Setting the Table – Frederic Magazine

Mind Your Manners: A History of Proper Place Settings

Emma Bazilian — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 19:00:39 +0000

In the Victorian era, knowing which piece of silver flatware to use was an essential part of proper etiquette. While some might seem frivolous (terrapin fork, anyone?), each was expressly designed to make (often newly available) delicacies a pleasure to experience. We asked the experts at Christofle for a crash course in the specialty pieces still produced today that capture the elegance of days past—and will keep the conversation flowing as your guests vie to name that spoon!

Malmaison silver-plated flatware by Christofle, from $90 per piece, christofle.com.

One of the oldest forms of specialized flatware, these sharp-bladed forks gently separate the oyster meat from the shell without breaking it.

Victorian cake forks featured intricately detailed designs, engravings, and etchings, which reflected the owner’s social standing and taste.

In the late 19th century, new refrigerated train cars and the development of hardier iceberg lettuce resulted in an increased appetite for salad.

This fork is best used for eating crab, escargot, and shrimp. The long two-prong design makes it easier to grasp the meat in small shells.

Smaller than table forks, with slightly shorter and wider tines, they are designed to be used for cakes, tarts or fruit and can be paired with a dessert spoon and knife.

In the 1880s, while the aristocracy ate their fish course using two table forks, the nouveau riches adopted distinct cutlery for the same purpose.

Because even the wealthy often didn’t possess many forks, a sherbet course was added to give servants time to wash forks between courses.

The first fish knives had handles of ivory, bone, or mother-of-pearl; later in the Victorian era, all-silver, flat-handled individual fish knives appeared.

Introduced in the early George III era, its pattern was often distinct from the dinner service as dessert was served in a separate room.

With the 19th-century shift to dining à la russe (dishes served individually), cheese became an optional course, which led to the creation of individual cheese knives.

In the Victorian era, women adopted the practice of using the second-largest knives for the main course at midday as they fit the hand better.

Some older patterns had no steak knives, so antique dealers sometimes remove standard blades and replace them with sharper ones.

The blunt-tipped knife was reportedly invented in 1637 by Cardinal Richelieu to discourage dinner guests from picking their teeth with their knife points.

The 19th-century fashion for serving extra-strong black coffee in petite cups (or demitasses) after dinner led to the creation of these diminutive spoons.

In the late 19th century, ice cream was time-consuming and expensive to make, so utensils associated with it tended to be more luxurious.

The original coffee spoons were small and indistinguish- able from early teaspoons, but by the 19th-century there were two sizes—large for regular coffee cups and small for demitasse cups.

Dessert spoons are midway in size between a teaspoon and a tablespoon but have essentially the same shape.

Meant for eating creamy pureed soups, porridge, and chowder, these have a round bowl and can double as a condiment spoon.

Before the tea strainer was popularized in the Victorian era, the teaspoon helped upper-class British tea drinkers remove the floating leaves in their teacups.

Ideal for skimming sauces off a plate, this flat-bottomed utensil was invented at Paris’s famous Lasserre restaurant in 1950.

Used at midday meals, it was typically smaller than a dinner spoon and was designed for eating lighter fare.

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 15 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!

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Set an Elegant Table With These Graceful Gravy Boats

Penelope Riley — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 19:29:38 +0000

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For the Couple Behind Roman and Williams, Entertaining is Second Nature

Jill Simpson — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 14:24:31 +0000

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The Simple, Sinuous Lines of David Mellor’s Flatware Elevate the Everyday

Martha Moskowitz — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 20:41:15 +0000

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See How Cathy B. Graham Creates a Flower-Filled Holiday Tablescape

Martha Moskowitz — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:35:05 +0000

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Alexandra Kaehler Brings Tradition and Style to Her Family’s Hanukkah Celebration

Martha Moskowitz — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 20:22:47 +0000

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Bring the Outdoors In With Our Favorite Garden-Inspired Tableware

Martha Moskowitz — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 15:38:45 +0000

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Summer Thornton Spills the Tea on Spring Tablescaping

Martha Moskowitz — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 23:30:19 +0000

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BDDW’S Tyler Hays Is Reimagining Delftware for the 21st Century

Emma Bazilian — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 16:22:00 +0000

