Tumbling Over Tumblers

I visited San Francisco over spring break, spending a week in the city. The food scene, while quite ostentatious at times, was inspiring. The meals were delicious and at times nostalgic. Yet, I found myself enamored more with the interiors, glassware, and plating used at these restaurants.

San Francisco is a foodie city, driven by both its roots and wealth. Meaning, tons of eateries open to meet the people's demand. The first thought that crossed my mind was, do all of these new eateries truly exhibit unique ideas, both in decoration and cuisine, or are these just traps for those who have money to spend and think they have "good taste"?

A motif in most restaurants that I ate out at (more specifically: PRIARE, Bon Voyage, and Louie's Gen Gen Room), was the smaller than usual tumbler. I hadn't encountered glassware like this since traveling to Scandinavia and France. In European bistros, restaurants, and cafes, wine + water are served in these tumblers. The "do it all" cup, really. The tumbler in other cultures is seen as a casual alternative to the stemmed wine glass or classic water glass.

My first reaction to the abundance of tumblers at all of these newly opened restaurants was, "Man, this is pretentious" and "Why do I have to pour water so often". After the third restaurant or so, it grew on me. These annoying little cups forced me to take my time with my beverages and the constant pouring paced conversations and meals. It seems fitting that these glasses are abundant in European culture, given the laid back, no frills dining culture some cities have.

I'll continue to experiment with these while having people over and investigate how they react, adapt to a somewhat foreign experience. Sitting here, sipping from my tumbler, I can start to appreciate the experience a lil bit more.

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