BREAKING BREAD

Do you know how to eat a dinner roll?

Do you grab a dinner roll as soon as you are seated at the table, cut it in half, slather it with butter, and eat it like a sandwich? STOP! Knowing when and how to consume bread during a meal is unlikely to bring about world peace, but it will mark you as having excellent table manners.

How should you eat a dinner roll?

Restaurants often place bread on the table shortly after guests are seated, but don’t dig in immediately. Bread is not an appetizer or something to snack on between courses. Bread should be eaten with your meal. Once your first course is served, you may tear off, butter, and eat one small piece of bread at a time.

How exactly does this work? Keeping your elbows close to your side, tear off a small piece of roll that can be eaten in a bite or two. Tear the roll over your bread plate to minimize the crumbs on the table. (The bread plate is the small plate to the left of your main dish). Next, butter only the small piece of torn bread and hold that piece until you finish eating it. Rest your butter spreader or knife on the edge of your bread plate with the blade facing you while you eat. Repeat the process when you are ready for your next bite of bread. Enjoy!