Five-Fingered Morkrost
Aug 29th, 2008 by Marilyn
Since I’ve already confessed one sin this week, might as well set the whole table. I like stuff. Stuff from…restaurants. And hotels. I like creamers and ashtrays and swizzle sticks.
I like coffee cups. That one, over there? It may or may not have found its way out of my brother-in-law’s rehearsal dinner in Falun, Sweden. It may or may not have slipped into this country wrapped in dirty jeans and a Frommer’s guide. I’m just saying that it’s here, and I enjoy it. I like holding its steamy goodness with two hands and repeating my java mantra: mellanmork, morkrost, lof-berg lila. Want some coffee, Greg? Mellanmork, morkrost, lof-berg lila. Okay – I’ll make more. Mellanmork…
And since you no longer respect me now anyway, let me add that I enjoy the company of several butter plates, wine menus, lobster bibs and one ceramic pitcher that my brother-in-law may or may not have ‘borrowed’ from my own rehearsal dinner.
Our dinner was at a Chicago tapas place – one minute the pitcher was full of sangria, the next it was in my kitchen. I know nothing.
Now I know my readers and I’m not pointing any fingers, exactly, but you just happen to be a bunch of big-time coveters. And it’s come to my attention that other artful dodgers may exist. So what is it – what’s that thing you had to have? What treasured memento…um…followed you home?
I may or may not have a Guiness Pint glass that used to live at a Pub in Dublin in my cabinet. Or a scooner glass from my favorite Taco Place (Fuzzy’s Taco Shop–great name) at TCU.
I don’t have sticky fingers myself. However, my prom date slipped one of those fancy restaurant candles from the hotel where we had pre-prom dinner into his jacket pocket. I berated him a little about it, and he said he put it back. I got cold at the end of the evening, and he lent me his jacket. So, I may or may not have unwittingly participated in the theft of a fancy candle from prom. He may or may not still have it (and that I definitely have no way of knowing as he was kicked to the curb long ago).
Like you I love the same stuff but I don’t have any… hmmm Next trip to Europe (cuz that happens often – not) BUT After reading your post I searched through my bookmarks called “home” cuz I knew I had a link to a wonderful place you will love! http://www.poshchicago.com They sell restaurant stuff ~ cutlery, dishes etc and lots of is from Europe although the company is in Chicago. Enjoy!
I may or may not have a couple of small creamers from a very famous café in St. Mark’s Square in Venice. But I have to admit that minutes before said creamers may or may not have found their way into my luggage, we discovered that said creamers could be purchased at the very famous café. And purchase them we did.
Whitney: commemorative glasses – dangerously high on the may-or-may-not scale.
Bridge: ‘unwittingly’ is the key term here. But I will say that prom is prime memento time. I may…or may not…have a few items from one Bismarck Hotel in Chicago. I don’t know.
Linda: eek! Have you been reading my mail? I’m more than familiar with Posh Chicago and just emailed a friend one particularly good item, a champagne bucket from the Plaza Hotel. Hotel silver is a real…problem for me.
Lydia: I’m impressed with your moral fortitude in that situation. If the cafe you’re referring to is the one I think it is (scroll down here) you get extra points just for being in that wonderful place.
WELCOME to all new voices here! Feel free to drop by the Lurker Buffet; I just made more scones.
What me? I’m as innocent as a lamb.
:::whistling:::
i’m a firm believer that there’s nothing wrong with a little kleptomania…
I went to Smith College in the early 90s. In the dining rooms they had this china that was specially designed for the college ages ago. I can neither confirm nor deny the possibility that I have a few dessert plates, mugs, saucers and possibly a gravy bowl that doubles as a big mug in my cupboard…
On accident, I have a couple of glasses from receptions and parties. And also by accident a mug from Tim Hortons.
I might have a couple of Orangina glasses from a Paris hotel restaurant. We did ask the waiter and he said he’d look the other way!
I’ve already told you about the bread board that didn’t follow us home, so I won’t repeat that one. And I don’t think we have any restaurant stuff, so I’ll have to fall back on my wedding party thingy.
After our wedding, my parents invited some of the people who’d helped over to their place for dessert. One of my co-workers, who’d held the shower and some other stuff, brought her significant other. Everyone was sitting around in the great room, more people than end tables, and without someplace to set his unused spoon down he dropped it into his shirt pocket. And of course forgot it, as did everyone else even though it was right there sticking out of his pocket.
