Condiment Presentation

[Proud Texan]

DW and I were having a discussion this morning about the best way to present condiments at the table.
We have separate dispensers for honey and maple syrup (very pretty antiques) and we have individual condiment dishes for jams, jellies and special requests. For our signature breakfast, however, we provide sour cream, salsa and chopped jalepeños in a divided condiment dish. We cannot seem to agree on the best way to present catsup and some of the more peculiar condiments individuals seem to request.
I don't know if it's just a Southern practice, but in Texas tabasco sauce for eggs is a must. I'm pretty sure that it is acceptable to just place the bottle on the table.
Any creative suggestions?
Edited to remove identity

 

[Sanctuary]

For the often uncommon condiments such as ketchup, I provide that upon request, and I do ask if anyone wants it after serving the plates. When they do, I serve a dollop in a little individual-serving stainless cup like you'd see in a restaurant. For Tabasco sauce, I think the bottle is just fine since that is generally applied by the drop which you can't do easily if you present it in serving container like the little cups I use.
For jellies and jams, I have a small china serving dish with a matching china spoon that I bring to the table. If a flavor other than what I have.
When we have breakfast burritos, I have the individual-serving cups ready with the salsa, sour cream, etc. We even have the tiny individal crystal salt/pepper shakers for each place setting.

 

[egoodell]

We put the bottle on the table or on the sideboard for things like hot sauce and ketchup.
I'll predict that if you put those things in little dishes, it will only last a couple of weeks. You'll get tired of throwing away what was not used (waste) and the additional dishes to clean and to fill and put out.
Riki

 

[egoodell]

Forgot to note that we usually put the smaller things like jams on a pretty platter that is the same pattern as our dishes, and put little antique spoons by them to scoop out and put jam on the bread plate. I could see if you want to make it dressy, to find a nice piece of matching china or silver and put the ketchup and hot sauce on it, either on the table or on the sideboard.
Riki

 

[swirt]

We put the bottle on the table or on the sideboard for things like hot sauce and ketchup.
I'll predict that if you put those things in little dishes, it will only last a couple of weeks. You'll get tired of throwing away what was not used (waste) and the additional dishes to clean and to fill and put out.
Riki.

I agree with Riki's prediction. You just waste so much with putting ketchup into cups (unless you did it by request only) We put the bottle on the table (making sure the bottle is clean and wiped) When it gets just below half full, it becomes "ours" and a new one is used for the guests.

 

[gillumhouse]

When serving bread pudding, I have the vanilla yogurt in an antique footed glass dish with a the gravy ladle from my silver as a server. Jelly and apple butter are put in glass dishes that would have matched the compote I purchased on eBay if the compote had not been broken (since it was packed with 2 of the bowls on top of the compote I figure it was shipped broken) with the jelly spoon from the set on the jelly dish and an extra sugar shell in the apple butter.
If I need a dish of sour cream or salsa I use glass custard cups. These double as repositories for used tea bags for guests having tea for breakfast. Ketchup? I rummage and might find some in the fridge....

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Place the bottle on the table or they will ask what it is etc etc. I place a couple bottle, Tabasco, Green Tabasco, Texas Pete (Regional to this area), and Ketchup in the bottle. The more you have in fancy dishes the less they use. It just happens that way.
Just make sure it is full (not insinuating you would not do this - benefit for all reading) - so buy small bottles, and no crsusty crud that falls into the eggs like happened to me this morning at at Bob whats-his-face restaurant. Evans, that was it. 1/3 bottle of Tabasco left and crusty icky crud all around the lid. Things like this get my dander up!
Speaking of that - fyi just to remind everyone the incredible VALUE a guest receives at a B&B for breakfast -- for two of us coffee each (no juice, not a stitch of fruit, just a basic breakfast plate) tax and tip $24. Nothing fancy, nothing grand, just eggs, potatoes, bacon and a side of sour dough toast. $24
So STUFF THAT INTO YOUR ROOM RATES people! I will not be passing the oj around. I already provide dark sumatra coffee with fresh half n half and an excellent breakfast with REAL FRUIT and real everything...cooked just fo them.
Just thought i would share. I rarely go out to eat breakfast, I usually come right on here and complain when I do. There was no way in the world to make eggs any flatter than what I had today...no way, whatsoever.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Now for the rest of the story...
Yes four of us went to Charlotte, only two ate breakfast out. The hotel, bless their heart, promoted a breakfast buffet for their guests. If you didn't like BREAKFAST you were sol! They have a coffee pot that was empty, indiv packets of grits and oatmeal, a hanfdul of mini muffins, an apple wrapped in cellophane, a banana wrapped in cellophane, a juice machine with watered down fake oj - or is that orange drink, and a lady in aprong standing in front of the toasting toasting the bagel or bread you chose. A LADY THERE JUST TO TOAST THE BREAD? WHAT THE?
No pastries, nothing decent.
So the kids already started in on some toast and a plastic wrapped apple and were quite happy to scrounge around and then go for a swim.
So we walked next door to Bob Evans for breakfast.

 

[Samster]

Where we are, hot sauce is a must with eggs for a lot of folks.

I have 4 different bottles which fit nicely in a hammered pewter wine bottle holder. Think outside the box...you probably have something cute that you can stick the bottles in to dress them up a bit.

 

[Morticia]

I use these for jams and jellies I can spoon out enough for one to three servings into each. I'm pretty good at gauging it now. And everyone at the table can have whatever flavor they want. (Because I just bought a pile more of these!)
For catsup and Tabasco, I just put out the bottle when asked for it. Had a guy ask for catsup the other day when I served pancakes. I brought it to the table and said, 'You ARE putting this on the sausages, right?' He laughed right out loud and said, 'Had you going there didn't I?'

