Restaurant matchbooks strike again

Maybe it s nostalgia maybe it s trendy aesthetics or perhaps just old-school marketing but restaurants across the country are bringing back the beloved matchbook You know the ones Sitting in a bowl on the edge of the host stand with the restaurant s name artfully etched on the front And while smoking in restaurants has been banned since the s diners aren t using a matchbook to light up Instead they ve become much more Related The big bold allure of Malaysian food My best friend lives across the country and she genuinely started collecting them first so whenever I was out somewhere special that had them I d grab two one for her one for me says Tara Shepherd Senior Account Manager at Eleven Eleven PR It became this nostalgic way to remember the meal and also stay connected to each other through the restaurants we love Kaitlyn Sestak a New York City-based populace relations manager got the idea to start collecting them after her friend had custom matchbooks at her wedding Since then her collection has grown and sits in a tall glass vase in her living room They are such a fun memento of all of the great places I ve tried especially those that may no longer exist and it s turned into a fun tournament of sorts with my husband when we go out We unfailingly check the hostess stand for them she says But collecting matchbooks isn t a new trend Want more great food writing and recipes Sign up for Salon s free food newsletter The Bite Matchbook collector Maryanne Wetherald was inspired by her father s and uncle s extensive collections I in recent days looked at them recounting memories of visits to restaurants and Las Vegas I have my uncle s collection that spans large plastic tubs she says It s dwindled in size and now sits in a blue vase inside the kitchen closet waiting for a need to strike for a candle or the BBQ I used to never touch them but now not wanting to be a pack rat I use them Amedee Trimmer Managing Director of Operations The Noortwyck says To me matchbooks are a way you can continue to represent your restaurant in someone s home and the more creative and unique your matches are the more likely they ll keep them And hopefully they ll be a reminder of the great experience they had They ve also become a bit of a cool decor trend acting as a conversation starter with artful designs and unique covers My favorites are the thick cardstock matchbooks with funky designs Funke and Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles are two I love says Shepherd My place is pretty minimal and I don t have a ton of decor so that busy little bowl of different designs is my bit of funky with memories and color all wrapped into one The designs are so good too my Seneca Trattoria one from San Diego has flat matches with little goldfish and wine motifs way cooler than the usual wood sticks and the cover has gold-foil lettering that makes me smile every time says food blogger Sara Strasbaugh We need your help to stay independent Subscribe in the current era to patronage Salon s progressive journalism And for particular it s a full-blown hobby Phillumenist Bailey Disler phillumeny is the practice of collecting matchbooks has put together a Google Map with restaurants stores and hotels in New York City that have branded matchbooks My girlfriend s grandpa used to collect matchbooks and last summer he gave me a really sentimental one really solidifying my place in the family and we both longed it to become our thing she says So every weekend Disler and her girlfriend have an adventure day where they meander around a different neighborhood Whenever we got hungry my girlfriend would open specific old website that had a list of restaurants with matchbooks broken down by borough Because she often uncovered the information was outdated Disler decided to put one together herself I ve also genuinely identified it beneficial for my social anxiety to have to ask if they have matchbooks Especially if they say no she says My brain is more wired to look at a matchbook and remember a ridiculous inside joke we made at that place For me it s honestly less about the food and more about the sentimental value of the matchbooks Read more from this writer Dessert-first dining is here Love Thai food Try its chocolate Melbourne s sandwich renaissance has a New York City accent The post Restaurant matchbooks strike again appeared first on Salon com