Dinner is Served
Elegant entertaining is always in style, and who better to explain the finer points of the art of the table than Arthur Inch, a veteran English butler who served as technical advisor for the film Gosford Park? With a historian's appreciation for the traditions of fine English homes, he discusses the elements of the table, including flatware and silver, china and glassware, serving vessels, and table decorations, as well as table and serving etiquette. "Although most of the book is written in a formal tone, the writers aren't above occasionally letting loose, and they amuse themselves with such pretty tricks as making music with glassware. This guide is fun to read as a light history as well as for preparation for a formal dinner. --Publishers
Inch, a butler with more than 50 years of experience serving British nobles, and Hirst, a china connoisseur and a senior editor at Metropolitan Home magazine, instruct the masses on the history of fine dining and on the ways in which contemporary households can host their own formal dinners. Inch describes, in careful detail, how to set the table, what type of flatware and china to use, how to maintain expensive pieces, and how to be a pleasant host or guest. Inch traces customs back to France, Italy, and Great Britain, and explains the origin of phrases such as "pass the port" and "drawing room" (originally called the "withdrawing" room). Although most of the book is written in a formal tone, the writers aren't above occasionally letting loose, and they amuse themselves with such pretty tricks as making music with glassware. This guide is fun to read as a light history as well as for preparation for a formal dinner.
See also [ Protocol:Formal Dinner Utensils ]
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