Passed appetizers, dessert bars and tasting menus all rely on small serveware that looks good and holds one or two bites. Restaurantware's Disposable Mini Appetizer Plates & Tasting Dishes collection is broad, so the hard part is narrowing it down. This guide organizes the collection by shape, material and how you plan to serve.
What's in the Collection
Almost all of the collection comes from Restaurantware's Mini Serve line of small plastic serveware. The rest includes Bambuddha bamboo pieces, Chef 101 tasting spoons, Maxi Serve compartment plates and cocottes, and Bev Tek mini cocktail glasses.
Choose by Shape
Cups for layered or spoonable items. Mini Serve makes many named cup shapes, including Kova cups, Quadrato cups, Bodega cups, Crescendo cups, Sphere cups, Bellissima tasting cups, Cylindro cups and Infinity pots. Restaurantware describes its Mini Serve 2 oz square Kova cup as disposable, single-use and recyclable, and says matching Mini Serve lids are available. Some pieces, such as the Tin Can and the Flower Pot Cup, are sold with lids.
Plates for single bites. Plate shapes include square Mini Modern plates, Cubic plates, Fish tasting plates, Shell plates, Coquille plates, Rotondo plates and Triangolo appetizer plates.
Bowls and dishes. Options include Architetto bowls, Incline bowls, Coppa bowls, Ellipse dishes, Alato tasting dishes and Diamond canoe dishes.
Novelty pieces. For a themed table, Mini Serve sells Ball Chairs, mini sauce pans, tin cans and flower pot cups. Restaurantware describes the 1 oz black mini sauce pan as heavy-duty plastic with a long handle, for mini dishes, bite-sized appetizers and snacks.
Shot glasses and mini drinkware. Mini Serve includes Incline and Triangolo shot glasses. Bev Tek adds mini cocktail glasses such as the 5 oz Cannello, the 2 oz Angolare martini glass, the 3 oz Dekko martini glass and a 3 oz aperitif glass.
Choose by Material
Plastic. Mini Serve pieces are plastic, and many listings describe them as recyclable. Restaurantware says some, such as the 8 oz square Kova cup, don't crack or break.
Bamboo. Bambuddha offers a smaller natural bamboo selection, including a 1.5 oz Mini Kova bowl, a 2 oz Mini Kova cup, and small (4") and large (6") bamboo canoes. Restaurantware describes the 2 oz Kova cup as commercially compostable. A Bambuddha bundle of 2.5" round bamboo dishes with 3.5" bamboo mini spoons is described as biodegradable and commercially compostable.
Tasting Spoons
Chef 101 Deco Party Spoons are 8-inch plastic spoons sold 500 per box in white, black, blue, clear, yellow, teal and pink. Restaurantware says they are self-standing, thanks to a round bottom and a slightly curved handle, and that they can hold food up to 176°F.
Bundles: Dishes Plus Mini Utensils
A large share of the collection is bundles that pair 100 dishes with 100 plastic mini forks or mini spoons. For example, one bundle pairs 100 Mini Serve 4 oz Sphere cups with 100 silver plastic 4" mini forks. Maxi Serve bundles include 7.5" Terzetto mini plates with three compartments, sold with silver plastic mini forks in white, black or seagreen, and 3 oz black rectangle cocottes with silver mini spoons. Bundles put the dishes and utensils in one order, in matching counts.
Planning Tips
- Match cup capacity to the item. Many pieces list capacity in ounces in the title, from 1 oz sauce pans up to larger cups.
- Use lids for anything made ahead. Check for "with Lid" in the product title or a matching lid listing.
- Mix shapes for a display table. Combining cups, plates and novelty pieces from the same line keeps the look consistent.
- Check the compostability wording on bamboo items if you plan to share it with guests.
Ordering from Restaurantware
Restaurantware has been in business since 2010 and lists more than 20,000 products, adding more than 250 new items each quarter. It reports a 98.6% in-stock rate, and orders placed before 3 PM CST ship the same day.
