Consider the glass

Yes, this glass. What does it make you think of? Paris? Accordions? Edith Piaf? Crusty baguettes borne in bicycle baskets? Black berets and walks along the Seine? Well, of course it does! I mean, this is the quintessential bistro glass. It is, the Duralex Picardie, and it is a joy to behold.

If you recall my post about my restaurant supply store wanderings from the other day, you'll also remember my expressed love of anything that looks like it might hold food or drink in a diner or bistro (somewhat redundant, I know, since a bistro is a French diner).

Anyhoo, I can't tell you how many time over the last decade-plus my eyes passed over the lovely Duralex Picardie (not that I knew it's name, then). In Williams Sonoma, Cost Plus, Sur la Table, heck probably even in Anthropologie (can't swear to that one, but it seems like something they would stock). Each time, my thoughts were along these lines: "Heavens, that's a lovely, classic glass. I really must get some of those sometime."

My interest in these sweet glasses had reached a heightened sense of urgency in Buenos Aires, where the smallest sizes were used liberally in cafes for juice and for the mineral water that always accompanies an espresso. "Sometime" became "very soon." On Saturday, with the heady rush of Saturday's Buffalo china score making me giddy, I decided that "very soon" meant "now!"

I didn't see these lovelies at any of the stores we were in (which surprised me), so I did a Google search for "bistro glasses." I quickly learned my beloved's name...only to discover shortly thereafter that these glasses had been discontinued and were essentially elevated to "collector's status," fetching some pretty (read: high) prices on eBay!

Nooooooooooooo! This is not fair!

I continued to gnash my teeth and Web surf, finally learning that my best bet was to head to my nearest Cost Plus World Market and hope they still had some stock on the shelves. J suggested I call around to the stores in our area, but I hate doing that. No, I would wait a little longer.

Enter Tuesday. At high noon, I don my coat and hat and walk down to the CPWM near Pike Place Market. I enter. I do NOT take a shopping basket (why tempt fate?). I calmly walk to the glassware section. Scanning...scanning...OMG! They have them!

I am now the proud owner of 12 8.75-ounce Duralex Picardie tumblers. I opted not to buy the 12+ ounce and the 17+ ounce specimins, because I find the shape more appealingly curvy in the shorter, smaller glasses.

So now I need to find the 3 oz., the 4.4 oz., the 5.4 oz. and maybe the 7.5 oz. Rumor has it that the orignal Duralex factory has new owner and may start regular production and distribution, so I don't think I'll resort to an eBay auction quite yet. I mean, I've waited this long, haven't I?

Tuesday, March 31
Morning workout: "Beautiful Technique" DVD (flow practice)
Breakfast: 1/2 c. muesli + 6 oz. plain NF yogurt; 12 oz. Americano; 32 oz. water.
Snack: Apple + 10 almonds; 16 oz. water; green tea.
Noon workout: Walk around downtown.
Lunch: 2 oz. pasta (dry weight) with 1 c. veggie/meat sauce; carrots; pea pods; 6 oz. V8; 16 oz. water.
Snack: 1/2 orange; 4 oz. 2% cottage cheese.
Dinner: Green salad w/ oil & vinegar, 4 oz. turkey breast, 3 oz. yellow pepper, 1/4 avocado, 1 oz. walnuts; 16 oz. water.
Evening workout: Power Belly dance class (1 hour); performance class (about 30 minutes of actual dancing).
Snack: Cocoa LaraBar; 16 oz. water; 2 small truffles; 3 hard coffee candies; 5 small pretzels; 1 c. pineapple-ginger juice; green tea.