Table Settings
Table settings for formal dinners.

Formal Dinner Place Setting 1. Napkin 2. Fish Fork 3. Dinner of Main Course Fork 4. Salad Fork 5. Soup Bowl & Plate 6. Dinner Plate 7. Dinner Knife 8. Fish Knife 9. Soup Spoon 10. Bread & Butter Plate 11. Butter Knife 12. Dessert Spoon and Cake Fork 13. Sterling Water Goblet 14. Red Wine Goblet 15. White Wine Goblet

Informal Dinner Place Setting
Same as above except removing the following:

2. Fish Fork
8. Fish Knife
12. Dessert spoon and Cake Fork
14. Red Wine Goblet (depends on type of food being served)
15. White Wine Goblet (depends on type of food being served)

Napkin
The napkin plays an important role to American in dining etiquette. You will unfold and place the napkins on your lap soon after sitting at the table. Then, leaving the napkins throughout the entire meal, and use to gently dab your lips. If you need to leave the table during the meal, place your napkin on your chair.
If your napkin falls on the floor during a very formal event, do not retrieve it. You should be able to signal a member of the serving staff that you need a fresh one. Once the meal is over, you too should place your napkin loosely on the table next to your dinner plate. (Do not refold your napkin, but don't wad it up, either.)

How to use the utensils
Unlike the Asian countries which just provide simple utensils on the table, a formal dinner in an American restaurant will provide as much silverware as you will need for your meal (as shown in the above diagram).
Start with the outermost utensil or utensils, as necessary, one set for each course. As each course is finished, the silverware will be removed with the dish, leaving you with a clean slate, all ready for the next item to arrive. The dessert spoon and fork are placed horizontally over the plate and parallel to each other, with the bowl of the spoon pointing to the left and the tines of the fork pointing right. In cases of more than three or four courses are served, new silverware will be brought to you after all of the original setting has been used.
When coffee and tea are served, a teaspoon will be provided; it is brought in on the saucer.

Ordering
If, after looking over the menu, there are items you are uncertain about, ask your server any questions you may have. Answering your questions is part of the server's job. It is better to find out before you order that a dish is prepared with something you do not like or are allergic to than to spend the entire meal picking tentatively at your food.

While eating
When the food comes, do not season your food before you have tasted it because that will consider as no respect to the chef. When you are eating, never chew with your mouth open or make loud noises. Although it is possible to talk with a small piece of food in your mouth, do not talk with your mouth full. When having soup, do not slurp soup from a spoon. Spoon the soup away from you when you take it out of the bowl and sip it from the side of the spoon. If your soup is too hot to eat, let it sit until it cools; do not blow on it. When you are not eating, keep your hands on your lap or resting on the table (with wrists on the edge of the table). Elbows on the table are acceptable only between courses, not while you are eating. If food spills off your plate, you may pick it up with a piece of your silverware and place it on the edge of your plate. Never spit a piece of bad food or tough gristle into your napkin. Remove the food from your mouth using the same utensil it went in with. Place the piece of food on the edge of your plate. If possible, cover it with some other food from your plate.

Foods require more than a fork or spoon
Different foods require different utensils or even hands.

Chicken - never eat with the fingers in a formal dining situation. In an informal setting, you can eat the smaller pieces (wing, leg, joints) with fingers. Larger pieces, such as chicken breast must be cut using a place or steak knife.

Clams or oysters - hold the shell in one hand, and your Cocktail/Oyster Fork in the other. Use the fork to spear the clam/oyster, dip it in the sauce provided, and eat it with one bite. In an informal setting, you can pick up the shell and suck the clam (or oyster) off the shell.

Potatoes - French fries at a formal dinner, they should be eaten with a fork. Texas size, or large fries, should be cut into bite size pieces. In an informal setting, they are considered a finger food. A large server, such as a hooded asparagus server, is good to use to move the French fries from the platter to your plate in a formal setting. If served baked potato, cut the potato in half and add seasonings to taste.

Pizza - cut into wedges, using a sterling silver pizza cutter. It is acceptable to hold a piece of pizza and eat it or use a fork and knife. A fork and knife are best when the pizza is very hot and the cheese is stringy.

Salad - usually served as a first course so the small salad fork is on the outside and is used first. A fine restaurant or considerate hostess, will always serve the lettuce salad in bite size pieces. However if you are served large pieces or a whole wedge of lettuce, cut one bite at a time using the knife provided. If salad is the main course, such as a luncheon, use the entree fork. If the salad is served prior to the main course or after, use the smaller salad fork.

Spaghetti - it may look difficult, but it is easy to eat spaghetti with a fork and place spoon. The place spoon serves as a base of operation. Place a forkful of spaghetti strands, not too much, into the bowl of the place spoon. Then twirl it around until the strands are firmly wrapped around the fork in a bite size portion. It is also acceptable to use the fork and cut the-spaghetti into bite size portions.