Am I a snob for wanting a glass wine glass?

$30 for a bottle of Rex Goliath NV Cab Sauv and its poured into one of those stacking plastic 'wine glass' you find in supermarkets, no taste, just filled to the brim.

Plastic knives and forks.

Cheap diner? No. Stewmans Lobster Pound Restaurant at waters edge in pricey Holiday Inn Resort at Bar Harbor. 'Its our policy to use plastic', said the waiter but was unable to explain why. Plastic dishes for food, plastic cutlery, paper cups for coffee but real silver prices.

You are not a snob. Too bad to hear you were treated that way. Try http://www.trentonbridgelobster.com/ and bring your own stemware and wine (or six-pack of beer).

'Its our policy to use plastic', said the waiter but was unable to explain why. Plastic dishes for food, plastic cutlery, paper cups for coffee but real silver prices.

Their management made a calculation that wholesale purchase of disposable plates, cups and cutlery is cheaper than washing dishes. Seems they have the same contempt for the environment and for their diners. I would 'out' them to local green activist groups, that might be more effective than complaining to 'snobs' like us...

Peter, Hi...

Not a snob at all. I so object to plastic cups for wines that I would prefer to drink the wine straight from the bottle!

Best
Rogov

Snob? Hell, no. Wine tastes better out of a glass. Plastic "glasses" are just unpleasant to drink out of: rough and uneven rims - just distracts you from the experience! - faint whiff of plastic - how can you sniff the aromas? - the wine doesn't behave in the same way as it does in glass - can you swirl it round, look at the legs?

I agree with Mike about contempt for the environment. Wasteful, wasteful, wasteful.

How about a "BYO glass" policy???

Until I got to last sentence (all disposable ware) I thought I knew the reason- I was going to ask if this was waterfront place- sometimes for safety/insurance reasons places serving by pool or waterfront where people walk barefoot ban glass. But the paper/plastic cutlery and plates throw the idea. Bad for the enviroment, bad for the winegeek.

I carry stems even to picnic concerts.

'Its our policy to use plastic', said the waiter but was unable to explain why. Plastic dishes for food, plastic cutlery, paper cups for coffee but real silver prices.

Not only a lousy way to treat paying guests - what does that say about respect for their own food and the wine they serve? When you said Bar Harbor I was really surprised, I was expecting some Carnegie Deli-type place where they are known for abusing their customers. We go to Maine once in a while as do friends of ours with parents there and Stewmans Lobster Pound Restaurant is now officially off the list.

The restaurant is in its own building, not in the swimming pool area: that was my first thought. When I askedif I was expected to eat my steak with a plastic disposible knife the waiter said steaks came with a proper metal steak knife! (but not fork



The other restaurant had more empty tables than occupied at both dinner and breakfast the following day yet they were not seating people because of 'shortage of staff' though there seems to be plenty of them they are disorganised and milling about.

My 'luxuriously appointed guest room' has a small 2ft high fridge on the floor carpet.

[James Roscoe]

Bar Harbor and luxury are not two words I would put together. The blueberry ice cream is fantastic!!!!

If you are still in the area Peter, check out Beal's Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor. You can BYO there too. It is as good or better than the one in Trenton that Howie recommended. Instead of cars rushing by, there are boats. Regular visitors to MDI (Mount Desest Island) soon learn to stay clear of Bah Hahba.

I think the last time I was at Beal's was in 1974. Will have to go there next time I'm in the area. My brother used to live in SW Harbor.

[Jenise]

Until I got to last sentence (all disposable ware) I thought I knew the reason- I was going to ask if this was waterfront place- sometimes for safety/insurance reasons places serving by pool or waterfront where people walk barefoot ban glass.

Also, there's acrylic/plastic and then there's disposable. We have some thick plastic plates made out of recycled materials that we use on the patio for just the reason you mention and we have well-designed (slightly rounded, not V shaped) plastic tumblers with non-slip bottoms that we take along with wine when invited out on other people's boats. Not crystal, but a million times better than those disposable plastic cups. A restaurant can buy--and clean--those just as easily as I can. Mike F's probably right about the dishwashing issue.

[James Roscoe]

If you are still in the area Peter, check out Beal's Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor. You can BYO there too. It is as good or better than the one in Trenton that Howie recommended. Instead of cars rushing by, there are boats. Regular visitors to MDI (Mount Desest Island) soon learn to stay clear of Bah Hahba.

I liked Bar Harbor, but I wouldn't have stayed there. It is what it is. The other side of the Island is near paradise. Bar Harbor had the best blueberry ice cream I've ever had. I would go back in a second just for that!

No, you are not a snob for preferring decent stemware for your wine. I, myself, an nowhere near as picky with stemware as many of my wino friends, but I draw the line way before drinking wine from anything plastic.

As regards plastic cutlery, I do not enjoy using these things one bit - same with paper plates. I'll abide them during the rare picnic if it cannot be helped, but none other than those times.

They are far from unbreakable, but for me Riedel Os fit the bill when I might need to drink wine in situations where a normal glass is likely to get knocked over and/or broken.

Regular visitors to MDI (Mount Desest Island) soon learn to stay clear of Bah Hahba.

We were regular visitors in the 1970's....

Wanted to revisit but I think would have been best as a memory.

BH has changed out of recognition since then and nose to tail traffic in Acadia.

Today we paddled at Sand Beach, walked around Jordan Pond and had popovers at Jordan restaurant. Those haven't changed, thank goodness