Practical Rules for Setting the Table­

1. The order of the utensils mirrors the order of the courses starting from the outside and working in.

2. The flatware should be set in a row, an inch from the edge of the table.

3. The water glass belongs to the right of the plate, just above the knife. Wineglasses should be set to the right of the water glasses in the order in which they will be used. The butter plate and the charger should be the only pre-set china. The charger is cleared with the first course.

4. The napkin goes on the left of the forks or on the charger.

5. Flower arrangements should be easy to see over and contain flowers that are not so fragrant that they will interfere with the chef’s creation. Nothing higher then nine inches and something other than lilies will work nicely.