History Main / FancyDinner

* ''Film/{{PrettyWoman}}'': Edward takes Vivian for a formal dinner with his business rivals. She is nervous because she can only recognize a salad fork, so Mr Thomson gives her a quick lesson in eating etiquette. At the actual dinner, the old gentleman owns he can never recognize the forks as well, and he takes his bread in hands. Vivian lets Edward order her meal, which is French gourmet food. It's slippery, and Vivian drops a swear word. Nevertheless, all are charmed by her.

* ''Theatre/NixonInChina'', being an {{opera}} about UsefulNotes/RichardNixon's historic 1972 trip to [[RedChina the People's Republic of China]], naturally features the actual fancy Chinese banquet to which the American delegation was treated on the trip. As with any traditional Chinese banquet, this one featured lots of drinking and toasts; the Nixons presented some wordy ones, and the Chinese responded with the classic Chinese toast, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdJtrWz-dak gan bei]]!" ("Bottoms up!"[[note]]Literally, it means "Dry [the] glass!"[[/note]]) ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3GVDYTxXWw Full scene from a much older production]].[[note]]Actually the premiere--note that the playing Nixon is the same man, James Maddalena, as the 2011 performance, and has visibly aged.[[/note]])

* Protagonist gets confused which knife to take, how to raise a glass, etc.

* Once a week on GilmoreGirls. Part of the premise of the show is that Lorelai and Rory visit their parents/grandparents every Friday for dinner.

* ''Theatre/NixonInChina'', being an {{opera}} about UsefulNotes/RichardNixon's historic 1972 trip to [[RedChina the People's Republic of China]], naturally features the actual fancy Chinese banquet to which the American delegation was treated on the trip. As with any traditional Chinese banquet, this one featured lots of drinking and toasts; the Nixons presented some wordy ones, and the Chinese responded with the classic Chinese toast, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdJtrWz-dak gan bei]]!" ("Bottoms up!"[[note]]Literally, it means "Dry [the] glass!"[[/note]]) ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3GVDYTxXWw Full scene from a much older production]][[note]]Actually the premiere--note that the playing Nixon is the same man, James Maddalena, as the 2011 performance, and has visibly aged.[[/note]]

* ''Theatre/NixonInChina'', being an {{opera}} about UsefulNotes/RichardNixon's historic 1972 trip to [[RedChina the People's Republic of China]], naturally features the actual fancy Chinese banquet to which the American delegation was treated on the trip. As with any traditional Chinese banquet, this one featured lots of drinking and toasts; the Nixons presented some wordy ones, and the Chinese responded with the classic Chinese toast, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdJtrWz-dak gān bēi]]!" ("Bottoms up!"[[note]]Literally, it means "Dry [the] glass!"[[/note]]) ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3GVDYTxXWw Full scene from a much older production]][[note]]Actually the premiere--note that the playing Nixon is the same man, James Maddalena, as the 2011 performance, and has visibly aged.[[/note]]

* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'':
** The School Board Banquet in "Stretch is in Love" (radio) and "Suzy Prentisss" (television). It's a black tie event, tuxedos for men and evening gowns for women.

** To a lesser degree, Miss Brooks' dinner at an expensive [[FrenchCuisineIsHaught French restaurant]] in "French Sadie Hawkins Day".

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/{{Titanic}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/titanicdinnerscene_390.jpg]]]]

%% * ''Film/{{Titanic}}''

** The cooks at Lancre Castle are traditionalists who think every meal should be a medieval banquet, preferably involving a roast pig with a baked apple in its mouth, and are frustrated first by Duke Felmet in ''Discworld/WyrdSisters'', who likes runny boiled eggs and vegetarian sausages, and then by Very-Nearly-Queen Magrat in ''Discworld/LordsAndLadies'', who likes quiches and raw apples.

** The big dinner the Patrician throws for the captains of the football teams in ''Discworld/UnseenAcademicals'', which Glenda quickly realises is ''intended'' to throw these stolid working-class blokes off-balance.

* Several times in ''Series/DowntonAbbey'', shown from the perspective of the hosts (the Crawley family) and the servants. An interesting variation was the austere one held under WorldWarI rationing. Both diners and the servants have gotten confused by the correct protocol: Matthew Crawley, a middle-class solicitor, holds his knives wrong and gets confused about utensils when he first arrives at Downton. Alfred, trained as a restaurant waiter, screws up the silver service (a kind of table service characteristic of British aristocratic homes, rather different from the way things are done at restaurants) the first time he serves as a footman. The former earned Matthew the supercilious scorn of Mary and the Countess Dowager, while the latter got Alfred an earful from Carson; both, however, become accustomed to the traditional ways over time.

[[caption-width-right:350:"Attention. I'd like to [[WesternAnimation/DespicableMe make some toast..."]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:"Attention. I'd like to [[WesternAnimation/DespicableMe make some toast...]]]]

A common variation is the "heroic feast" in which a given chieftain gives a feast to a large number of {{Badass}} people. The food is usually {{Badass}} style food such as mead and roast oxen. While they eat a bard will of course sing of [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome famous deeds]][[LongDeadBadass and heroes.]]

A common variation is the "heroic feast" in which a given chieftain gives a feast to a large number of {{Badass}} people. The food is usually {{Badass}} style food such as mead and roast oxen. While they eat a bard will of course sing of [[CrowningMommentOfAwesome famous deeds]][[LongDeadBadass and heroes.]]

A common variation is the "heroic feast" in which a given chieftain gives a feast to a large number of {{Badass}} people. The food is usually {{Badass}} style food such as mead and roast oxen.

* ''Film/{{PrettyWoman}}'': Edward takes Vivian for a formal dinner with his business rivals. She is nervous because she can only recognize a salad fork, so Mr Thomson gives her a quick lesson in eating etiquette. At the actual dinner, the old gentleman owns he can never recognize the forks as well, and he takes his bread in hands. Vivian let Edward order her meal, which is French gourmet food. It's slippery, and Vivian drops a swear word. Nevertheless, all are charmed by her.