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These Designer-Approved Tabletop Pieces Make Everyday Dining Feel Special

Jenna Visage — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 18:11:25 +0000

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These Pretty Pastels Have an Unexpected Edge

Jenna Visage — Thu, 26 May 2022 15:07:04 +0000

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Devon Liedtke Shows Us How to Set the Chicest Neutral Holiday Table

Hillary Brown — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 19:50:55 +0000

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Meet Ajiri Aki, Paris’s Chicest Entertaining Guru

Hillary Brown — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 18:05:44 +0000

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Cool Off Your Summer Table with an Ethereal Creamware Centerpiece

Hillary Brown — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 14:09:12 +0000

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These Outdoor Dining Ideas Take Al Fresco to the Next Level

Martha Moskowitz — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 14:30:35 +0000

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Christopher Spitzmiller Opens up His Idyllic Millbrook Farm for a Spring Lunch

Hillary Brown — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 14:46:20 +0000

A Year at Clove Brook Farm, $45. rizzoli.com.

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My love for peonies is unwavering, so much so that I’ve immortalized them in a series of hand-thrown plates I designed that feature ones I’ve grown at Clove Brook Farm. Together with my studio team, I photograph the blooms in a small white-box studio in the grange hall on my property. They are then put on a ceramic transfer, which is like a decal or tattoo, and applied to the plates. These plates are fired at a much lower temperature than other ceramics. We played with the scale for a long time and ended up with a look that we like and that customers responded to with enthusiasm. The success of those plates has, in turn, inspired the creation of two additional sets of flower plates: the aforementioned peonies, plus a sweet pea and dahlia collection.

For a luncheon on the lawn, I selected one of my favorite tablecloths that I had custom printed by Tillett Textiles in Sheffield, Massachusetts. The butterfly and floral pattern was a favorite of gardener and philanthropist Bunny Mellon. The chairs belonged to my great-grandparents and came from their home along the shores of Lake Erie.Gemma & Andrew Ingalls

For this gracious Saturday lunch in my field, I surrounded the table with vintage chairs from my great-grandparents’ house along the Canadian shore of Lake Erie. Covering the table was a new tablecloth that features a classic Tillett Textiles print favored by Bunny Mellon and Billy Baldwin. I happened upon forty never-used napkins in this same Tillett pattern at an auction of Mellon’s home furnishings, and a friend gifted me the matching tablecloth. I sent most of the napkins to friends but kept a few for myself. I love the juxtaposition of the pale blue Leontine Linens napkins with the bold red monogram in a block script set against the flowery tablecloth.

The vase of baby chicks is a temporary gesture and they are returned to the brooder when the meal begins.Gemma & Andrew Ingalls

The real joy of this table, besides the ebullient peony blooms, comes from the assortment of petite accents. The silver shovels and salt spoons may not be one-of-a-kind pieces, but they are certainly conversation starters, just as the frogs and ladybug ornaments inspire delight and add a touch of whimsy that often seems to be missing from contemporary tablescapes. There are also objects that I search for more actively. I have thousands of napkins and a small army of place mats, but it’s not a stellar bounty. You could say that I’m napkin rich and place-mat poor! I love the contrast and juxtaposition of mixing and matching linens, but it takes patience to build a collection.

A bounty of peonies, lilacs, and viburnums rest in faux-bois cachepots of my own design.Gemma & Andrew Ingalls

A selection of Peony Dinner Plates inspired by the blooms at Clove Brook Farm, available at christopherspitzmiller.com.

Christopher’s Peony Arranging Tips

Adapted from A Year At Clove Brook Farm by Christopher Spitzmiller.

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How to Entertain Like India Hicks

Hillary Brown — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 21:14:58 +0000

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting India Hicks, then you know what it is to be instantly befriended. If you haven’t had the opportunity to sit beside her as she regales you with a story of Harbour Island, then I invite you to read her latest book. It is the closest thing you’ll get to tea with India herself. Entertaining Stories is more than an entertaining book. It is part cookbook, part diary, and part guide to effortless style.

Click HERE to purchase a copy.

If you want entertaining lessons, Hicks has them for you. Just don’t expect them to be so straightforward as instructions on how to pair the right silver pattern with your china. No, her lessons are more along the lines of how to check a tide chart so that your beachside dinner doesn’t suddenly turn into a swim meet. Although, she does offer a compelling lesson on the importance of a seating plan lest you follow her mistake and seat Lenny Kravitz next to a guest who continuously calls him Zinny Crayfish.

