A Brief History of Table Service A Brief history of Table
Service The Nine Basic Principle of Hospitality and Service may
seem straightforward, but they have not always been the rules of
the profession. Table service is a noble profession, one that
has had a long and varied history, and has been shaped by that
history. Table service evolved with changes in social structure,
architecture, and the food that were served. By comparing the
food and ways our ancestors ate, especially when they dined in
banquet, with our own custom, today’s dining habits, whether in
formal dining rooms, bistros, or family restaurants, can be
better understood-even some of the bizarre jargon used in
today’s kitchen and dining rooms, which has its roots in the
past. THE ANCIENT WORLD: GRECE The earliest written descriptions
of recognizably Western dining scenes are found in the Old
Testament and in Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad. In reading these
accounts, it is obvious that it was the status of the diners
that counted. Until fairly recent