Gueridon service

{{Short description|Cooking food tableside}}

In the restaurant industry, gueridon service or tableside service is the cooking or finishing of foods by a waiter (or maître d'hôtel) at the diner's table, typically from a special serving cart called a guéridon trolley.S. Andrews, Food and Beverage Service Manual, 2001, {{isbn|0070963584}}, p. 36{{cite web|title=Gueridon service |publisher=Cook's Info |url=https://www.cooksinfo.com/gueridon-service |access-date=28 June 2023}} This type of service is implemented in fine dining restaurants where the average spending power is higher, and an a la carte menu is offered. Gueridon service offers a higher style of service to the guest.

It is similar to service à la russe, where dishes are carved by a waiter tableside, but usually involves additional cooking steps.

Table side procedures include:

• Flambéing of dishes such as Crêpes Suzette, Bananas Foster, Cherries Jubilee, or Chicago-style Saganaki;
• Mixing or tossing salads such as Caesar salad;
• Quick pan-frying and preparation of a pan sauce, as with Steak Diane;
• Boning and plating fish;
• Preparing guacamole in a molcajete;
• Carving meat or poultry – specifically, carving a whole Peking Duck into bite-size skin- and meat pieces before serving each guest at the table. Conclusively, the juices may be extracted in a designated press and served on the side.
• Final preparation of a pasta dish, as with fettuccine Alfredo;
• Preparing a compound butter, such as beurre maître d'hôtel.