15 Table Manner Rules for Gentlemen
Proper Manners and Dining Etiquette for Men
Tuesday, May 12th, 2015
Dinner table etiquette has gone the way of the Kobe´ Bryant’s Lakers. They have largely disappeared from the public eye. Sharing a meal with someone is still one of the last intimate frontiers for the average man. Doing it right can pay dividends in your personal and business life. Here is our list of top 15 rules for table manners if you want to be considered a gentlemen at the dinner table.
1. This one might come to a shock to the millennials out there. But turn your freaking cell to silent, or better yet, off. There is nothing more rude than sitting on your phone while at the dinner table. Especially while on a date.
2. If you are dinning with a lovely partner, be sure to pull out their chair so they can be seated first.
3. After sitting down, put your napkin in your lap, asap.
4. When placed with multiple eating utensils, don’t fret, it’s simple, start from the outside and work your way towards your plate. Here are a few more details about this topic.
- Smallest fork: eating seafood
- Next smallest fork: for eating salad
- Biggest fork: save this for dinner
- Small spoon: for coffee
- Big spoon: for soup
5. You might want to wait and assess the table to determine if grace will be said. Nothing is worse than catching yourself with a mouth full of food, while everyone is bowing their heads.
6. For cripes' sake, keep your elbows off the table!
7. Mind your manors and always say please when requesting a dish be handed to you.
8. Please do not attempt to taste everyone’s food at the table. The exception would be a good dinner among good friends and family, in this situation it is okay to request a taste of another’s entree.
9. When bread is on the table, and you are wanting butter, place a pat of butter on your roll plate and pass the butter onward. When buttering your bread, slice or break off a small piece at a time and butter individually. Repeat.
10. Guilty as charged. Do not eat too fast. Eating too fast will not allow for good conversation. To make things easier, simply match the pace of your dinning companions.
11. This should be an obvious no brainer. Please do not chew with your mouth open.
12. If you have a stash or man-beard, you probably already know this, but attempt your damn best to avoid getting food in your man-hood.
13. Hair in your food is never pleasant. Lets be honest. If you are dinning at a restaurant, kindly let the waiter know, without raising a fuss. If at a friends home, Quietly and inconspicuously remove it.
14. Before taking the last portion of food from a dish. Kindly ask if anyone else at the table would like some before you take the lead.
15. This one should be a “well-duh” But please do not bring up unappetizing stories at the table.
source: The Art of Manliness
Well said. Bravo! I widh that more blogs emphasized the importance of manners and how to act (and not act) at the table. VA Gentleman endorsed!!!