Table manners and etiquette are just as important as the food itself, if not more, at a formal meal. Americans, like people elsewhere, are quite particular about their table manners which differ in certain small intricacies from table etiquettes of other cultures. To present yourself at your best on these occasions is of utmost importance. Wearing your best clothes and your most enticing smile is simply not enough. The society has established its own method of overseeing how you conduct yourself. The manner in which you conduct yourself at a formal dinner is one of the many methods by which you are judged. Table manners have become so important a part of our meals that it is almost impossible to present yourself at a formal meal and always get away with the same customs that you follow within the confines of your home. As it is rightly said, grander the occasions are, grander the customs will be. Your task is to live up to them while you dine with the best.