You might be surprised to learn that there are a number of rules for carb lovers to follow when it comes to digging into that bread basket at a fancy restaurant. For example, when attending a formal dinner, don’t go reaching for a roll as soon as they hit the table. Bread isn’t a course and should only be enjoyed concurrently with the first course, not before.
There’s also an understood order for serving slices of bread from the basket. When the basket is set on the table, either the host or the person closest to the basket should begin circulating it to the right, serving themselves last. If the bread arrives uncut, the host or person closest to it should use the napkin liner to handle the bread while they slice it into pieces. They should offer a slice to the person on their left, then take a piece for themselves, then continue to circulate the basket to the right and around the table.