Faces is the collection of kitchen tools and tableware designed for the most famous molecular gastronomist, the man who heads up the best restaurant in the world, Ferran Adria. The basic cutlery (pictured) is elegant, with tattooed handles and sinuous curves. The shell-like Egg bowl collection is used both for serving and for work in the kitchen, depending on size, while the rest of the serving pieces, primarily made of stainless steel, glass and even leather, are unlike anything you'll find anywhere else. For the truly dedicated home chef, you can even pick up some of the unique spoons, skewers and tongs that all serve as eating implements at el Bulli itself. Prices run from $48 to $392 for various pieces of the collection.

Perhaps I shouldn't go so far as to say that coordinating dinnerware is overrated, but these Geo Espresso Cups are definitely more visually appealing than the average matched set. The four white porcelain cup and saucer pairs all feature a different geometric design that has been adapted in to cup form. While you can use them to serve espresso, they would also make great individual servings of creme brulees or tiny pot de creme at a holiday dinner party. Price: £55.

Dynamic is not a word that is often used to describe salt and pepper shakers, but these Salt and Pepper Orbs from Andi Kovel might qualify for that descriptor because they have an uncanny flowing sense about them. The glass is blown to order and each is individually shaped, so there will be a subtle variation between shakers. Like the Rocks Ice Bucket and Tumblers from the same designer, the glass used to make these is recycled and processed in a facility that is entirely wind-powered. Both the salt and pepper orbs stand about 4" high and fill from the bottom, which is sealed with a cork.

Ice sculptures, wine decanters and even table jewels are nothing compared to the table centerpiece unearthed at Autoblog. The display features a bright green Lamborghini Gallardo balanced atop four teacups in front of the William Ashley store in Toronto to promote a contest for a set of fine China -- the very same China supporting the 3,153-lb. vehicle. We're still wondering why they aren't including the car in the contest, since performance vehicles generally have very little to do with tableware, even though we wouldn't object if given the chance to have such a centerpiece at our own table.

Click past the jump for a closer look at the teacups holding up the car.

The limited edition Suburbia Red & White Plate is probably not something that you want to eat you dinner off of. The plate is made from blown glass and is finished with both a diamond lathe and a diamond tip engraver to give the finishe product a level of precision that is almost never reserved for something so basic. Each plate measures 18.5 inches in diameter and is handblown by the artist, Anu Pentinnen. Only 20 pieces of the plate will be made. Price: $1,250.

[via cribcandy]

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.

When it comes to high end dining, most consider the food, rather than the tableware. At Berkeley's Chez Panisse, chef/owner Alice Waters worked with Heath Ceramics to design custom place settings. Her reasoning was that since her food was locally sourced, her tableware should be, too. While you can buy the full range of Thomas Keller's tableware, Heath Ceramics has only released a 4-piece set, along with some serving dishes, for home use from their Chez Panisse Collection. The set is available in a neutral almond/ginger color. Price: $146.

Normally "fun" and "bone china" do not go together, since elegant place settings are standard when china is concerned. The Good China, Bad China collection, by Peter MacCann from thorsten van elten, retains the classic look of plain, white china with a simple twist, which would be revealed as the plate was cleared of food during a meal. At the center of each plate is one of the 7 Deadly Sins or 7 Seven Contrary Virtues. Plate pairs are Humility against Pride, Kindness against Envy, Chastity against Lust, Temperance against Anger, Charity against Greed and Diligence against Sloth. Abstinence and Gluttony make up the serving plates. Serving plates aside, half the fun of the meal will be deciding which dinner guests should get which plate. We recommend giving the sins to the guests who have a better sense of humor, so as not to bring down the mood of the party. The plates are £25 per pair and the serving plates are £50.

Eating at Thomas Keller's Yountville restaurant, The French Laundry, is one of the best dining experiences in the world, but is certainly not an everyday one. For the sake of your wallet and your waistline, your best bet is to save a trip out to Napa for special occasions and try to recreate the experience at home with Thomas Keller's line of dinnerware. You can cook up your own gourmet meals, perhaps with the help of the French Laundry Cookbook, or simply add a few presentation points to your favorite chicken and rice dish. The collection was designed by Keller with Bertrand Raynaud, the president of the Raynaud porcelain company, which produces the all-white table and dinnerware. It is named after Fernand Point, certainly one of the most famous and influential French restaurateurs/chefs of the past century. The whole collection, from classic plates to cups and saucers, is available at Gumps. Each piece is beautifully simple, suitable for both casual and formal occasions.