Celebrate Cinco de Mayo With These Colorful Tabletop Ideas

Cinco de Mayo has become a huge cultural celebration in the United States, and nothing kicks off the holiday quite like a festive tabletop presentation. The celebration of Cinco de Mayo is full of joyful parades, family-filled parties, traditional dances with mariachi music, and, of course, vibrant and flavorful foods.

Your tabletop should reflect the joy and vibrancy of Cinco de Mayo, and MCIC has the fun and colorful dinnerware you’ve been looking for. Cinco de Mayo is all about celebrating Mexican heritage with food & family, so your tabletop presentation should be the eye-catching center of the celebration! 

Organic Collection

All of the dinnerware in the Organic Collection is vibrantly-hued and imperfectly shaped, ideal for anyone hoping to kick Cinco de Mayo off with a uniquely-decorated bang. The grey, teal, yellow, orange, and blue plates have a tasteful speckled quality that makes them charming and celebratory without losing their down-to-earth vibe. Imagine the Organic 6.5” Orange Plate piled high with some golden, still-steaming tamales. Or how about the Organic 7.5” Teal Bowl carrying a diverse assortment of pork, beef, chicken, and veggie tacos? This collection isn’t just delightful to look at–it will truly tie one’s tabletop together for a festive celebration.

The Organic Collection, with its bright colors and welcoming feel, will transform one’s tabletop presentation into a celebratory Cinco de Mayo spread that will enhance any diners experience! Any chef can easily make a masterpiece of plating their culinary creations on this vibrant and fun collection.

Multi-Color Melamine


The Melamine Collection is artsy and colorful, yet sophisticated and sleek. As already mentioned in our Spring Tabletop Trends of 2019 article, Melamine is undoubtedly popular choice. It’s the ideal blend of youth and adulthood, perfect for a responsible host who also wants to dance the night away. With its multi-textured, multi-shaped qualities, as well as its refreshing red, lime, and black colors, this dinnerware elevates any tabletop to something that’s simultaneously kid-friendly and cosmopolitan.

The Red Melamine 5 inch 2-Section Rectangle Tray is the perfect vessel for the spiciest of salsas. The Lime Melamine 4 inch Square Bowl is the best showcase for one’s red-hot mole poblano. In addition, the Black Melamine 2.75 inch Spoon, with its deep bowl and short handle, is incredibly useful when spooning out large quantities of Mexican corn salad or even tequila-infused party punch, and will make any brightly-colored food or drink pop. Plus,the dishes themselves are thick and sturdy without appearing cheap or industrial. They are extremely durable on the off chance a clumsy relative or excited cousin accidentally drops the serving spoon, ensuring an easy and panic-free dining experience.

Natur Sea Collection

Mexican dishes are naturally bright and colorful, and MCW’s Natur Sea Collection, with its swanky sea-green hue, will only make the dishes look more delicious. The 20 oz, 6.7” Natur Sea Porvasal Bowl is the summer-ready dish one needs on a Cinco de Mayo tabletop. The 12.2” Natur Sea Porvasal Flat Plate is the calm complement to a zesty dish of crispy gorditas or some cheesy-charred elote.

Dishes don’t have to be black or white to be elegant, as the Natur Sea collection shows; the sea green color brings to mind sophisticated beachfront restaurants, which are both impressive and relaxing. Part of what makes this collection so inviting is how the dishes are a gorgeous yet durable porcelain, and they evoke a refined, polished feel that will still put your guests at ease. The Natur Sea tabletop is a place one can celebrate a holiday while digging into a wonderfully gooey chile-chicken enchilada!

Alcohol-Ready Glassware

A Cinco de Mayo tabletop wouldn’t be complete without some margaritas and cocktails, and MCIC has some truly eye-catching glassware that will really get the Cinco de Mayo celebration started.

The 12 oz. Madison Sheer Rim Margarita Glass is fun and feisty, perfect for the fruitiest and spiciest of margaritas. The Madison Sheer Rim makes for a delicate but durable margarita glass. This glass is one of the most vivacious glasses offered, with its wide rim and curved glass. Whether one is celebrating in a crowded bar or in a vibrant restaurant, these glasses are sure to bring life to any Cinco de Mayo gathering.  

Cocktails are just as important as margaritas when celebrating Cinco de Mayo, and MCIC’s 15.5 oz Hurricane Cocktail Glasses are both festive and dignified. The Hurricane Glass also comes in 20 oz. This glass has one of the more unique shapes of all of MCIC’s commercial glassware, ensuring a one-of-a-kind cocktail experience.

Cinco de Mayo offers a playful way to add colors, textures, and shapes to any tabletop presentation. How will you prepare your tabletop?

