Lifted directly from the French over three hundred years ago, table d’hôte literally means “the host’s table.”
The original sense was that of a common table set for the guests at a hotel or other eating place, but from this has come the more usual meaning today, which is the complete meal served at a hotel or restaurant.
Related Posts
-
How Did the Pool Table Get its Name and Where Did the Term Come From?
During the nineteenth century, off-track gamblers would often play billiards while waiting to hear the results of a horse race. Sometimes, if they agreed on the merits of a particular horse, the gamblers…
-
Why is the Fork Set On the Left Side At the Table and Where Did the Custom Come From?
When the fork surfaced in the eleventh century, the only eating utensil was a knife, which was used by the right hand to cut and deliver food to the mouth. The left hand…
-
Who Discovered the Periodic Chart of Elements and When was the Periodic Table invented?
When most people think of the chemical elements, they picture Mendeleyev's Periodic Chart of the Elements. This organizational table has served as the one accepted organizing system for the elements that make up…
-
How Is Sea Salt Better Than Regular Table Salt?
The terms sea salt and regular salt or table salt are often used as if they denote two distinctly different substances with distinctly different properties. But it’s not that simple. Salt is indeed…
-
Why Is Kosher Salt Better Than Regular Table Salt?
Kosher salt is misnamed; it should be called koshering salt because it is used in the koshering process, which involves blanketing raw meat or poultry with salt to purify it. Kosher salt may…
-
What Am I Supposed To Do When the Waiter Opens the Wine and Places the Cork On the Table?
You’re not expected to sniff it for evidence of moldiness. That’s rare in this day and age. Moreover, when a small amount of the wine is poured for monsieur or madame’s approval, a…
