Tag: Tabletop

April 30, 2019 Trends

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

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April 26, 2019 Glassware, Tabletop

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 

March 6, 2019 Trends

Spruce Up Your Tabletop This Spring With These 3 Trends

With only a few months into 2019, the year is already shaping up to be one filled with memorable and diverse dining experiences and trends. Trends of 2019 For the Savvy Restaurateur mentioned some upcoming trends that would be making profound waves throughout the dining scene, and just barely scratched the surface of what diners are bound to experience. Along with the trends already mentioned, these three new trends are set to take the dining scene by storm. When paired with some of the aforementioned trends that savvy restaurateurs would do well to follow, the experience is sure to be outstanding.

The Boldest Colors Make for the Best Tabletop Pieces

As mentioned in Trends of 2019 For the Savvy Restaurateur, one of the biggest trends diners are bound to see at restaurants is the use of unique dinnerware and glassware. Dinnerware that packs a visual punch, like bowls that look like they have been hewn by hand, bold geometric shapes, and handmade plates painted with bright and vibrant colors, is one of the hottest trends of 2019. But why stop at just dinnerware? Another trend that can go solo or hand in hand with the trend of unique dinner and glassware is the trend of having brightly colored tabletop pieces to bring everything together.

Decoist.com reports that tables will be sporting bold uses of colors and patterns for the Spring and Summer seasons, including big stripes of color on table cloths and color pairings like bright, pristine white and deep blue. Making white and blue table settings stand out even further are tabletop pieces that include hues like bright reds, oranges, yellows, and turquoise shades. MCIC is proud to include it’s organic line of tabletop pieces that would fit right in with this trend of bold and wonderful colors to liven up the Spring dining experience.   

Melamine Material is In

Another trend that pairs well with the glassware trend is the use of melamine dining ware. If you don’t know what melamine is, it is more likely than not that you have already eaten from bowls and plates made from this very material. As webstaurantstore.com explains, melamine is an organic industrial compound that is created when melamine resin is combined with strengthening materials. The material is lighter and more durable than china, making it an ideal type of dinnerware to have on hand at any busy restaurant. The constant chaos of bringing out and retrieving dishes calls for a material like melamine, which can withstand the rough and rushed treatment.

Melamine is versatile enough that it can be used not only in plates, but also bowls, serving trays, ramekins, and chopsticks, and comes not only in the standard elegant white, but in a wide range of colors. The material is especially helpful to servers because melamine dishes can keep food warm, yet remain cool to the touch for those hard-working servers who have to handle said dishes while they serve them to diners. Melamine dishes are affordable and a great investment in the long-term thanks to their durability. MCIC offers a wide selection of  Melamine options in both wide and multiple colors to go with the vibrancy of the upcoming Spring.

Slate to Give that Elegant Touch to a Dining Experience  

A final trend that ties into the dinnerware section of Trends of 2019 For the Savvy Restaurateur is the use of slate products to give food that elegant yet powerful look. According to slateplate.com, one of the main reasons why slate plates have gained so much popularity is because the beautiful black-cut stone makes the vibrant colors of certain foods stand out, as opposed to the traditional white plate. Reds and oranges pop, while white no longer fades away into the background.

  • Slate

Easy to clean and durable enough to withstand the chaotic back of any restaurant, slate plates have fast become a go-to when serving delicious food items like salads, breads, jams, and especially cheese platters, which along with jams have become a great dining trend of 2019. Slate plates simply have a way of elevating the usual humdrum place setting into a memorable dining experience that is sure to have diners flocking back to eat and enjoy themselves at a particular restaurant again. MCIC proudly offers a variety of slate trays, and serving ware that is sure to make savvy restaurateurs and eagle-eyed diners very happy this coming Spring.      

Written by Raidah Islam

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