When it comes to table manners, the most important thing to remember is to behave graciously. Understanding a few basic rules will make you feel more comfortable at the table – whether you’re at a dinner party, a work function, or a nice restaurant. Here are seven general rules to follow no matter how formal or causal the occasion:

1. Napkin. There are three places for your napkin: on your lap, on your chair which suggests you have left the table for a brief moment and will be returning shortly, or to the left of your plate to show you are finished. Never put your napkin in the middle of your plate when you are finished.
2. Bread Basket. Never touch a french loaf of bread with your bare hands. Instead use the napkin in the bread basket to hold one end, while you tear the piece you will be eating with your other hand.
3. Dipping Oil. We all love that tasty mixture of oil, herbs and spices that are placed in the middle of the table. If there is a communal oil dish, serve a spoonful of oil onto your own personal bread and butter plate as opposed to dipping your bread in the communal dish.
4. BMW. Always remember BMW: Bread, Meal, Water, when in search of the bread plate. The bread plate will always be on your left and drinks on your right. This helps the natural flow of things to progress without a mishap.
5. Entree Cutting. When cutting your food use either the American or Continental Style of dining, but never both. Mixing the two styles causes a commotion and isn’t fluid.
6. Flatware. Never rest your flatware as if they are oars hanging out of a boat with the tips resting on the plate and the handles resting on the table. Instead place flatware on the outer rim of your plate. Once you pick up flatware, it is never to touch the table or linens again.
7. Salt and Pepper. They are the Bride and Groom, so they should alway travel around the table together in culinary matrimony. This is also true for the cream and sugar.