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The Mere Mortal's Guide to Fine Dining: From Salad Forks to Sommeliers, How to Eat and Drink in Style Without Fear of Faux Pas
 
 
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The Mere Mortal's Guide to Fine Dining: From Salad Forks to Sommeliers, How to Eat and Drink in Style Without Fear of Faux Pas [Paperback]

Colleen Rush (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 24, 2006
From aperitif to digestif, approach every meal with savvy and grace.

We’ve all experienced Fancy-Pants Restaurant Jitters at some point – the fear that you will unknowingly commit some fine-dining crime, whether it’s using the wrong fork, picking an amateur wine, mispronouncing foie gras, or gasping when your fish entrée arrives with its head still attached. Relax. The Mere Mortal’s Guide to Fine Dining is the ultimate antidote to restaurant anxiety.

Where does your napkin go when you leave the table? Should you sniff the wine cork? And why, pray tell, are there so many forks? This comprehensive and accessible primer answers these and dozens of other questions and offers the basics on every aspect of fine dining, including:

* How to navigate a place setting
* Speaking menu-ese and the language of fine food
* A refresher on polite and polished table manners
* 911 for wine novices
* A carnivore’s guide to beef, pork, lamb, and veal
* What local, sustainable, and organic really mean
* Japanese dining dos and don’ts
* Who’s who on a restaurant’s staff
* How to be a regular—or get the perks like one
* Top restaurants across the country
* What the food snobs know (and you should, too)
* And much more…

With a little help, any Mere Mortal can order wine with confidence, get great, attitude-free service, decipher menus, and finally, truly, savor any dining experience.

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The Mere Mortal's Guide to Fine Dining: From Salad Forks to Sommeliers, How to Eat and Drink in Style Without Fear of Faux Pas + Elements of the Table: A Simple Guide for Hosts and Guests + The Little Book of Etiquette
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Diners who don't know concasse from confit will find a wealth of information in Cosmopolitan contributing writer Rush's breezy guide to restaurant etiquette. Rush (Swim Naked, Defy Gravity, & 99 Other Essential Things to Do Before Turning 30) covers all aspects of dining, from how to land the best tables to navigating the place settings to choosing the best desserts in a straightforward manner. She demystifies restaurant customs such as ordering wine-and sending it back if it's afflicted with, say, "cork taint." Although tips on ordering caviar will only pertain to a small percentage of establishments, Rush's sage advice on basic manners and will enlighten just about anyone who ever sets foot in a restaurant: she provides guidelines for tipping, how to get treated like a regular at your favorite spots and even includes a handy reference guide for pairing fresh vegetables at their peak with main dishes and sides. The result is an extremely useful reference guide for anyone who wants to get serious about food, or wants to know how to eat couscous with a fork.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

COLLEEN RUSH, a food-loving native of Louisiana, is a contributing writer to Cosmopolitan and author of Swim Naked, Defy Gravity, & 99 Other Essential Things to Accomplish Before Turning 30. She lives in Chicago.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Broadway (October 24, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0767922034
  • ISBN-13: 978-0767922036
  • Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.6 x 7.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #288,204 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Oh My God. Turns Out I'm a Total Doofus..., January 2, 2007
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This review is from: The Mere Mortal's Guide to Fine Dining: From Salad Forks to Sommeliers, How to Eat and Drink in Style Without Fear of Faux Pas (Paperback)
I eat out frequently, on a lot of business dinners. I read about this book in a magazine and ordered it. A fun, fast read with easy-to-digest information about tipping, wine, becoming a "regular" at a restaurant (how to score perks), and... table manners.

This is where my doofus-ness comes in. My napkin is supposed to be folded to the left of my plate (not on my chair) if I get up to pee? Utensils can never touch the table (not even the handles) once you pick them up?? I was wincing over and over as I learned all the little habits I had wrong.

On the upside, I've got it pretty much straight now. In fact, fun fact: I went to dinner after reading just the intro/first chapter, and scored a FREE glass of fancy wine... Already recouped the cost of the book!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "Mere Mortals Guide to (Knowing What to Do!)", January 7, 2007
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This review is from: The Mere Mortal's Guide to Fine Dining: From Salad Forks to Sommeliers, How to Eat and Drink in Style Without Fear of Faux Pas (Paperback)
This book made me feel more comfortable with all of the in's and out's of preparing, dining, and not looking like a schmuck in front of my friends. Having not tried hummus or even guacamole until I entered college, my culinary knowledge and skills were at a very basic level. Ms. Rush clearly explains "what to do" and "how to do it" without making me feel intimidated. In particular the wine section was extremely helpful when buying a bottle of wine either at a restaurant or for home entertainment. It expanded my knowledge of regions, tastes, and most importantly names of wines that I liked. In fact, friends now come to me for recommendations and I confidently share my knowledge. I would recommend the "Mere Mortals Guide to Fine Dining" to anyone and has made a great gift on many occasions.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect. Really really perfect. The best refresher course in dining & civility out there., October 26, 2006
This review is from: The Mere Mortal's Guide to Fine Dining: From Salad Forks to Sommeliers, How to Eat and Drink in Style Without Fear of Faux Pas (Paperback)
When I got my copy of Mere Mortal's Guide I found myself flipping through this book on and off all evening as I thought of questions about corked wine, aged beef and the like. Without exception I came to quick, clear (and at times hilarious) answers. I think I fell in love with the book when I used the break down in the table of contents to find every bit of info I sought right off the bat. I'm buying it for every fellow food lover I know. And some others whom I think may benefit from a robust and irreverant resource detailing the rules of civility in dining. Especially the ones who place their forearm on the table just north of the plate in the 'I'm guarding this' pose.
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New York, United States, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chef Locale Restaurant, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, San Francisco, Mere Mortal, Zagat Survey, Vino Verbum
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