I think of appetizers as before a meal meaning its meant to stimulate the appetite before starting the meal.My job in Texas we have appetizers before the meal but never at the dinner table they are served usually outside with cocktails/beer around the fire pit or on the porch in front of a fire place.A little later the guests get up and come to dinner.The trick with that is not to make more than 2 kinds and to try to keep them somewhat light so they dont fill up too much before dinner so its basically priming them up for the main meal.