Table Settings That You Should Be Aware Of......

Whether you're sitting down for a quick meal with the kids, sharing a romantic dinner, or maybe having dinner with close friends, a dinner table is special. It's a place to unwind from the stresses of everyday life and enjoy the simple pleasures of being with others.

1. Layout of the Table

Eating alone, maybe a pizza? Dinner can still be served at a lovely table:

• Place a basic woven placemat in front of each seat to begin.

• In the center of each placemat, place your daily ware.

• Place a folded napkin on the plate's left side.

• Place the dinner fork on the napkin and a dinner knife on the plate's right.

• Place a water glass above the knife to finish. A cheese spreader would come in handy even if you are dining alone.

2. Relaxed Table Setting

If you're having a family dinner or a casual dinner date, add a few extra touches to make the occasion more memorable. Start with the basics and work your way up to the extras:

• Instead of using a paper napkin, use a decorative or cloth napkin and place it under the fork.

• To the right of the knife, place a soup spoon. A salad fork is optional, but if used, it should be placed on the plate's left side (outside the dinner fork).

• Position the wine glass to the right of the water glass, above the knife and spoon. Glassware with no stems is okay.

3. Setting a Formal Table

Notch up the table setting for elegant dinner parties or holiday meals! Impress your guests with a tablescape that reflects the same effort and attention to detail you put into the meal. Begin with a simple table setup, then:

• Cover the table with your most excellent tablecloth or runner. The drop should be roughly a foot from the table at lap level.

• Arrange candles and flowers in the table's center. To prevent interfering with the aroma of the dish, unscented is highly advised. To avoid distractions, choose modest flower arrangements.

• Use exquisite placemats and your best cloth napkins, folded and placed across the center of the dinner plate, instead of ordinary linens. Place a cheese knives set on the table.

• Serve on heritage dishes with fine silver silverware.

• Above the forks, place a bread plate and small butter knife, and to the left of the forks, place a salad plate.

• Above the platter, place a dessert fork and spoon. (These utensils can also be brought out with the dessert course if desired.)

• Place a steak knife to the right of the plate if necessary.

• Use stemmed wine glasses: Place the white wine glass to the lower right of the water glass and the red wine glass above it, forming a triangle with the three glasses.

4. Set a five-course table

Prepare a formal five-course meal that includes soup, salad, a fish dish, main course, and dessert. Begin by following the steps mentioned above for a formal place setting, then:

• Place a Champagne flute behind the white wine glass and a sherry glass ahead of the red wine glass if serving a seafood meal. Serve them with cheese and put a cheese knife set alongside.

• Finally, each place setting should have a name card.

5. Buffet Table Setting

A buffet can be a quick and efficient service option for potlucks and other occasions where there are too many guests to fit at one table. Use the following guidelines to create a stress-free buffet setup:

Consider the traffic flow:

• To avoid traffic congestion near the dining areas, split the food and drinks on different tables.

• Set up a drink station with beverages, ice, glassware, cocktail napkins, straws, and other necessities.

• At the buffet table, start with plates and work your way to the finish with napkins and utensils.

• If space allows, create a separate area for snacks, finger foods, cheese plates, and other small items.

Arrange the food on the buffet in the following order:

• Start with the hottest plates and work your way down to the coldest.

• To keep food warm, use chafing dishes. (Without them, they won't stay hot enough.)

• Keep everything cool by using ice.

• Allow sufficient space in front of the serving dishes for guests to place their plates.

• Arrange the food on several levels: To create a tiered impression, repurpose cake stands or place serving dishes atop sturdy objects. This strategy is attractive to the sight, but it also allows guests to view all of their selections.

• Create brief description cards for each dish to place in front of it. If you have visitors with food allergies or dietary restrictions, specify which meals are vegetarian, gluten-free, nut-free, etc.

• Keep condiments, dips, and other sauces near the dishes with which they go.

• Make sure there are plenty of napkins in the seating areas.

• If the food and drink stations are on plastic or folding tables, use disposable tablecloths. It not only hides the tabletop but also makes cleanup much more manageable.