January 27, 2023, 3:30 p.m
As a prelude to a meal in a restaurant, bread and butter are served with the place setting, and sometimes spreads as well. This shortens the waiting time for starters and main courses. In upscale restaurants, several types of bread and butter are served, and cooks sometimes surprise their guests with special bread creations. In Austria, the practice of having to pay for a place setting arose in the 1980s, in Italy it had long been common under the name “Pane e coperto”. Even if the place setting has long been established as part of table culture – not all guests are happy regarding the extra charge. With the price for place settings, hosts finance the cost of cutlery, tablecloths and cloth serviettes. In fine dining, a greeting from the kitchen is then served: Amuse-Gueule or Amuse-Bouche are small bites that whet the appetite or prepare the guest for what is to come. The higher the restaurant category, the more sophisticated the greeting from the kitchen. Some award-winning and star chefs sometimes present their kitchen philosophy in several small courses with the amuse-bouche.
Design: Ernst Weber
Service
Free Podcasts:
Moment-Kulinarium – XML
Moment – Culinarium – iTunes