Make For A Great Time (NAPSA)—When grilling sea- son is here, you can help ensure everyone has a great time with these tips on barbecue etiquette. Reserve, Please Although cookouts are usually casual events, the host still has to plan in advance to provide enough food and beverages for everyone. Just as with any other event, reserve in advance and be sure to let the host know if you’re bringing additional guests. Bring More Than Your Appetite As a general rule for barbecues, offer to bring beverages, salads, desserts or other items that can be shared with other guests. If the host insists that he or she has everything needed for the event, at least bring a gift for the host. A barbecue-themed gift like a specialty hot sauce or private-label jam or something else you know the host collects will make a thoughtfulgift. Grill Master Is King (or Queen) As a guest to a barbecue, it’s best not to provide any unsolicited advice to the designatedgrill master. Questions may be welcome, but avoid telling the grill master how to do the job. Stick to your task at hand, which is enjoying the delicious food being prepared and served. KeepIt Clean Most chefs love to hear that their food is finger-licking good but most don’t want to see this literally. When it comes to chicken and ribs, you can get into a sticky situation with a hands-on experience. Use napkins (wet or dry) to wipe your hands respectfully in front of others. It may be tempting to lick your fingers but remember to mind your manners. Keep your pearly whites clean by discreetly using toothpicks to clear your teeth of meat, corn kernels, and other food particles that tend to linger. No onereally likes being caught with food in his or her teeth. Better yet, bring floss and politely excuse yourself for a “Steak” your claim to everyone having a good time at your next barbecue by keeping etiquette in mind. A well-mannered guest can avoid being chopped from the invitationlist. restroom break after the meal. Getting Saucy Be mindful of how much sauce you apply to yourfood, particularly to burgers. Well-prepared burgers will already be juicy, so avoid extra spillage by not overloading on ketchup, mustard or sauces, which tendto fall out of burgersif applied too liberally and may land on another guest. If you prefer your food extra saucy, just be sure to keep extra napkins handy. Rain Delay If the weather turns sour, you can always move the party indoors or over to a casual neighborhood restaurant. If you want the party without the fuss, many restaurants, including Ryan’s, HomeTown Buffet as well as Old Country Buffet, let you bring in some decorations to personalize a special function space so you can enjoy a barbecue with steak, ribs and chicken and absolutely none of the mess. As a bonus, these popular buffets keep plenty of wet napkins on hand. “Families love our barbecue offerings because they can enjoy all of their favorites without the mess that comes with grilling at home,” said Alice Crowder, Vice President of Marketing for Buffets, Inc. “The beauty of hosting a barbecue party at our restaurants is that you get to spend all your time enjoying your guests and not laboring over a hot grill.” For more information on the restaurants, visit www.buffet.com.
