Dining Etiquette Tips A Great Fashion Accessory for any first date

Note from the editor: Just a short e-zine this week as I'm traveling around promoting my novels. The Bird With The Broken Wing (my first novel) is at last released in print format, and I'm doing a radio interview in Sydney for my second novel Feedback.

Enjoy your week!
D L Richardson
Editor and author




Making a good first impression on a first date matters, everyone knows that. What you may not realize is that there are other examples of where first impressions count. Some job interviews are held over lunch though that’s unlikely for a junior or part time role, but by mimicking the behavior you’d use at a fancy restaurant at a job interview, you’ll probably feel more relaxed and look as if you can do the job. Friends also like to introduce other friends or new boy/girl friends over dinner. And then there’s meeting the parents for the first time. Whether or not these catch ups are done at home or at a restaurant, the same good first impression matters.

Knowing how to twirl spaghetti on a fork is handy for any teenager looking for dining etiquette tips for their first date, and with plenty of thought gone into the outfit, just as much thought should be spent on how to act at the dinner table. How can you do this? Learning good manners is vital for anyone’s development and social interaction. Everyone has heard of the saying "monkey see, monkey do". Teens can learn behavior from the way adults act in public, so a restaurant is a great place for learn good eating techniques.

For any number of reasons, correct conduct at the table is critical. Dining etiquette usually involves a list of things to do and things not to do. On the To Do list is making sure the conversation includes everyone at the table, giving thanks to the host or the hostess, and also thanking the wait staff and the chef if you can get him/her out of the kitchen. Other tips include discreetly leaving the table to use the restroom.

It would hardly be called dining etiquette without one very important ingredient – the table. Table manners involve eating at the table. Poor eating habits are made easier if the sofa is where meals are shared. At a table, the back is straightened, the hands are positioned, and the attention is on the guests and not the television. It is not hard to learn proper eating habits. Many old movies are the epitome of excellent table manners. By mimicking the way ladies and gentlemen of yesteryear behaved, or by watching the way today people eat at fancy restaurants, the road to learning proper dining habits can be an easier one to travel.

Of course, the list of things not to do is longer and equally as important, if not more so. Poor manners can lead to no follow up call the next day. Poor manners include slurping food, using bread to mop up sauces, reaching over the table, talking with a mouth full of food, talking too loudly, criticizing the meal, and drinking so much soda that you rush to the restroom every five minutes. Etiquette tips so carefully memorized can be forgotten if you’ve resorted to cave-man like behavior. And unless it is a matter of national emergency, the cell phone should be switched off.

By watching the way animals eat is one very easy way of remembering that dining etiquette is what separates us from them. Cutlery is more than just an invention of man. It is a reminder that we are not animals. This is a tip to remember for those about to embark on a date for the first time. Applying correct table conduct may feel uncomfortable but the key is to keep it subdued. Observe the behavior of the host or hostess. Watch what others do. Stay calm. Try not to overdo it as this can lead to awkwardness and clumsiness.

Dining etiquette tips can be applied to any situation, whether meeting new friends, or trying to impress a date. Good manners are one fashion accessory that will never go out of style.