When they got home, he was mortified. “They’ll think I stole it and had second thoughts!” Because I guess there’s a big black market in thirty-year-old Oneida flatware? Actually, my parents were just amused.
(Hmm. Stuff from your own parents’ house doesn’t count, right?)
Hi – new reader here. Between you and me Sweden is missing some drinking ware. I have a Coca-Cola glass that I picked up near Stockholm at a Swedish (not kidding here) truck stop. I like it because the Coke glasses here in the states all say “Drink Coca-Cola” but this one says “Trink Coca-Cola”. Subtle, eh?
Jean: yeah – innocent like a pilfered toast rack, you are.
Grace: oh, must we give it a name?
Elosie: from the school? If you like that, you can look for more restaurant, hotel & school china here. I love this stuff.
Jenni: I totally see how those things could accidentally get home. It could happen to anyone.
Junebug: this past June in Paris, those Orangina glasses were calling my name…but I resisted. There’s always a next time.
Karen: good story! And yes, I think your parents’ casa is su casa.
Sarah S: Oh, “Trink Coca-Cola” is good. And since you’re new here, be sure to help yourself to the Lurker Buffet.
Toast rack? No…I’m more of a “black lacquer serving tray” kind of gal…
A very pretty menu from a cafe on the grounds at Versailles MIGHT have fallen into my bag accidentally and then traveled back to the U.S. to be framed as an homage to my trip to Paris and my small dip into crime.
if i’m not mistaken your sister MAY or MAY NOT have played a role in what has since been considered perhaps the greatest pitcher liberation effort of the 20th century! does this thread have to be restaurant related? otherwise, i could finally confess that a 20-sided role-playing game die MAY or MAY NOT have fallen (been liberated) into my metcalf south shopping center bag accidentally, once, maybe. i know i’m going to hell.
I may or may not have the following:
1 (one) mug from a Denny’s restaurant, circa 1994.
1 (one) sugar bowl from a fancypants restaurant in Philadelphia that has since gone out of business for reasons unrelated to the pinching of its sugar bowls.
and several assorted pub glasses from various bars around Germany and Denmark.
Also, I have a Thomas the Tank Engine book that I may or may not have snagged from a pub in Amsterdam. All I remember is that there was a Thomas the Tank Engine book in said pub, then I drank two glasses of beer the size of my head and the next morning there was a Thomas the Tank Engine book in my backpack. (I personally think it’s just a coincidence.)
Somehow I have a menu from Tio Pepe’s in Baltimore – a lovely place, to be sure, but I didn’t really covet the menu. Hmm.
I also have some towels from the Plaza Hotel. Who doesn’t, right? I totally coveted those.
Jean: a black lacquer serving tray…gonna need a big purse.
Stitching Spain: welcome! I admire the framing of your crime…Paris inspires that sort of thing.
The Boy: (Could that be…my brother-in-law? Why yes it could) Yeah, the pitcher was a joint effort. And really a large item, if I may say so. Skillfully executed. And Metcalf South? I’m telling.
Tammy: welcome! Sugar bowls are high on the may-or-may-not list. You are blessed with many accidental items, no?
Robyn: welcome, and…Plaza towels? I can’t imagine how that happened.
Confessions of all my children
I worked in a restaurant in Sweden for a couple years. We had those mugs, and all the swedes complained about them constantly because they had no handles. I really thought they were cute. Wish I had one now.
Funny how tastes can differ. Or rather, how an entire nation of people an hate 1 certain type of mug so much.
Does a set of margarita glasses from a certain mexican restraunt in San Antonio Tx count….set meaning 6 over a period of several months?
Or the menu’s From Quark’s in Las Vegas right before they went out of Business? Fell right into my tote bag from the hostess stand when no one was looking on the way out…. But there was no way to get the Warp Core Breach Drink bowl and stand with out buying it….spent way to much for a giant fish bowl on a metal stand but hey it was cool and came with great memories.
I loved reading this blog and am gonna have to add it to my blog watching reading….keep up the um…..confessions?
I may have some napkins from the Marriott Marquis, NYC….I HAD to wrap those yummy desserts in something!! (The waitress actually helped me)
Great blog…