Dinner
Consommé.
Sherry.
Olives. Salted Almonds.
Broiled Bass, Maître d’hôtel Sauce.
Claret.
Roast Lamb, Mint Sauce.
Green Pease. Baked Tomatoes.
Potato Croquettes.
Lettuce Salad.
Crackers. Cheese.
Neapolitan Pudding.
Coffee.
To serve this dinner you will need a heavy table-cloth, a linen table-cloth, carving-cloths, dinner napkins, flower bowl, candelabra, carafes, decanters, tumblers, sherry and claret glasses, salt cups, pepper boxes, salt spoons, bread plate, olive dishes, almond dishes, and spoons.
| Soup. | Soup tureen. | Soup plates. | Soup ladle. Soup spoons. |
| Fish. | Fish platter. Sauce boat. | Fish plates. | Fish slice and fork. Sauce ladle. Fish forks. Fish knives (if required). |
| Roast. | Platter. Sauce boat. Three covered vegetable dishes. | Dinner plates. | Large carver and fork. Gravy spoon. Sauce ladle. Three tablespoons. Dinner knives. Dinner forks. |
| Salad. | Salad bowl. Cracker plate with doily. Cheese plate with doily. | Salad plates. | Salad fork and spoon. Cheese knife. Salad forks. Cheese knives. |
| Dessert. | Flat pudding dish. Finger bowls. Doilies. | Dessert plates. | Pudding slicer. Dessert forks. |
| Coffee. | Tray and tray cloth. Coffee-pot. Sugar bowl. Cream jug. | After-dinner cups and saucers. | Sugar tongs. Coffee spoons. |
Make sure that the air of the dining-room is fresh, and the temperature agreeable.
If dust has gathered on polished surfaces since luncheon, wipe them lightly with a soft cloth.
See that your table is exactly in its right place, and not in the least askew. Lay the Canton-flannel cloth perfectly smooth. Lay the linen cloth flat and without a wrinkle. See that the coverings of the sideboard and side-table are fresh and straight.
Place the flowers in the centre of the table.
If candelabra are used, put one on each side of the flowers, on a line with them. If four candlesticks, place them in a square a little distance from the flowers.
Spread a carving-cloth at the head and one at the foot of the table. Be sure that they lie quite straight across it.
Place a carafe for the use of every two persons, and a salt cup and pepper box for every two persons.
Lay a dinner plate for each person. On the right of each plate lay a soup spoon, with the bowl turned up, a dinner knife with the sharp edge turned towards the plate, a fish knife (if fish knives are used), a tumbler for water, a glass for sherry, and a glass for claret.
At the left of each plate lay a fork for fish, and a larger one for the roast. Lay them in the order in which they are to be used, the fish fork being outside. At the left place also a napkin folded simply and holding a piece of dinner bread.
On the sideboard place the dessert plates, on each one of which is a doily under a finger bowl one-third full of water, and a dessert fork. Put on the sideboard astray with after-dinner cups, saucers, and spoons, a small bowl of lump sugar, and a small cream jug. Have on the sideboard, also, extra glasses, knives, forks, and spoons.
On the side-table place extra plates, the carvers with their forks, tablespoons, and sauce ladles. Leave room on the side-table for vegetable dishes and sauce boats.
Be sure that the salad bowl, olive dishes, and pudding dish are cool, the tureen, dishes, and plates being properly heated. When it is nearly time for dinner, place two olive dishes and two almond dishes, alternately,
just outside of the candelabra; place a decanter of sherry near the carver’s right, and a decanter of claret at the opposite corner of the table; fill the carafes, fill the tumblers, light the candles.
Place the soup tureen and some warm soup plates at the head of the table, lay the soup ladle at the right of the tureen, see that every chair is in its place, and announce that dinner is served.
When all are seated, uncover the soup tureen, put the cover on the side-table, and stand at the left of the hostess.
When a ladleful of soup is served, lift the soup plate with your right hand and place it on your tray. Take it to the person at the right of the hostess. Go to the right side. Place the soup plate on the cold dinner plate. Serve all on one side, then begin at the left of the hostess and serve all on the other side.
To remove the soup course, take first the tureen, then a soup plate in each hand, until all are removed. To remove soiled plates, go
to the right. Properly done, this way is more agreeable to those who sit at table than when plates are taken from the left.
Pour sherry. Be careful to pour each glass three-fourths full.
Place the platter of fish and warmed fish plates before the host. Lay the fish slice at the right of the platter and the fish fork at the left of the platter.
When a portion of fish has been served, lift the plate in your right hand and place on your tray. Go to the hostess first and exchange the cold plate for the fish plate. Serve all on one side, then begin at the left and serve all on the other side. Place the sauce boat on your tray and offer at the left, going all around the table.
To remove the fish course, take first the fish platter, then the plates, one in each hand, until all are removed.
Pour claret, and leave the decanter near the host. Pour each glass only three-quarters full.
If olives and almonds have not been served
by the persons at table to each other, serve olives first, then almonds.
Place the roast before the carver, and the hot plates. Lay the carving-knife and gravy spoon at the right of the platter, and the carving-fork at the left of the platter. Serve the roast in the same manner as the fish.
Put a spoon in the potato dish and place it on your serving tray. Offer at the left of each person. Return the potato dish to the side-table; serve the pease in the same manner, then tomatoes, and then mint sauce.
To remove this course, first lift the carver, the carving-fork, and gravy spoon to your tray and carry them to the pantry. Lay the carver and fork carefully by themselves. Remove the platter with the roast. Remove plates, one in each hand.
Remove the crumbs.
Place the salad fork and spoon in the salad bowl; put the bowl on your tray. Place it before the host, with the salad plates. Lay a fork and a knife quietly and quickly at each place.
When some salad is served, take to the hostess. Set the plate down from the right. Serve all on one side, then all on the other side.
Pass the crackers, then the cheese.
Remove the salad bowl, salad plates, olives, almonds, salt cups, pepper boxes, and wine-glasses.
Remove the crumbs.
Remove the carving-cloths.
Place a dessert plate, with its finger bowl and dessert fork, before each person. Place the pudding before the hostess. Lay the pudding slicer at the right of the pudding dish. Serve first the person at the right of the hostess. Serve all on one side, then begin at the left of the hostess and serve all on the other side.
Remove the pudding dish, plates, and finger bowls.
Place the coffee tray before the hostess, and bring the coffee-pot. When the coffee is poured, place a cup at the right of each person. Offer sugar and cream at the left.
If carafes are empty, fill them with fresh water.
Do not leave the dining-room until you are sure that you have finished all that there is to do.
A dinner served in this way gives us the following rules:
I—A dining-room must be free from dust and at a pleasant temperature.
II—Table-cloths must be laid without wrinkles and perfectly straight.
III—The sharp edge of knives must be turned towards the plate; bowls of spoons and tines of forks must be turned up.
IV—Carvers must be treated with as much respect as if they were razors.
V—A waitress is responsible for the proper heating of dishes and plates before they are brought to the table.
VI—A meal must never be announced until everything is in readiness which is needed or may be needed.
VII—Bread must be freshly cut.
VIII—Everything which admits of choice must be passed at the left. Everything which does not admit of choice must be placed at the right.
IX—Soiled plates and dishes should be removed from the right.
X—In clearing the table, food must be first removed, then soiled china, glass, silver, and cutlery, then clean china, glass, silver, and cutlery, then crumbs, then carving-cloths.
XI—Everything relating only to one course must be removed before serving another course.