The barred design of the dessert fork was also used for other products: for example, the Strasbourg pattern by
Gorham Manufacturing Company the same shape was also used for fish and salad forks. Individual
salad fork can be a shorter (about 6 inches) version of a regular
dinner fork, yet many versions of this fork, available since the 1880s and originally known as the
lettuce fork, have one of the outer tines (sometimes both) made wider, similar to the pastry fork, in order to be strong enough to cut
lettuce. Sometimes, there is also a bar connection between the neighboring tines. Often, a "salad fork" in the silverware service of some restaurants (especially chains) may be simply a second fork; conversely, some restaurants may omit it, offering only one fork in their service. The commonality between the salad and pastry forks was known to generate awkwardness, and create marketing opportunities: the manufacturers could (and did) designate the same utensil as either a salad or a pastry fork (or even a
small fish fork). The salad fork can be used for salads and
pâté in both formal and informal dining settings. ==See also==