Learn how to eat quesadillas, and bread and butter politely.

Fingers or utensils? Butter the entire piece of bread or just a small piece? What to do? It seems there is an etiquette rule for everything we eat or use during a meal. Some rules seem trivial and old fashion. Well, some rules are. Most, like these two instances, there is a reason for those silly, little rules. Follow along as we delve right into these yummy examples.

Table Manners: Loves Quesadillas

Dear Polite One,

What is the proper way to eat cheese quesadillas? My husband insists that this is a knife and fork food, while I see it as similar to a sandwich and think it should be considered finger food.

Loves quesadillas

Dear Loves quesadillas,

Quesadillas are considered finger food and can be picked up and eaten by our hands. However, let's think about the mess factor. Will picking up the food mess up the fingers? If these are cooked in butter, a fork and knife could keep your hands clean. If the quesadillas are dry, pick them up. Either way is fine.

Sincerely,

The Polite One

Picture Credit: Popo le Chien: quesadilla - a Mexican tortilla with molten cheese: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Basic table manners: How to eat bread and butter.

FAQ: “How do I eat bread or rolls with butter?”

Dear Polite One,

I love bread and butter, especially when I go out to dinner. How do I eat this politely without embarrassing myself and those in my presence?

Loves Bread and Butter

Dear Loves Bread and Butter,

Who doesn’t? In some restaurants, it’s like this is the best part of the meal.

First, if you have one, place butter on the rim of your bread plate. If not, use your dinner plate. Next, tear a small piece of bread or roll—over the plate to minimize mess—and butter that one piece of bread. We eat one piece at a time.

This method is all about minimizing mess. It’s logical.

Thank you for your questions!

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