Are the forks next?
Speaking of dinner companions (see previous post), a friend told me last night he went to Brasserie Tatin about a year ago for lunch with a woman he was doing business with, and there were salt cellars on the table instead of shakers.
Salt cellars, for those who don't know, are little dishes with tiny glass or silver spoons that look like small sugar bowls. They went out of vogue around 1950, Wikipedia says, to be replaced by salt shakers, but you occasionally see them at restaurants. And my mother used to bring them out for holiday dinners. ...
I actually don't remember them at Brasserie Tatin, but that's not the point of the story.
I, of course, thought he was going to say the woman at this business lunch put a spoonful of salt in her coffee because she thought it was the sugar bowl, but no. She picked it up, dumped the salt on a dirty plate and stuck the salt cellar in her purse.
"They won't miss it," she told my friend airily.
He was in such a state of shock he didn't say anything, but needless to say he stopped doing business with her.
Someone else at our table last night chimed in with a story about a McDonald's in a Florida retirement community that closed because the salt and pepper shakers kept disappearing from the tables, but that sounds more like urban legend to me.
The cut glass salt cellar in the photo, by the way, is from Look in the Attic & Company's Web site.
Comments
True inventory control. Have you ever noticed Subway (no comments please) only gives a napkin in the bag?My mother in true Sopranos fashion always gets "forlatta" rolls when she goes out to lunch.
Posted by: mdlrvrmuncher | November 21, 2007 8:13 AM
Ok, I have to admit to something here. Many years ago, when I was still going to science fiction conventions, we had a crowd staying in a suite in a certain hotel in Hunt Valley. The hotel had a complementary breakfast buffet until about 10:00 am.
Everyone else was sleeping in on Sunday morning after a very late Saturday night, so I went down and made up trays of the buffet food to take to the room. Since I brought the food up, others were kind enough to clear everything up and even packed my few bathroom things I had left for me.
When I got home, I found a set of salt & pepper shakers in my suitcase. I recognized them as from the hotel.
Now here's the bad part - I did not take them back.
Posted by: Janet | November 21, 2007 8:25 AM
Before my mother-in-law moved to a retirement community, she told me to take whatever I wanted of hers, so I took her four cut-glass salt cellars. Last year I found glass salt spoons in the gift shop in (of all places) Old Sturbridge Village. I use the cellars for salt and fresh-ground pepper on my holiday dinner table--they're SO cute!
Posted by: Dottie | November 21, 2007 9:20 AM
You can really learn a lot about someone from eating a meal with them.
A (now deceased) relative once took a large mug from a steak and ale type restaurant, years ago. A staff member came running after her in the parking lot as we were leaving and I thought the jig was up, but no, she had forgotten her gloves and the nice fellow was returning
them. I hope she felt just awful.
Posted by: Darlene | November 21, 2007 9:39 AM
Many years ago, when you could still smoke everywhere, we were eating at the Bavarian Inn. Neither of us smoked. At one point during the meal our waitress came up and rather suspiciously asked, "Wasn't there an ashtray on this table?" We were stunned and just said "no", at which point she asked if we were sure! Maybe the owner took it out of her salery!
Posted by: Betsy | November 21, 2007 11:45 AM
As the GM at Tatin, I found this post particularly humorous. Funny enough that you mention the salt cellars, and not seeing them when you were here. We enjoyed having them on the table as a small stylistic touch when we opened, and one by one . . .they disappeared. A few were broken, the tiny oyster shell spoons were the first to go, and the business man's acquisitive companion was one of many who decided to help themselves. Unfortunately, given the cost, they have been replaced with rather unexciting steel s&p shakers. . . which, strangely enough, have managed to stick around! And so, creative effort and style die another tiny death :) . . .
Posted by: Jae | November 21, 2007 12:09 PM
I think the salt cellars are becoming en vogue again...at least in Phoenix, where several new upscale restaurants use them, particularly when offering specialized salts, such as smoked sea salt, etc. I think they are classy looking, but hope the thieving trend does not make it here!
Posted by: Alisa | November 21, 2007 1:14 PM
at least in Phoenix, where several new upscale restaurants use them
Phoenix, Arizona, or Phoenix, Maryland? If the latter, I'm amazed that there are several new upscale restaurants. I obviously haven't been in that part of Baltimore County in a long, long time.
Posted by: Hal Laurent | November 21, 2007 6:33 PM
Elizabeth,
As I recall your mother had salt cellars on the table most every night.
(She was my mother too.)
Posted by: Frank | November 21, 2007 10:13 PM
Am I the only person that finds salt cellars unsanitary in a restaurant setting? I, too, have noticed them gaining in popularity but find myself staring at them wondering what food or drink has inadvertently splashed or somehow found its way into one.
Posted by: SGI | November 22, 2007 11:32 AM
EL -- junk mail post at 5:28 AM (shilling furniture in the link)!
Thanks VERY much. EL
Posted by: hmpstd | June 7, 2009 6:54 AM