The Washington times., 1927-06-24
QUESTIONS OF
ETIQUETTE
by Cornelius BeeckmanI
Service Plates

nEAR MRS. BEECKMAN:
~ Once. when was a little
girl. / remember how chagrined I
was that I had never heard the
word "damask'' and I had to admit
to a playmate that did not know
what it meant. As look back
now I believe that she had proba-
bly, just discovered its meaning
and was trying to SHOW Off to
me. However, I was certainly
Inundated at the time. The other
day I had a similar experience,
for heard the expression "serv.
ice plate''-and I do not know
what a service plate is. am 70.
ing to take advantage Of the fact
that ! can hide" under a nom de
plume and not reveal to you who
ls the lady who is so ignorant. .
But will you please relieve my
ignorance? A READER.
FOOD for you! That is, indeed,
VI one Of the advantages of this
column-that we can get our an
swers without revealing our names.
! am glad to talk over with you
this charming item of tabie-setting.
AS a matter of fact, to be honest
with you, have met many PEG.
pie who did not know what a serv-
ice plate is, for they just hadn't
happened to go to formal parties,
and it is not always seen at IN.
formal ones. Then, too, its name
Is a bit misleading, for a service
plate might at first hearing seem
like a plate that-has to do with
utensiies used by the waitress,
mightn't it?
have always had many Ques-
tions about service plates, many
people wondering what foods are
served on service plates" for In.
stance.
The service plate. which Is about
one inch larger than a dinner
plate, is used in formal service.
Since its function is largely deco
rative, it should be as handsome
as circumstances permit. Service
plates are sometimes Of gold or
silver or silver plate or china.
II they are of china they do not
match the rest OF the china In de-
sign since they are far more
ornate. In advance of the meal
the service plate is set in the cen.
ter Of each cover one inch, or
sometimes two inches. from the
edge of the table. No food Is
served directly on the service
plate. On 1t are placed the plate
containing the first courses Of
the meal. such as fruit. oysters and
soup. 1t is not removed until 1t is
exchanged for the first hot course
after the soup is served. Some
hostesses allow the service plate TO
remain until the plate for the
roast is brought in, and some who
own particularly lovely gold or
silver ones even have the plate re.
main until the salad course.
Service plates are not used for
breakfast and it is usually incon-
venient to use them in homes
where there is no service or in
homes where the food is served at
the table by the hostess or host.
When we place the service plate
we focus the composition of the
individual "cover."
In these plates we can indulge
our love of color and love OF
design for they are usually very
ornate, very decorative-and fairly
expensive, Apparently they are
the one item of the service tha3
cannot be too ornate. And for
tunate is the housekeeper who
has lovely service plates and many
sets. They are one of my great.
est enthusiasts in table service.
And, by the way. one often sees
the napkin placed on the service
plate, custom which, to my
mind, is not to DO recommended.
OF course. sometimes space de-
mands this, but it is, / think, too
bad to obscure even a bit OF q
handsome service plate. And serv.
ice plates are usually OF such
loneliness that none of their
beauty should be sacrificed. It
is better to keep the service plate
clear and place the napkin at the
left Of the plate, to the left OF
the forks and parallel with them.