Tableware company Ink Dish takes two disparate worlds, tatttoos and porcelain dishes and combines them in a unique and gorgeous way. Tableware designer Caroline Pople and Paul Timman of Sunset Strip Tattoo have created lines of dinnerware set composed of plates, bowls and mugs. The first collection, the delicate blue and white Irezumi which features Japanese-style fish has been wildly popular. Two new lines, Cherry Ink and Tribal Lines, shown above, are set to launch on October 15. Prices start at $14 for single pieces.

This Either-Or Dish Set by by troels seidenfaden for magppie and available from Unica Home is insanely simple considering it's designed to serve two very different purposes: beautiful candle-lit centerpiece or classic serving dish. Made of sleek, tough, and timeless stainless steel, the set consists of three bowls, three tea light holders that double as lids, and a specially-shaped tray designed to hold them all in elegant style. A high-quality and uber-useful party staple for yourself, plus it could make a great gift for the friend or hostess who already seems to have everything. $158

I'm a sucker for unique and beautiful dishes, and even though they're fairly modern looking (I generally lean towards more organic and antique looking pieces) these red and white creations from Neutrino Designs really caught my eye. They're very bright and clean and cheery -- which is great now in the gray and dreary dead of winter. The Neutrino Ceramics line includes everything from salt and pepper shakers to coffee mugs to a set of coasters, with each being available in your choice of 7 different red and white patterns that have a decidedly scientific feel.

Via Design Mind

I'm not one to drink my tea out of a fancy cup and saucer, but some of them can be so pretty I can see how people end up collecting them -- if even just to display and never use. But regardless whether you want to actually sip from them or just look at them, these Alma Fortune Cups and Saucers would make a beautiful addition to any China cabinet. Kind of like reading tea leaves, the design is based on the Middle Eastern tradition called Tasseography (or the reading of a person's fortune in coffee grounds) but instead of grounds the fortune is forever captured in 22k gold. No two are alike. $95

The question is: do you find out what fortune you got?


Via Wists

Hmm, I really don't know how I feel about this War Bowl. Designed by Mosley meets Wilcox. It's representative of something, but you'll have to decide what it means to you. Created by melting plastic soldiers together -- half French infantry and half British artillery from the Battle of Waterloo -- the end result is a sad but interesting looking dish that I doubt anyone would actually use to keep anything in. It kinda looks like an accident to me, like a pile of children's play soldiers ended up getting melted somehow and ruined. It also reminds me of the "Fall of the Damned" lampshade and might look interesting placed directly beneath it...

When it comes to durability and timelessness in the kitchen very few things can compete with stainless steel, but the downside is that stainless steel dishes almost always have to sacrifice beauty for functionality. But that's not the case with this deep steel bowl by Simon Pearce. A brushed and traditional "stainless" look on the outside leads to the surprising shine and glisten of hammered steel on the inside. The combination makes for a nice mix of tough meets pretty, art meets function, you get the idea. $128.

Adam Platt, the restaurant critic for New York Magazine, has just put together a list of the ten most decadent dishes available in New York City. With short descriptions provided, we can assume that the dishes probably speak for themselves once they're on your plate. They include:

• Foie Gras Shabu Shabu, Masa
• Roast Suckling Pig, Eleven Madison Park
• Kobe Beef, L'Atelier De Joël Rubochon
• Truffled Gnudi, Dona
• Chicken Kiev With Foie Gras Sauce, Picholine
• Caviar Pasta, (Royal Osetra Caviar on Tagliolini With Bacon Carbonara Sauce), Le Bernardin
• Duck and Foie Gras Meatballs, A Voce
• Butter Poached Lobster, Per Se
• The Chocolate Dessert Tasting, Del Posto
• Iranian Special Reserve Caviar With Buckwheat Blini, The Russian Tea Room

If you're planning on visiting the city this year, any one of these will be worth the trip, although you'll probably enjoy it even more if your New Year's resolution didn't involve the word "diet."

The British Library has created an interesting new literary twist on tableware. The Great Works brand was created for the British Library by Miller & Co. and the each product in the range is decorated with an excerpt from a handwritten manuscript derived exclusively from the British Library's manuscript collection. Charlotte Bronte, Oscar Wilde, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge are among the authors featured. Shown here is the Lewis Carroll collection for children, a bowl, mug and plate which comes a presentation gift box and sells for £34.95.

The Tulipiere Platter and Bowl provide us with two innovative and stunning ways to showcase flowers, an alternative to a typical vase. Both the bowl and the platter have small vase-like compartments around their edges where flowers can be inserted, framing the porcelain dish, which can be used for serving, as well. You don't have to be a master flower arranger, but it would be a good idea to use brightly colored flowers with the white serving dishes.The platter ($379) measures 13.5"D in diameter and the bowl ($329) is 7.5"D x 5.5"H.

If you have a nice set of dishes, though luxury consumers tend to prefer basic tableware, you might not want your kids eating off of it, especially if they are very young. Not only could they have an accident, dropping a plate or bowl, but working with a knife and fork that are too large for their small hands can be quite difficult. The Kid's Stuff Complete Dining Set from Alfredo Haberli is kid sized and much more refined than those cartoon-covered plastic dish sets that are often given to children. It includes a plastic tray, porcelain bowl & plate, glass, a four piece flatware set, wooden cutting board and spreader and everything is sized to the proportions of a child, with wide grips that are easy to hold. The cutting board is designed to encourage children to cut up their own food, rather than waiting for an adult to do it for them. Price: $150.

Topping the list of fun things to do around the house is not washing dishes, so having an excuse to put them off until later is not necessarily a bad thing. Combine that excuse with a funky sculpture and you have: the Dirty Dishes Fountain. The ceramic fountain is made from hard-fired and glazed clay, hand-formed in California. It stands 23" H x 12"W and the attached faucet is fully functional, so in addition to tossing your dirty dishes in and calling it "art," you can actually do them from time to time.

The brightly colored dishes shown in the photo are, unfortunately, not included, so you'll have to invest in a set of boldly colored tableware to dress up the piece. Price: $750.

It's hard to say which of the collections from the Seattle-based Rosanna Bowles is the most appealing. I already have the Hot Chocolate set, which is beautiful blue stoneware, decorated with words meaning "chocolate" in four different languages. Hot chocolate is a bit of a seasonal drink, however, so for summer, I prefer the Wine Tasting collection. With drawings, words about wine and bold, block-lettering, each porcelain piece is classy and fun, reflective of the fact that wine drinking doesn't always have to be a serious business. There are appetizer plates ($30), coasters ($15) and a serving tray ($20), all of which are useful for entertaining friends over a glass of your favorite wine and a plate of cheese and crackers. The whole set would also make a great housewarming or wedding gift.

These drop-dead adorable Dotty Heart plates from Sur La Table are part of an entire line that includes ice cream bowls, a canister and teacup and saucer sets. The ceramic set features colorful hearts and the sets include pink or red interiors. A set of four 7.5" diameter plates sell for $19.50. They are probably too cutsey for your Valentine's Day dinner but would be very sweet as a gift for a friend.