Description
🏆 2024 BIBA® Fine Dining Winner!
Master the Art of Dining with Confidence and Elegance.
Debbie von Ahrens, a veteran of New York’s top-tier dining establishments like Balthazar and One Fifth, blends her deep restaurant knowledge and executive-level experience to craft The Business of Dining. This guide offers a wealth of personal stories and practical advice, empowering readers to become exceptional restaurant guests and gracious hosts.
Inside this entertaining and educational guidebook, you’ll discover:
- Culinary Language Mastery: Tips on pronouncing food and wine terms and decoding complex menu descriptions.
- Table Settings and Utensils: Step-by-step guidance on setting an elegant table, choosing the right utensils, and selecting proper stemware.
- Confidence-Building Etiquette: Learn how to enter a restaurant, engage with staff, and feel in control whether you’re a guest or host.
- Front of House (FOH) Expertise: Gain insight into how the FOH staff creates a seamless dining experience.
- Savvy Ordering: Expert strategies for navigating cocktail menus, ordering confidently, and pairing wines like a pro.
- Hosting with Grace: How to create memorable gatherings, from seating arrangements to fostering conversation.
- Tipping Etiquette: Understand when and how to tip, showing appreciation for outstanding service.
Dining is about more than just food—it’s about engagement, creating memorable experiences, and leaving lasting impressions. Whether you’re dining with clients, friends, or simply refining your etiquette, The Business of Dining is your ultimate guide to mastering the art of dining with grace and poise.
Author’s Note:
After retiring from a successful business career and taking a hiatus, I returned to the restaurant world after 40 years. The pre-pandemic dining scene was a joy; post-pandemic, it became an education. That’s what inspired this book. My hope is that it levels the playing field between those who grew up in privileged homes and those who didn’t. And, more importantly, it serves as a reminder that dining in a restaurant isn’t the same as being in your living room with the TV on. This book is ideal for anyone going off to college, starting a new job, or just stepping out into the world again.
Thank you for reading this far—I hope you give The Business of Dining a try!
Cheers!
Debbie von Ahrens
