First CIMBA Gourmet Dinner

Included in our tuition is three gourmet dinners put on by CIMBA. They take us to three different restaurant locations which specialize in different types of food. Previous to the dinner, we were giving an Italian and Business Etiquette Seminar to prepare us on how to eat. This was pretty similar to the ones that Carlson offers, but it included some information on some of the things that Europeans do differently.

Lesson #1: Never bring your unfinished cocktail from the reception area to the dinner table. It's considered extremely rude.
Lesson #2: When you are done eating, fold your napkin slightly and place it to the left of your plate.
Lesson #3: Start with the silverware furthest from your plate and work inwards. It's like a game trying to figure which goes first and what comes next.
Lesson #4: Continental style is where the knife remains in the right hand and the fork in the left hand.
Lesson #5: In Italy and France, when a hand is free, it must be up to the wrist (in Italy) and to the fingertips (in France), it must be placed above the table. They call the left hand the "sinister" hand and "never know what you are doing with it under the table".
Lesson #6: Even if you don't like wine, take a little anyway. It is rude not to.
Lesson #7: When a toast has been proposed in your honor, you should not take a sip. Drinking to yourself is not a good signal.
 

 The food was pretty good, considering I didn't know what was exactly in all of it. We started in the reception area where there were many many many different appetizers (prosciutto, quiche-like things, cocktails, and many elaborate sides).

The first course of the main meal was a rice dish mixed with some cheese and something like eggplant? We also received some white wine. Next course was the shells stuffed with something. Tasted like chicken. The main dish was an onion-like vegetable (but definitely wasn't an onion), potatoes and lamb? Again, tasted like chicken. With that, came some red wine. My favorite course, of course, was dessert. We got authentic vanilla ice cream drizzled in many different berries. So good. With that we got a dessert wine that was pretty tasty. Overall it was a fun experience. The total time lasted about 4.5 hours. Got our money's worth!