The Etiquette Edge

CHAPTER 22

Let’s Do Lunch

Dining Your Way to Success

Since the first cave person decided to share rather than fight over that rack of mastodon, people have been breaking bread and raising their glasses as a way to develop and nurture relationships. Among other things, dining together implies a heightened level of trust, dating back to when warriors or nobles poured a little wine into each other’s goblet to assure that no poison was afoot. Today we just clink glasses in a symbolic gesture of confidence in the other’s goodwill.

In the world of commerce, meals are often an essential element in conducting certain kinds of business, and knowing how to navigate gracefully around this maze of menus, manners, and maître d’s can make a significant contribution ...