Written by Emma Patterson

Titanium Crystal: Why You Should Invest in Lucaris Titanium Glassware for your Tabletop

When a restaurateur builds their restaurant from the ground up, they make countless investments in many things: They invest their time, energy, and money in the restaurant itself, and they invest in the staff, from the manager and head chef to the delivery boy. They invest in the furniture, wall decorations, pots, pans, and tabletop presentations to perfectly compliment their menu, while also highly representing the restaurant and its owner.

Of these investments, one of the most important investments restaurateurs make is the choice of glassware they will use in accompaniment with the plates and tabletop accessories from which their patrons will dine. Glassware is far more important than just sand heated to the point of melting and then molded into a container to hold wine and other drinks. The quality of glassware matters just as much as the quality of the food and drink that will be served using them.

There are countless types of glassware for restaurateurs to choose from, but one of the wisest investments a restaurateur can make is to invest in Titanium Crystal Glassware. MCIC is a proud exclusive distributor of Lucaris Titanium Crystal. If it’s durability and elegance you’re looking for, Lucaris Glassware is the choice of glassware for you.

What is Titanium Crystal Glassware?

When one thinks of titanium, they may think of the metal that is usually found in heavy-duty machinery such as aircrafts, missiles, and even spaceships. One would not exactly expect to find such a material in their wine glass while enjoying a plate of ravioli or lamb shank.

Titanium Crystal Glassware, which combines usually delicate glass with nearly impenetrable titanium, proves to be the perfect combination to serve diners in all restaurant settings.

Lucaris Titanium Crystal Glassware is a fine showcase of this. It’s Western designs combined with the latest in crystal producing technology to form glassware that is both amazingly light and elegant yet strong enough to handle the most chaotic of dinner hours. Still, it’s delicate enough to hold wine for one on a relaxing night in.

Why Titanium Crystal Glassware?

Durability

When it comes to glassware that is meant for food service, strength and durability should be paramount in a savvy restaurateurs mind. Glassware should be able to withstand the oftentimes chaotic wear and tear of a busy food service. When it comes to durability and strength in various scenarios, Lucaris Crystal Glassware can withstand this test in spades.

So just how durable is it? When in comes to Lucaris Titanium Crystal wine glasses, the standard impact test on the glasses bowl area revealed that this particular glass could withstand a 95 gram steel ball dropped onto it from a height of 300mm without any chipping or breakage. Further tests concluded that the Lucaris glass was resistant to sudden temperature changes, that the glass is safe for industrial dishwashing in high concentrations of alkaline detergent, and that the stem of the glass can endure holding up to 30 kilograms, making it extra strong.

When it comes to food service, it is inevitable that glasses will break and need to be replaced, but with Lucaris Crystal Glassware, it won’t break as easily or need replacing as often. In addition, Lucaris Glassware is also budget friendly.

Aesthetic Appeal      

Durability is great, as it means that the glassware will last longer, saving restaurateurs money and effort in finding suitable replacements. However, there is more to glassware than just durability; the glassware has to also look and feel good to diners.

Everything before a diner could be set to perfection, from the tablecloth that rests over the table, to the bone plate resting beside the main plate that holds the main course, but if the glassware that accompanies everything looks dull or doesn’t match the overall elegant aesthetic, then that takes away from the dining experience. 

Lucaris Crystal Glassware is not only durable, but looks resplendently elegant. When one looks at any of Lucaris’ lovingly designed wine glasses, they will note the beautiful shape of the large bowls in the wine glasses that will allow for wine to breathe and release all of its fragrant aromas. The crystal itself is almost transparent, allowing wine connoisseurs to see the full richness and deep color of the wine they are about to enjoy.

 Lucariscrystal.com actually provides a comprehensive list of how to pair wine and food together with their crystal wine glasses to create the perfect dining experience. Lucaris can also proudly display its prowess in the wine connoisseur world by having been a proud sponsor of Thailand’s Best Sommelier Competition in 2013, was the official sponsor at the Bangkok Wine Expo in 2014, and as a proud partner of the Hotelier Awards that took place in 2017.  These are just a few of Lucaris Crystal’s international accomplishments.

Health and Environment Benefits

Besides being both durable and aesthetically appealing, Lucaris Crystal Glassware is a great choice for another reason. In this day and age where everyone is a little more health and safety conscious, guests want to feel safe not only about what they are enjoying for a meal but also what said food and drink are being served in. Another aspect of Lucaris Crystal Glassware that sets it high above other glass competitors is that thanks to the collaborative efforts between Ocean Glass, Toyo-Sasaki Glass, and multiple award-winning German designer Martin Ballendat, Lucaris Crystal Glassware has been meticulously designed to not only be durable and elegant, but to be both health and environmentally conscious.

Because of its new age design, Lucaris Glassware rises above traditional old world crystal and blown-glass designs that may contain harmful agents like lead and barium. Lucaris Crystal Glassware is completely lead-free, making it safe for both diners and the environment. 

Lead is known to have an number of negative sides effects on consumers. The less lead exposure the better, and thankfully Lucaris offers a completely lead-free glassware option. It is better to avoid such harmful agents, and Lucaris successfully provides a safe and environment-friendly glassware to enjoy drinks.

