How to Set an Elegant Table
Stainless steel flatware, table-setting, et cetera, explained at the old American company’s web-site:
Table-Setting Guide
Table-Setting Instructions, Based on the Oneida Guide
Breakfast or Luncheon:
Start with a dinner plate, soup bowl (optional), bread-plate (for toast, muffins, etc.), and a cup with saucer for coffee or tea. For flatware, use a 3-piece place-setting: dinner fork, dinner knife and teaspoon. The napkin should be placed to the left of the fork, unless you prefer to be more creative (see tips below). Finish the setting with either a juice or iced beverage glass.
Dinner or Supper:
The dinnerware placement is similar to that of a breakfast/lunch setting. Salad plates can be brought to the table as needed. Use a 5-piece flatware place-setting; salad fork, dinner fork, dinner knife, soupspoon and teaspoon. The napkin should be placed to the left of the forks. The table should be set with both a wine glass and a water or iced beverage glass. The coffee cup, with its saucer, may be brought to-table at the end of the meal if needed.
Formal Dinner (including a soup course):
Set the table with a bread-plate, a service/base plate and dinner plate. If your pattern doesn't offer a service plate, try getting a bit creative by using a 12" metal tray, glass underliner or metal charger. For flatware, use a dinner fork, a salad fork, a dinner knife and a soup-spoon. The butter-spreader or small butter-knife may be placed on the bread-plate. The teaspoon may be placed on the saucer with a coffee cup later. The dessert spoon and dessert fork may be placed above the dinner plate. The fork tines heading rightward, and the spoon-head leftward, above the fork, with both placed horizontally.
To add some flair to your table setting, fold your napkins and place them in the center of the dinner plate or in one of the wineglasses. Napkin-rings may be purchased to coordinate with your china, chargers, or flatware.
Add the glasses for red wine, white wine and water, as well as a champagne flute if necessary (see Oneida's pictorial chart of table-settings).
Table-Setting Tips:
• Keep all tableware approximately one inch from the edge of the table.
• Place all knives with the cutting edge toward the plate.
• Arrange all flatware in order of use, working from the outside toward the plate for each course served.
• If salad is served after entrée, place salad fork next to plate.
• Glass placement: from right to left, white wine, red wine, and water/iced beverage. Champagne may be placed behind red and white.
