Gilded Age Dinner Table Etiquette

“Fish should be eaten with a silver fish-knife and fork.” – Not only were there special fish forks and knives for dining in the gilded age (to the far right and far left of the setting), there were special fish motif plate sets, as well.

Soup should be eaten with a table-spoon and not with a dessert-spoon, it would be out of place to use a dessert-spoon for that purpose. Dessert-spoons, as their name implies, are intended for other purposes, such as for eating fruit tarts, custard-puddings, etc..., or any sweet that is not sufficiently substantial to be eaten with a fork; but whenever a fork can be used it is best to use it.

Fish should be eaten with a silver fish-knife and fork.

All made dishes, such as quenelles, rissoles, patties, etc..., should be eaten with a fork only, and not with a knife and fork.

For sweetbreads and cutlets, etc..., a knife and fork are requisite; and, as a matter of course, for poultry, game, etc…

In eating asparagus, a knife and fork should be used, and the points should be cut off and eaten with a fork as is sea-kale, etc…

Salad should be eaten with a knife and fork, it is served on salad plates, which are placed beside the dinner-plates.

Cucumber is eaten off the dinner-plate, and not off a separate plate.

Peas should be eaten with a fork. 

Dîner à la Russe, is the Russian fashion introduced into society many years ago. The whole of the dinner is served from a side-table, no dishes whatever being placed on the table save dishes of fruit.— From “Manners and Rules of Good Society or Solecisms to be Avoided,” 1898

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