AMERICAN

SERVICE &
PLATING
WHAT IS AMERICAN SERVICE?
 The way a hotel or restaurant serves its
customer food, in which portions of food are
placed on plates in the kitchen by cooks and
served individually by a member of serving
staff.
 Also termed as 'plated service'.
 This style of service is considered as the
most widely applied service especially in the
US.
 American service is
an elegant and classy
service which includes
the following features:
• American service is
quick and requires the
least labor-intensive
service and little
space.
• American service is followed at diners or family-
style restaurants, with counters where casual
tableware and placemats are considered the standards.
• Self-serve bars and salad bars are provided.
• Pre-plating and pre-setting of tables must be done
with the silverware needed
during the meal.
• The preparation of food
is completed in the
kitchen except for the
salad and the bread and
butter which are brought
to the guests ensuring
fast service.
• This service requires fewer dishes for service
since most of the food of the meal is served
and garnished on one plate. Hence, the usage of
dishes and ware are decreased.
• American service is basically preferred by
chefs, because this service allows them to show
their creativity by organizing individual food
items in an eye catching and appealing style.
• American service can be personalized according
to situations, such as breakfast, lunch, or
dinner service.
• This service requires only
one server to serve the meal
but with an experienced
serving skill. However, this
service also ensures the
involvement of only one
server in one area.
• (For example: back server
for picking up the food and
the front server for
fulfilling the guests'
special requests.
Table setting procedures of American
Service Style:
• Table setting for
breakfast and lunch
differs from the dinner
settin. Breakfast and
lunch are simple meals
and has limited
silverware unlike dinner
which includes more
courses and serviceware.
• Atleast fifteen covers are placed on the table for a
dinner using American service but not more than
twenty-five.
• Knife is place with blade facing inward and spoons
and forks are placed on the right and left side
respectively according to the nature of the meal. The
teaspoon is put on the outside and the soup spoon is
placed next to it.
• The number of flatware could vary according to the
menu, but not more than three on either side. If more
needed, they are brought at the time the foods are
served. The tips of handles of flatware are to be
kept about a half inch from the table edge.
• A service plate or hors d'oeuvre plate may be
included on the table setting. A bread and butter
plate is usually placed above the forks and sometimes
slightly to the left side. In some Up-market
restaurants a show plate is served front of the guest
and the food plate is placed on top of it.
• The butter knife is positioned on the bread and
butter plate keeping at a right angle or parallel to
the forks.
• The water glass or goblet is placed where glasses are
placed above the spoons and dinner knife, and the
wine glasses are positioned left side of the water
goblet.
• Ashtrays, salt and pepper shakers, and
decorations are placed in the center of the
table or against the wall in a booth.
• Clean folded napkins are provided and placed in
the center of the cover in front of the guest.
• Servers clear the table and collect the soiled
dishes from the right hand side when guests
have finished all their dishes. Sometimes
waiters also crumb the table before serving the
dessert.
History of American Service:
Dining in America was affected by the Puritan
influence. There was only one purpose for eating: to
refuel the body. To dine strictly for pleasure or enjoy
the meal was thought to be bad.
• 1800s-American service was and is still characterized
by “food and the plate, no wait”. All the food was
put on one plate and served to the guest, as opposed
to the French service, where separate plates for
vegetables were used
• 1830s-A great influx of French immigrants entered
America, bringing their ways of serving food.
• 1832-The great influx of immigrants was arriving in
the US. Delmonico's, a newly opened restaurant in NYC
at that time, gets the credits for teaching the
American public how to enjoy fine dining. It also set
the standard for elegance that all other restaurants
in the US tried to match. Delmonico's offered the
first a la carte menu, corteous service, private
dining rooms, flowers, music, and fine wnes to its
guests. Which influence the American Service and
Plating greatly.
Thank you for
listening!
God bless!