Independent Restaurant with a per-person check average of less than $30 First Place: The House Brasserie, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Specifying Team
Matt Carter, chef/partner, The House Brasserie; Terry Ellisor, partner, The House Brasserie; Brian Raab, owner/partner, The House Brasserie; Debbie Burke, account manager, The Wasserstrom Company
China: BIA, Dudson, Oneida (Venezia), Steelite (Montague)
Flatware: Dudson (Bee Style), Oneida (Titan)
Glassware: Anchor (New York), Cardinal, Libbey (Martello, Napoleon, New York, Nob Hill)
Photos by William McKellar, www.mckellarphoto.com
Why it Won
The diversity in the size of the plates and the shapes of the plates creates something that's really different and visually intriguing. The colors add to the tabletop presentation but don't go too far in doing so. The champagne glass and the baking dish's underliner help create an elegant appearance. The specifying team paid great attention to detail in assembling this tabletop, including the way the flatware's texture ties nicely into the china.