"A polite way would be to say, Thank you; I will in just a moment. Miss Manners agrees with you that it is polite to wait for everyone to be served before starting, presuming that it is not a table for 24, and rude of the other guests to order you about. But lest we are tempted to take a tone, she reminds you that once others do start, there is a danger in continuing to abstain:"
"My home has an open floor plan with the kitchen, living room and dining area all combined. This leads to guests meandering through the kitchen area while we're preparing food. No approach I have used has been successful to deter this. How do I approach my dear aunt at Thanksgiving, who is a repeat offender? She hovers over the food being prepared, touches things and samples dishes before they are done."
It is polite to wait to begin eating until all diners have been served, except at excessively large tables. If a fellow guest urges you to start, respond with a brief, courteous refusal such as "Thank you; I will in just a moment." Abstaining after others begin can be tactless if it ostentatiously highlights another person's lapse. Open floor plans encourage movement between kitchen and dining areas but do not justify touching or sampling food before it is finished. Address repeat kitchen intrusions firmly but courteously to preserve sanitation and the dining enjoyment of other guests.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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