Sunday, February 3, 2008

Buffet Tips #3 : Sitting Down and Standing Up

Sitting Down
If people invite you to join their table as you leave the buffet line, either accept graciously or find a way to decline just as graciously. For instance, you could say, “I’m sorry, but I promised Tom and his family that I’d eat with them.” Even though people at your table will be sitting down to eat at different times, it’s still a good idea to generally keep pace with others at the table and engage them in conversation. If you need to leave the table temporarily, be sure to place your napkin on the seat or arm of your chair.

Standing Up
If you’re eating while standing up, it’s even more important to avoid overloading your plate. That way you can circulate a bit. Indeed, one of the few—maybe the only—advantages of a stand-up buffet is that you can drift around and chat with a lot of people. For example, food at cocktail parties is often consumed while standing. When you settle on a place to stand, make sure you are not blocking a path to the buffet table or anything else.

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