Having grown up in a house where proper etiquette and table manners were strongly enforced, this product strikes a cord. From Demelza Hill’s website, her Snap and Dine product encourages proper tableware use even in an informal outdoor evironment.
via CoolHunting
Nothing short of awesome.
Dutchland Drive-thru in West Bridgewater, MA
For snacks, goodies, and all your convenience store necessities.
This is such a clever (and marketable) way to bridge emotional connection to comfort foods, as well as addressing chocolate for health benefits!
The range, which includes The Chocolate First Aid Kit, Mini Emergency chocolate bars, and Seven Day Prescriptions, will be available across the UK from Waitrose, John Lewis and Fenwick.
via DesignWeek
A couple weeks ago I made a new friend and found out about Green Drinks. Last week I attended my first gathering. Get together with friends and strangers alike at a pre-determined location (that changes each meeting, so make sure you’re on the local email list!) Talk about things-green (or not green) and meet some interesting people over food and beverages 
Simple and fun.
Check out the very simple, yet necessary information at the Green Drinks site. They have groups worldwide!
Wasara: a line of disposable paper tableware made from reed pulp and bagasse (sugarcane waste), inspired by Japanese aesthetics.
So refined! So simple! So elegant! Plain beautiful.
via DesignVerb
Another one of those products we all wish we thought of first!
A great little container that has an outer flexible shell for ice-cube making and an inner container to store those ice-cubes or anything else you may want to keep cold (ice cream, dip, wine..)
Remove the inner container and partially fill the outer shell with water. Place inner container back into the outer shell to displace the water and fill the Orb. Freeze and voila! Ice-cubes are ready to be popped out of the shell and into the container or take the whole thing with you as a mini-chiller.
Demo and Purchase IceOrb here from FusionBrands.
via CoolHunting
Chopsticks for those who need a little assistance!
Chork by lrstudiofurniture
Tukaani by Lincoln Kayiwa
via MocoLoco
Beautiful and Brilliant:
Makes being in the kitchen much more fun and exciting. Even adults are allowed to enjoy ‘kids colors’
via MocoLoco
I came across this article from Metropolis Magazine and although it’s mainly speaking of graphics, I do believe it applies to other aspects of design from furniture and tableware to uniform of the servers and staff, which food/restaurant critics often do not comment on, but in passing.
“Perhaps there would be more reason to stress graphic design if critics paid attention to it. But they never mention graphics and, truth be told, barely assess the architecture (even when designed by Pritzker Prize winners). And while I savor the tasty prose of gifted food writers, if I were a critic, my readers would be treated to a regular menu of cuisine and design in an attempt to right the imbalance.”
It’s not only decor and graphics that dictate the identity of a restaurant, but the rest of the experience that probes at the senses make an impression on identity. How comfortable was that chair? How well was the knife designed to easily cut into the delicious steak? These things could be added to the last paragraph of the article…
“To convey the total dining experience it’s essential to include details that add to a restaurant’s overall personality. Granted, graphic design can never be the paramount reason for a diner investing time, money, and calories, but when viewed as a whole it should be worthy enough to be noted and occasionally celebrated.”
Read it here.
(I’m not disagreeing with Metropolis, simply wishing to include more..)
All this wasted food, I’m sure it doesn’t help that American’s always buy in bulk; there’s always something gone to waste.
via Core77
But, there’s hope! At least one local Boston restaurant has gone green to the extent of composting waste, energy saving, recycling, and eating locally. Now, we just have to start doing all of this in our own homes.