Lightbulbs, Garden Pots and Tree Stumps: Dallas Restaurants Serve Food on Everything But Plates

We're all familiar with the metal tray of barbecue or a greasy burger served in a little red basket at our favorite dive, but in all styles of Dallas cuisine, the plate seems to be increasingly pasé. Lately, creativity is spilling out onto the plate — or non-plate, as it were...

By Beth Rankin

June 28, 2017

18th & Vine serves its adorable new summer special — a smoked salmon board with dill aioli, fried capers and grilled toast — on this rustic wooden circle. Count the rings for added dinner entertainment. Courtesy of 18th & Vine

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We're all familiar with the metal tray of barbecue or a greasy burger served in a little red basket at our favorite dive, but in all styles of Dallas cuisine, the plate seems to be increasingly pasé.

Lately, creativity is spilling out onto the plate — or non-plate, as it were. We've seen some, uh, creative serving vessels, from bread served in a terra cotta planter to lightbulbs filled with bubble tea and shrimp served in a teeny-tiny fryer basket. Some work better than others — there are occasions, like charcuterie, when a typical plate just isn't the most functional choice — but some just leave us wondering how far this anti-plate trend will go.

Head over to this slideshow, where we'll explore the array of non-dishware items that are frequently taking the place of plates at Dallas restaurants.

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Beth Rankin is an Ohio native and Cicerone-certified beer server who specializes in social media, food and drink, travel and news reporting. Her belief system revolves around the significance of Topo Chico, the refusal to eat crawfish out of season and the importance of local and regional foodways.

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