How to mix food and business

What to Eat

Most working meals are called for the purpose of doing business. Don't forget that. Whether you're looking over paperwork, signing contracts, or simply getting to know someone better to determine if you want to do business with them, your main purpose is to conduct business.

Unless you're a food critic, you are not there to critique the food or challenge the chef's culinary skills. With that in mind, here are some ordering guidelines:

Breakfast: Opt for coffee (or tea) and a danish, bagel, croissant, or toast. Don't order the Eggs Benedict, bacon and eggs, steak and eggs, or all-you-can eat pancakes. Those are all too heavy and too expensive. Keep it light and healthy. Stick with items you'd find on a Continental Breakfast tray.

Lunch: Never order something you can't pronounce. If you're taking an important client to lunch, "case" the joint beforehand to determine the best table and best menu choices. Never order food that is difficult to eat, requires a lot of your attention, or squirts, slurps, and makes a mess.

Best choices: Salads, grilled meat or fish, omelets, or other low-attention foods.
Worst choices: Anything out of season (too frivolous), lobster (too expensive and too much work), snails (same reason), or any food with a lot of garlic or onion.

Dinner: Unless you're socializing, try to avoid dinner invitations, particularly if it's with someone you don't know well. Dinner is open-ended. You can't look at your watch and say, "I have to get back to the office." It's also presumptuous to think that someone you don't know well would like to spend his or her evening with you. Unless you have a set agenda and a very good reason for meeting after 6 p.m., don't do it.