International Etiquette Dinner teaches diners the proper way to 'chow down'
By Drew Stewart, posted 4/13/06

Hotel and Restaurant Management students held an International Etiquette Dinner in the Commodities Council room in Eckles Hall on March 22.  The event featured dishes from various countries and included a seminar by executive chef Leslie Jett on the dining standards of many different cultures. 

“There’s a certain list of rules that govern the way we should behave when we’re dining,” Jett said. “It’s something we all need to practice.”    

Luckily, the diners in attendance had some pretty tasty practice. The six-course meal consisted of California roll sushi, tomato bisque, Brazilian rubbed salmon, beef yakitori, a Mediterranean Greek salad, and a Godiva berry triffle. The entire meal was cooked and served by Hotel and Restaurant Management students and came with a $30 price tag.

“The entire event was emphasized by its delicious food,” Judy Stallmann, professor of agricultural economics, said.

Jett, a graduate of the highly prestigious Washington School of Protocol, informed attendees of the many aspects of proper dining etiquette, including:  the difference between American and Continental dining styles, the correct way to use chopsticks, and the proper eye contact to use with members of a different culture. Yet chef Jett made it a point to emphasize the number one rule of dining etiquette: not causing a scene.

“The overall theme of protocol (proper etiquette) is to not bring a lot of attention to yourself,” Jett said.

To make sure the attendees of the etiquette dinner would continue to hone their skills outside of the seminar, Jett also gave out a booklet called “Dining like a Diplomat,” that underlined all the proper dining standards taught at the event. For more information on correct dining standards, check out Cornerpost’s “Tips in Dining Etiquette.”

 “So many interviews nowadays are done over dinner,” MU senior and biochemistry major Dane Reed said. “That’s only one of the reasons why this seminar was so valuable.”

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