payment but there are no ground rules for tipping because it depends upon where you go, what you order, and the service that is given to you. As a rule of thumb, fifteen percent is standard at any restaurant, twenty in a night club, ten percent is too little anywhere, perhaps at a lunch counter. If your having a party of a ten or more fifteen percent is adequate. The check should be presented face down on a small plate to the man who ordered the dinner. Once looked over he should return it with the necessary money. If there is an error he should point it out quietly to the waiter. You do NOT want to attract attention to yourself or want to create a "scene". If the management of the restaurant is unpleasant about making the correction, simply pay the check, leave and do not return to the restaurant.
Posted by Eugene Vodovoz at 11 August 2011, 1:25 PM 
Categories: Etiquette
Tags: restaurant cocktail wine meals smorgasbord etiquette zaharoff
Categories: Etiquette
Tags: restaurant cocktail wine meals smorgasbord etiquette zaharoff
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