From pie eating contests to pig races, county fairs are known for competition. But one contest that's had a surge in popularity in recent years is one you might not expect: competitive table setting.

Martha Stewart and Sandra Lee understand the importance of a good tablescape. The queens of tasteful dining decor popularized the art of obsessive table settings in the late ‘90s and early 2000s on ...

These inventive, meticulous competitors can teach us something about setting the “perfect” table. By Tejal Rao Tejal Rao is a critic at large for the Food desk at The New York Times. If you look to ...