Watching Fundamental Restaurant Etiquette, I learned that the going tip for a coat attendant these days is $.50--per checked coat. Of course, a 6-inch combo sub sandwich at Subway is still $1.49--regardless of coat--but I've tucked away this bit of tipping esoterica in case I change my dining venue in the future. Fundamental Restaurant Etiquette and Fundamental Table Etiquette, both written and hosted by Anita Miller, are aimed at middle-school to high school teens. The first title follows a group of young adults at a restaurant (arriving, ordering, eating, and settling the bill), focusing on proper etiquette in a public setting. Containing some of the same information, and laying the etiquette foundation for dining in general, Fundamental Table Etiquette opens with a guide to table settings, and then watches another group of young adults as they tackle the soup, salad, meat, and dessert courses. The program concludes with a woman-on-the-street segment in which Miller invites sidewalk strollers to "test" their etiquette knowledge eating such tricky cuisine as lobster and bacon (fork for soft, fingers for crisp). For both videos, production-wise, the background music is occasionally too loud, and the filming somewhat low-budget (though well-done). However, at $79.95 each, or $100 for both, the main drawback here is the price...Especially when compared to Public Media Video's Table Manners for Kids...Tots to Teens, which is only $14.95. Hosted by the "Queen of Etiquette," Marjabelle Young Stewart (whose The Art of Dining series, aimed at adults, was reviewed in our April 1992 issue), the video follows a group of youngsters aged 6-16 as they are given a very formal dining lesson. First, the kids learn the table settings (the service plate should be 1 inch away from the table, in case you were wondering). Then it's down to business. Like eating soup: "inhale like a little angel...no slurping." Or proper placement of one's utensils when not in use: "never, ever leave your knife and fork hanging out like oars in a boat." And, for goodness sake, don't grab a bread roll and slap on the butter like you're wallpapering; break off a piece the size of an olive, and butter only one piece at a time. The tape also covers seating etiquette, dinner conversation, and making a toast. Production-wise, the program is very good. Kids who are inordinately fond of their tea sets and keep clean rooms without being told will probably love this. Others will know something's afoot when they're instructed to sit one hand's width away from the table.Fundamental Restaurant Etiquette and Fundamental Table Etiquette are both recommended for larger middle school and high school collections. (Available from:.) Table Manners for Kids...Tots to Teens is highly recommended, and not just for those upscale moms and dads who will definitely want their little lord fauntleroys to see it. (R. Pitman)
Fundamental Restaurant Etiquette; Fundamental Table Etiquette; Table Manners For Kids...Tots To Teens
(1994) 17 min. $79.95 ($100 w/Fundamental Table Etiquette). Creative Educational Video. PPR. Color cover. Vol. 9, Issue 2
Fundamental Restaurant Etiquette; Fundamental Table Etiquette; Table Manners For Kids...Tots To Teens
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