Hicks loves a color story, and blue and white is the most classic choice of all. She lets the chinoiserie pattern speak for itself and leaves little room for anything else to steal the show.India Hicks

There are real recipes here, too. India graciously asked a few key trusted culinary aficionados to lend their hands. Most notable is the woman who goes by Top Banana. A longtime family staff member, Claire Williams helped feed India most of her life. You can find some of her recipes within, like her famous chicken pot pie. You’ll also find recipes of a more tropical variety from in and around the Bahamas, like the simple banana daiquiri contributed by India’s partner, David Flint Wood. Perhaps the most fun of Entertaining Stories doesn’t come from either the recipes or entertaining lessons. Instead, from the stories that make the book come alive. Hick’s voice is unmistakable. Her high spirits are palpable on the page. One moment she is telling you exactly how she and Mick Jagger came to be friends while admitting how absurd it is that she and Mick Jagger are friends in the first place. This same sort of gentle, self-effacing humor is what makes Entertaining Stories so dang fun.

Planning is an important step in the entertaining process. Doing so poorly could lead you to battling with the tides as you try to serve your first course.Brittan Goetz

Ultimately, this book is a hilarious romp through entertaining with a world-class hostess. India, for all her devil-may-care approach, is a uniquely skilled expert. She can read a room and establish a comprehensive social report in a single snap. This innate love and ability to understand people is what makes an India Hick’s party so fun. It’s what makes learning the rules of entertaining so easy. India isn’t about fussy. She’s about simple style and genuine connection. Throw a dinner party her way and I’m sure you’ll end up with some interesting entertaining stories of your own.

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Aerin Lauder’s New Book is an Intimate Portrait of Entertaining

Hillary Brown — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 20:48:20 +0000

Aerin Lauder’s affinity for beauty is quite literally in her blood as the granddaughter of makeup legend Estée Lauder, and her latest book, Entertaining Beautifully, is an intimate portrait of an artist at work. As an avid entertainer, Lauder has gathered a wealth of knowledge from both her own experiences and, of course, those of her famous grandmother.

Simplicity wins at this summer table. Smart linens and natural accents create a calm and welcoming tableau.Simon Upton

What could be a book filled with tips on planning grand parties and balls worthy of international acclaim is instead a beautiful how-to guide on producing simple soirees and celebrations. It is perfectly balanced between aspiration and inspiration, nothing feels out of reach for even the once-in-blue-moon entertainer. As we follow Lauder through a year of entertaining, from a charming spring fete and poolside party to her son’s spooky Halloween-themed birthday and cozy winter supper for three of her closest friends, we witness how she approaches each season with a stressless joie de vivre that comes from years of honing her craft.

A simple silver place setting feels totally luxe when paired with a stylish floral arrangement and monogrammed linens.Simon Upton

Lauder opens with an important reminder for all of us who succumb to the pre-party panic. “Enjoy a few moments of calm for yourself, so you can truly focus on [the meal] and enjoy your guests.” This focus on purposeful moments of reflection reveals the lesson at the heart of the book: there can be beauty and elegance in simplicity and ease. The menus at Lauder’s fetes aren’t filled with hard-to-pronounce dishes, but instead feature classic comfort foods like roast chicken and mashed potatoes. And at her post-Thanksgiving lunch, where she and her mother serve leftovers from the day before, the table is set with earthenware, horn-handled flatware and simple gingham napkins.

In the Lauder family barn, a stunning chandelier wrapped in fresh greenery is complimented with a brown and white tablecloth, simple green earthenware, and twigs of pine to act as place cards.Francesco Lagnese

Ever the consummate hostess, Lauder leaves readers with a small but priceless gift at the end: a resource list. While there are the traditional spots like Bergdorf Goodman and Williams-Sonoma, local New York City artisans like illustrator Happy Menocal and Lael Cakes also join the impressive mix. In a time when we can’t have large gatherings or even really even leave our homes, Lauder reminds us to search for those small moments and savor them—an intimate Sunday night dinner for your nearest and dearest can be just as exciting as a big bash for fifty.

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