How can I try my companion’s lasagna without looking as if I grew up in a boardinghouse?

There are several ways to share without reaching across the table and leaving a telltale line of sauce or crumbs across the white cloth. Colin Cowie, an event planner, slides a bite-size portion onto the side of the recipient’s dinner plate. Grimes passes samples on his bread plate. Ray Brinkman, dining-room manager at Commander’s Palace, in New Orleans, does the same when he dines with friends: “Servers usually remove used bread plates, so you don’t need to worry about dirty dishes on your table all night.” Richman sometimes asks the kitchen to split a dish so it arrives at the table on two plates.