 

[Morticia]

Place the bottle on the table or they will ask what it is etc etc. I place a couple bottle, Tabasco, Green Tabasco, Texas Pete (Regional to this area), and Ketchup in the bottle. The more you have in fancy dishes the less they use. It just happens that way.
Just make sure it is full (not insinuating you would not do this - benefit for all reading) - so buy small bottles, and no crsusty crud that falls into the eggs like happened to me this morning at at Bob whats-his-face restaurant. Evans, that was it. 1/3 bottle of Tabasco left and crusty icky crud all around the lid. Things like this get my dander up!
Speaking of that - fyi just to remind everyone the incredible VALUE a guest receives at a B&B for breakfast -- for two of us coffee each (no juice, not a stitch of fruit, just a basic breakfast plate) tax and tip $24. Nothing fancy, nothing grand, just eggs, potatoes, bacon and a side of sour dough toast. $24
So STUFF THAT INTO YOUR ROOM RATES people! I will not be passing the oj around. I already provide dark sumatra coffee with fresh half n half and an excellent breakfast with REAL FRUIT and real everything...cooked just fo them.
Just thought i would share. I rarely go out to eat breakfast, I usually come right on here and complain when I do. There was no way in the world to make eggs any flatter than what I had today...no way, whatsoever..

Just make sure it is full (not insinuating you would not do this - benefit for all reading) - so buy small bottles, and no crsusty crud that falls into the eggs like happened to me this morning at at Bob whats-his-face restaurant. Evans, that was it. 1/3 bottle of Tabasco left and crusty icky crud all around the lid. Things like this get my dander up!

I always panic when someone asks for catsup! OMG, when did we last use that? Is the bottle clean? I have to open it up and look and do a quick wipe sometimes. Then I shake the bottle up so it LOOKS full.

 

[Samster]

I use these for jams and jellies I can spoon out enough for one to three servings into each. I'm pretty good at gauging it now. And everyone at the table can have whatever flavor they want. (Because I just bought a pile more of these!)
For catsup and Tabasco, I just put out the bottle when asked for it. Had a guy ask for catsup the other day when I served pancakes. I brought it to the table and said, 'You ARE putting this on the sausages, right?' He laughed right out loud and said, 'Had you going there didn't I?'.

I have a friend who has catsup on French Toast. Ick! She loves it.
We were at our local little market this morning...$6 for 6 small cinnamon rolls. They had little samples. I was not impressed. Add that to your breakfast value if you are serving a baked from scratch baked good with your brekkie.
Oh, and homemade breads were also $5-6 each and no great shakes.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

This is just so cute. I have never called it catsup in my life. This forum is fun.

 

[Morticia]

This is just so cute. I have never called it catsup in my life. This forum is fun..

This is just so cute. I have never called it catsup in my life. This forum is fun.

Imagine my surprise when I found out 'ketchup' was the same thing!

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I guess I think of catsup as the runnier version (no name brand) versus the thicker Ketchup being Heinz. Just something I thought.
In Oz it is tomato sauce and always runny.

 

[Samster]

I guess I think of catsup as the runnier version (no name brand) versus the thicker Ketchup being Heinz. Just something I thought.
In Oz it is tomato sauce and always runny..

Ketchup...catsup.
Toe-may-toe...to-mah-toe. haha

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I guess I think of catsup as the runnier version (no name brand) versus the thicker Ketchup being Heinz. Just something I thought.
In Oz it is tomato sauce and always runny..

Ketchup...catsup.
Toe-may-toe...to-mah-toe. haha
.

Ketchup...catsup.
Toe-may-toe...to-mah-toe. haha

ha ha actually - My husband said just that the other day, he was slicing a toemahtah for a sandwich and said "Ya know I don't ever think I will say toe-may-toe."
When we first met we ate fast food mexican in SD and I ordered a steak quesadilla. He said a "Case of deer? What is that!"

 

[trishany]

I would just put the bottle of tobasco on the table. This way they know what it is and saves you alot to time.
Catshup (ny version) goes on the table in the bottle too, as well as syrup.
I found that guests don't really like a formal, formal breakfast. They just want to eat and enjoy.
As long as everything is clean, I think you are good to go.

 

[Morticia]

I would just put the bottle of tobasco on the table. This way they know what it is and saves you alot to time.
Catshup (ny version) goes on the table in the bottle too, as well as syrup.
I found that guests don't really like a formal, formal breakfast. They just want to eat and enjoy.
As long as everything is clean, I think you are good to go..

Do you let guests dine in your kitchen, or have access to it while they are in residence? Just curious because there seem to be a lot of pix of the kitchen on bedandbreakfast.com.

 

[trishany]

I would just put the bottle of tobasco on the table. This way they know what it is and saves you alot to time.
Catshup (ny version) goes on the table in the bottle too, as well as syrup.
I found that guests don't really like a formal, formal breakfast. They just want to eat and enjoy.
As long as everything is clean, I think you are good to go..

Do you let guests dine in your kitchen, or have access to it while they are in residence? Just curious because there seem to be a lot of pix of the kitchen on bedandbreakfast.com.
.

No, we have doors into the kitchen that say "private". Most guests respect this, but, of course, a small few come into the kitchen to put wine in the fridge or to get ice.
I never knew bed&brkfst.com had pics of the kitchen! I did submit them, but I didn't know they were up yet. thank you!
can't wait to see them.