Plates are an important part of a good meal. They are circular dishes often with raised edges in order to keep food in the surrounding area clean. The plate is an amazing invention used to contain most foods so that we might be able to fully enjoy them without worrying about it getting everywhere. However, many restaurants have begun to search for new ways to keep their food hip and attractive to people coming in. What better way to do that than to get rid of plates entirely?!

I cannot tell you why some restaurants have decided to serve food on strange plate-substitutes – some restaurants may believe that going out to eat is more about the experience than the food. In some cases, this might be right, as there are restaurants that exist purely because they want you to experience something more artistic than merely what you put in your mouth. In other cases, there might be such an over-abundance of restaurants that some places feel they have to be different enough to catch people’s attention and bring them in. That might work for some places, as it adds their own personality and makes them unique.

How different is different? Perhaps a plastic cup, or a trash bag? Even that is too normal to be truly different. The steps we have to take in order to be different enough must go further into the abyss, to appint where even the abyss does not want to look back. We must look to typical household objects such as shovels, kitchen sinks or even urinals! These are not a joke but actual ridiculous “plates” that people have been served with.

Having your food served on a rock slate might not always be a terrible experience so long as the food itself is not soggy and drippy. Sushi, for instance, may possibly be a good example of food being served on a slate and it being reasonably OK. However, once you put a big juicy steak on a slab, all reasoning goes out the window and onto one’s pants where the steak juice is likely dripping. Still, a slab of stone or wood may be among the most innocent versions of the lack-of-plate-age upon which you might find your food perched.

The phenomenon of restaurants not serving people with plates has gotten to a point where many people have begun to document these strange occurrences. One person has created an entire book documenting lack-of-plate-age from across  the world. On a grander scale, there is an entire online community where strangers can post in order to document and make fun of the non-plates they are being served with. It is hard not to wonder if some restaurants might catch wind of such forums and change appropriately to their customer’s tastes – or choose to ignore such commentary in the name of artistic value. We might never know for sure but we can hope we might not be doomed to the same plate fate as others.