The Mere Mortal's Guide to Fine Dining: From Salad Forks to Sommeliers, How to Eat and Drink in Style Without Fear of Faux Pas
Colleen Rush. Broadway Books, $12.95 (224pp) ISBN 978-0-7679-2203-6
Diners who don't know concasse from confit will find a wealth of information in Cosmopolitan contributing writer Rush's breezy guide to restaurant etiquette. Rush (Swim Naked, Defy Gravity, & 99 Other Essential Things to Do Before Turning 30) covers all aspects of dining, from how to land the best tables to navigating the place settings to choosing the best desserts in a straightforward manner. She demystifies restaurant customs such as ordering wine-and sending it back if it's afflicted with, say, ""cork taint."" Although tips on ordering caviar will only pertain to a small percentage of establishments, Rush's sage advice on basic manners and will enlighten just about anyone who ever sets foot in a restaurant: she provides guidelines for tipping, how to get treated like a regular at your favorite spots and even includes a handy reference guide for pairing fresh vegetables at their peak with main dishes and sides. The result is an extremely useful reference guide for anyone who wants to get serious about food, or wants to know how to eat couscous with a fork.
Details
Reviewed on: 10/23/2006
Genre: Nonfiction
Open Ebook - 147 pages - 978-0-307-48816-9
Other - 978-0-7679-2354-5