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Shambala

(187 posts)
Sun May 18, 2025, 12:19 PM May 18

Fork etiquette question

I hope this is the right forum for this question but it's been bugging me since lunch yesterday.

When you have a salad as an entree (nicoise in my case yesterday), do you use the salad fork or the entree fork? Neither the waitress nor her co-workers knew and a quick internet search didn't help either.

16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Fork etiquette question (Original Post) Shambala May 18 OP
Try Emily Historic NY May 18 #1
Excellent tip Bernardo de La Paz May 18 #4
TIL there is a Salad Knife JoseBalow May 18 #13
Still a salad... 2naSalit May 18 #2
Yet it was also an entree Shambala May 18 #5
Salad fork is designed for salad Bobstandard May 18 #9
Salad entrees are large enough to benefit from the main course fork if they are the main course Bernardo de La Paz May 18 #3
Sounds like the answer is Shambala May 18 #6
Ideally, the appetizer forks are removed after that course, leaving only the entree fork, so, no confusion unblock May 18 #7
Match the fork to the food splat May 18 #8
That acutally crossed my mind Shambala May 18 #11
I would say feed it to the rabbit..... lastlib May 18 #10
I like your thinking Shambala May 18 #12
Technically, the wait staff should have removed the extra fork. yardwork May 18 #14
That's a good point. Shambala May 18 #15
my late mom told me eat in , out . AllaN01Bear May 18 #16

Bernardo de La Paz

(55,994 posts)
4. Excellent tip
Sun May 18, 2025, 12:34 PM
May 18

This setting is not in place in practice as illustrated even when all the utensils are used. In best service, some utensils arrive with their dish. Illustration from the given link, first sub-link:


Shambala

(187 posts)
5. Yet it was also an entree
Sun May 18, 2025, 12:49 PM
May 18

And to be honest I switched from salad fork to entree fork about half way through my meal just because the question was bugging me

Bernardo de La Paz

(55,994 posts)
3. Salad entrees are large enough to benefit from the main course fork if they are the main course
Sun May 18, 2025, 12:27 PM
May 18

Regardless of size, if a salad is not the main course then don't use the entree fork. Reserve the "entree fork" for the main course, whatever it might be.

In particular, side salads / appetizer salads should be cut or torn small enough in the kitchen so they can be eaten with a fork and no knife.

Ideally there is an appetizer fork, a main course fork, and a desert fork at the place setting.

Shambala

(187 posts)
6. Sounds like the answer is
Sun May 18, 2025, 12:53 PM
May 18

if it's an appetizer salad, then salad fork. If it's an entree salad, use the entree fork. Makes sense, thanks.

unblock

(55,154 posts)
7. Ideally, the appetizer forks are removed after that course, leaving only the entree fork, so, no confusion
Sun May 18, 2025, 01:05 PM
May 18

splat

(2,343 posts)
8. Match the fork to the food
Sun May 18, 2025, 01:38 PM
May 18

Salad forks have shorter tines. You might be sticking an entree fork into a thick filet, but unless the salad contains thick chunks of tomatoes, too thick for the salad tines to pierce fully, use the salad fork. If necessary use or switch to the longer tines for thick morsels.

Simple and practical, and how etiquette evolved.

Shambala

(187 posts)
11. That acutally crossed my mind
Sun May 18, 2025, 02:08 PM
May 18

This is getting too deep into my thought process but was thinking that if I had ordered a steak salad I would have immediately grabbed the entree fork But since my nicoise had thin slices of tuna I started using salad fork.

lastlib

(25,964 posts)
10. I would say feed it to the rabbit.....
Sun May 18, 2025, 02:04 PM
May 18

...then eat the rabbit.

But then, I'm a carnivore--I didn't claw to the top of the food chain to eat lettuce....... YMMV.

yardwork

(66,754 posts)
14. Technically, the wait staff should have removed the extra fork.
Sun May 18, 2025, 02:48 PM
May 18

Since your meal was one course, the salad fork should have been removed when you ordered salad as your one course.

But nobody cares about these early 20th century rules that were invented by selfish rich people who wanted to be mean to others!

Use the fork you like.

Shambala

(187 posts)
15. That's a good point.
Sun May 18, 2025, 03:18 PM
May 18

I remember that being done fir me in higher end restaurants and didn't think twice about it. Yesterday's restaurant was a nice college town restaurant but not super fancy though everyone was dressed up for graduations.

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