Mr. Bowen's Top 5 Table Etiquette Laws (or at least they should be)

If it were in his purview, Mr. Bowen would enforce certain traditional etiquette customs.  This would be for the benefit of all seated at the table and for those serving them.  Mr. Bowen's Top 5 Table Etiquette Laws are as follows:

1.  When finished eating the main or respective course, place the fork and the knife parallel to each other on the plate with the handle ends at the 7 o'clock position and the business end of the cutlery at the 11 o'clock position.  This tells the people serving you to remove your plate from the table.  Expect that this will happen from your right side as food is served from the left side.  Many times service personal are unable to tell whether you are finished or not and ready for the next course if the cutlery is not placed in this traditional manner.

2. When passing the bread tray do so in a counter clock wise manner.  When the tray arrives at your left, take a piece, and place it on your bread plate which should be above the forks on the left side.  Offer the bread tray to the person on your right.  After handing off the bread tray, you may break the piece of bread in half with your hands.  Notice here that food is served from the left and taken away from the right.  The exception is the pouring of drinks on the right side of the place setting as that is where the water goblet, wine glasses and coffee cup are located.

3. Do not rest the knife handle on the table and the blade on the plate.  The entire knife should rest on the plate with the blade facing inward.  This keeps the tablecloth cleaner.

4. The napkin should not make its appearance on a person's lap until the hostess picks up hers.  If there is no hostess, place it in your lap as soon as you are seated.  It should be picked up by the corner and laid neatly across your lap.  It should not be shaken out.  Never tuck a napkin under your chin.  If eating conditions warrant such action, the eating establishment will provide you with a special bib such as for lobster.  Furthermore, when leaving the table place the napkin on the seat of the chair.  Some places like to hang it over the back of the chair for your return.  Somehow, that doesn't seem appealing to Mr. Bowen.
Only when the meal is finished, the coffee served and the bon bon dishes have made their appearence may one place their napkin back onto the table on the left side.

5. Dress appropriately for the occasion.  What used to be business casual-khaki pants, white shirt, tie, & leather shoes is now considered business attire in many quarters.  Business casual now seems to be slacks and a Hawaiian shirt.  A business suit for man and an appropriately modest dress for a woman will never be out of style for most fine dining situations.  Hats may be worn by women inside, but not by men.  Obviously, there are other considerations as well, but these are Mr. Bowen's top five.