With durability, functionality, and sublime beauty, the Lucaris Crystal Glassware collections found at MCIC are sure to be the right choice for the any restaurateur! 

View Our Lucaris Collections

To learn more about Lucaris products are to request a quote, please email us at info@mcicusa.com 

Porcelain: The Wonderful Go-To Dinnerware

Pictured: K-Line

Whether you are setting the table for a luxurious feast for a large party, or a cozy breakfast for two, the dinnerware the food is plated on is just as important as your menu itself. When choosing the perfect dinnerware for a beautiful tabletop setting, restaurateurs are faced with countless varieties of materials and styles to choose from. One dinnerware staple that has survived the test of time and has remained a classic is porcelain. With a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and different types of dinnerware options out there, sometimes just a pure white, porcelain plate is all a restaurateur needs to make a place in their patrons hearts.

What is Porcelain?

Dinnerware made from porcelain is aesthetically very elegant, and can elevate a dining experience to new height. So what exactly is porcelain, anyway? Porcelain is one of many variations that is derived from ceramic. As explained by Nicolette Bertolissi, porcelain is a combination of clay, kaolin clay, feldspar, silica, and quartz that is fired at temperatures above 2300°F.  As a result of this high temperature, porcelain is very durable in comparison to other types of ceramic.   

Pictured: Diamond Collection

History

The history of porcelain dates all the way back to 2,000 years ago in China during the Han Dynasty. The people of China used porcelain to make the cups from which they drank their vast arrays of herbal teas, and also in their artistic endeavors like the famous hand painted porcelain statues and vases. In the beginning, China just about had a vice grip on the supply of porcelain that could enter other parts of the world, like Europe, Asia, and Africa. However, a fateful capturing of a Portuguese cargo ship carrying thousands of pieces of porcelain by the Dutch lead to potters all throughout Europe trying to replicate the formula for porcelain. Once a German physicist finally did crack the code in 1704, whole porcelain factories dedicated to crafting everything from dinnerware to statues, sprang up all throughout Europe. This eventually lead to porcelain taking the rest of the world by storm, and becoming a true staple of dinnerware.

The Difference Between Porcelain and Other Types of Ceramics

There are variations of ceramic, but the composition of clay and the temperatures at which they are baked is what makes them different from one another. Aside from Porcelain, the main other variations of cermaic are earthenware, stoneware, and bone china, as described in this article by Katom.

Earthenware

Earthenware is one of the oldest types of ceramic around. Earthenware is also one of the simplest to create, made from a less refined clay mixture and fired at a lower temperature than porcelain or stoneware. The result of this lower temperature process is a thicker, more porous ceramic. By glazing the earthenware, its porous surface diminishes. While porcelain allows for a practical and elegant tabletop, earthenware can additionally make for a great aesthetic presentation. To view our Earthenware collections, click here.

Stoneware

The next type of ceramic is stoneware. Stoneware is the middle ground between earthenware and porcelain. Unlike earthenware, stoneware can be made thinner and lighter. However, like earthenware, stoneware needs to be glazed.

Bone China

A step up from porcelain is called bone china. It actually is porcelain, but with an added ingredient, bone ash. Incorporating bone ash into the clay mixture that goes into making bone china gives it a distinctive milky white and translucent look. Adding bone ash also helps make the ceramic more durable and less brittle. However, according to MS Trading Company, there are some drawbacks to bone china. Due to it’s durable and desirable aesthetics, bone china can come at a higher cost. Bone china is the most expensive ceramic out of the four types, and can be too delicate for daily use. Bone china is commonly used for special occasions, whereas porcelain can withstand the daily wear and tear of either home life or restaurant service. This makes porcelain dinnerware a perfect choice for the everyday restaurateur.      

The Benefits of Porcelain

Out of all the types of ceramic that have been discussed, there are many reasons why porcelain stands out against its competition. Some benefits to porcelain include the fact that the mixture from which porcelain is created and the high temperature at which it is fired allows for porcelain wares to be dishwasher and microwave safe, making it ideal for day-to-day use whether at home, or at a restaurant. As discussed by plumstreetpottery.com, because porcelain is fired at approximately 2500°F and higher, it makes for the most durable, chip and scratch resistant material for food serving dishes. Additionally, porcelain-wares can also withstand high oven temperatures, while also withstanding low temperatures in a freezer. 

Pictured: Orleans Coupe

Porcelain: The Right Choice! 

From the vast array of ceramics out their to choose from, the elegance and durability of porcelain stands out. Whether it’s porcelain with a lovely pattern painted onto it, or just pure white-wares, porcelain makes for an elegant and safe dining experience no matter the setting or occasion. Porcelain more than earns its reputation as a go-to dinnerware for the home, or for the restaurant. 

Check out all of our porcelain collections here.

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