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The Art of the Table
A Complete Guide to Table Setting, Table Manners, and Tableware
by Suzanne Von Drachenfels
Simon and Schuster, (592 pp.), $35.00
ISBN: 0684847329
Reviewed by Donna Pilato
If you've ever found yourself puzzled in a formal dining situation by the quantity of forks at your place setting and which one you should use, then The Art of the Table may just save you from future confusion. Behind every mysterious table custom there is an historic explanation just waiting to be discovered in this thick volume written by Suzanne Von Drachenfels.
Having worked for many years
as tabletop consultant to Fitz and Floyd, makers of fine dinnerware, Von
Drachenfels is
especially qualified to write on the subject of setting a proper table. But
this
book goes way beyond explaining the correct place to set a fish fork in
relation
to the dinner fork. It explains the history of the fork along with a complete
description of the implement, as Von Drachenfels does with most of the
tableware
discussed in this book.
The fish fork was introduced around 1870 along with the fish knife. It is approximately 7 1/4 to 7 3/4 inches in length and is used in formal and informal dining. To provide leverage in separating fish from the body, the fish fork features an extra wide left tine, and an optional notch, grooved to fit over the bones.
The rules of formal dining are extensively reviewed in this useful tome, even while Von Drachenfels acknowledges that most people dine informally on a regular basis.
Life is more relaxed, menus are simpler, and the table setting is informal. But like formal attire, which is seldom worn but is a necessity for certain special occasions, so too is the knowledge of how to proceed at a formal affair.
The reader can look at this book as part dictionary, part history and part rulebook. It serves as an easy reference guide, but it's also an enjoyable read, especially if you're curious to learn more about American table customs. It's as relevant for young couples setting up a home, as for corporate personnel who need to brush up on their table knowledge for business dining.
I encourage any inexperienced bride to study this book prior to registering for her wedding. It will guide her and her fiancé as they consider their personal entertaining style, and will help them to decide what will be the necessary accoutrements for it. For example, consider the introduction to stemware.
The host who entertains often may want inexpensive glassware that goes into the dishwasher and is easy to replace. Those who entertain occasionally, but lavishly and elegantly, may want handmade crystal ornamented with precious metals; it will require hand-washing, but the infrequent use is worth the extra care.
In addition
to giving advice on purchasing your tableware, and how to use it, Von
Drachenfels does not neglect to tell you how to store, maintain, repair or
replace it.
Next page > Much more to know than just
how to
set the table. > Page 1, 2
