A polite way to eat finger foods!

You might call them canapés, hors d’oeuvres, party snacks, or finger food, but it’s all the same thing: small food items, often decorative, held in the fingers and usually eaten in one bite. Whether you’re at a formal party or a backyard soiree, we have tips to help you eat and socialize without making a mess!

In the buffet line

While serving yourself in the buffet line, use the offered serving utensil, not your fingers!

Place one of each hors d’oeuvres on your plate—even if you love sliders, don’t load your plate with 10 of them. You can always return multiple times to a buffet table, so pace yourself.  Make sure you are not overloading your plate with each visit—these are small, bite-sized pieces, not a Christmas dinner!

At a less formal party, you may need to reuse a plate, but at a catered party, use a new, clean plate for each buffet visit.

Enjoying the food

Wait for hot items to cool so you don’t burn your mouth. Resist the urge to blow on your food—let it cool on its own, and use the time to practice your small talk.

Some hors d’oeuvres might be speared on a toothpick for easy serving. Hold the toothpick and eat the food from it, but don’t put the used toothpick back on a serving dish on the buffet table—leave it on the edge of your plate.

Use a fork and knife for messier foods like dips or oil- or vinegar-heavy treats. Even if the food item is bite-sized, slice it into two pieces and eat the segments with a fork. And if a knife and fork are offered with a plate, use them. In this instance, there should be places to sit, so eat your meal at a bartop or highboy table.

Say thanks
 

Make sure to thank the wait staff as they serve you—and of course, thank the host or hostess before you go!