# Dinner Plates **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648 "2016-05-13T01:27:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucky\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Lucky\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_Mike)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/1 "2016-05-13T01:27:24Z")
Hello Dopers, My wife has a particular issue with food touching on a plate. Nothing catastrophic where she freaks out, but I recognize she does not like it when I put a steak in front of her and and the juices run into her potatoes. I noticed it early on in our relationship but really never said anything and honestly did not think about ( I should have, I know). She never complains, but I see her push her fork against each serving and try and keep a divide. So, over the years I tried to serve her things and keep them separate. Finally, one day I asked her and she said she prefer to have her items separated, especially meat dishes and side dishes, so juices do not run into each other. To her, it just grosses her out. The poor thing must go nuts when she see my plate at Thanksgiving šŸ™‚ So, i tried to divide my plate up a little to, but I am the kinda guy that LOVES to mix food. MMMMMM, gravy, mashed potatoes and stuffingā€¦ any whoā€¦ I am wondering, do any of you know of a very nice dinnerware company that specializes in divided plates? I have looked around and tend to see mostly kids stuff or plastic or tacky stuff. But, what I want to give her for our 20th wedding anniversary is a set of nice divided plates. Not necessarily china, but durable ceramic or some other ware that is both presentable and microwave safe. This way, we can use them for dinner parties and such and she, and any other person who likes to keep their food separate, can eat from one of them and not feel like they are any different. It is just a gift I would like to get her to let her know I care about her and watch and understand the little things she goes through in life, just like all of us. Any ideas, leads? ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/2 "2016-05-13T01:36:47Z")
My mother bought just such a plate for one of my sisters at a restaurant supply store. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/3 "2016-05-13T01:48:50Z")
Maybe something like those used for Japanese ā€œbentoā€ meals - [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento#/media/File:Bento_at_Hanabishi,_Koyasan.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/4 "2016-05-13T02:11:22Z")
[These](http://www.amazon.com/SOLECASA-Floral-Porcelain-Microwave-Safe-Serving/dp/B017P0S5E0/ref=sr_1_79?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1463104753&sr=1-79&keywords=compartment+plates) look okay, and theyā€™re porcelain, but they are kinda small. [These](http://www.amazon.com/Ceramic-Tidbit-Serving-Divided-Plates/dp/B00SVH71K6/ref=sr_1_108?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1463104898&sr=1-108&keywords=compartment+plates) are stoneware. Of course, if you like stainless steel, there are LOTS of options. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/5 "2016-05-13T02:16:13Z")
I poked around Amazon a bit - would something like [this](http://amzn.com/B00COM7T2Y) be acceptable? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/6 "2016-05-13T02:23:10Z")
[This](http://www.corelle.com/livingware-winter-frost-white-10.25in-divided-plate/1050513.html) is similar to that last one; a Corelle divided dinner plate. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/7 "2016-05-13T13:06:18Z")
Etsy has some pretty ones: [Divided Dinner Plate - Etsy UK](https://www.etsy.com/uk/market/divided_dinner_plate) Another selection here [http://www.sectionplate.com/](http://www.sectionplate.com/) Looks like your wife shares her dislike for touching foodstuffs with a good many others. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/8 "2016-05-13T14:01:27Z")
20th wedding anniversary ??? Look around for a local potter ā€¦ you didnā€™t mention money ā€¦ and I agree, sheā€™d be worth every cent youā€™d pay to have custom plates made. Get that VISA card out, she deserves a complete set of new dishes, custom thrown, designed to her satisfaction. The both of you deserve something _really_ special ā€¦ Iā€™m certainly not a shrink, but in my completely uninformed opinion, Iā€™d guess your wife is ā€œon the spectrumā€. Is she picky about the fabric her clothes are made of, have trouble with words that have two definitions, poor eyesight/hearing? Does she have a relative narrow band of interests? The bad news is that sheā€™ll not be able to get SSI, but the good news is that sheā€™s probably very intelligent, youā€™re lucky to have her in your life ā€¦ so get the custom dishes for her alright !!! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/9 "2016-05-13T15:13:18Z")
I, on the other hand, LOVE having the meat juices run into the potatoes. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/10 "2016-05-13T16:13:44Z")
If your wife has a sense of humor, the plates used in many prisons are compartmentalized. You might need to buy a gross, though. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/11 "2016-05-13T17:20:49Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > I, on the other hand, LOVE having the meat juices run into the potatoes. Yum! Ha ha, same here, and my wife is more like the OPā€™s, but not quite as extreme. When I grill steaks I usually let them rest on a plate under foil for 5-10 minutes then put hers on a new plate and I use the resting plate with all the juices šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Lucky\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_Mike)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/12 "2016-05-14T00:14:09Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > Maybe something like those used for Japanese ā€œbentoā€ meals - [link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento#/media/File:Bento_at_Hanabishi,_Koyasan.jpg)? An excellent idea, but I think she wants round plates. But, thank you so much, she may actually like this idea. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Lucky\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_Mike)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/13 "2016-05-14T00:15:53Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > [These](http://www.amazon.com/SOLECASA-Floral-Porcelain-Microwave-Safe-Serving/dp/B017P0S5E0/ref=sr_1_79?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1463104753&sr=1-79&keywords=compartment+plates) look okay, and theyā€™re porcelain, but they are kinda small. > > [These](http://www.amazon.com/Ceramic-Tidbit-Serving-Divided-Plates/dp/B00SVH71K6/ref=sr_1_108?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1463104898&sr=1-108&keywords=compartment+plates) are stoneware. > > Of course, if you like stainless steel, there are LOTS of options. Yes and thank you so much. I looked at those, but they are not a sort of china that is a single divided plate. Thank you all so much for the ideas. I really appreciate the ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Lucky\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_Mike)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/14 "2016-05-14T00:17:13Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Etsy has some pretty ones: [https://www.etsy.com/uk/market/divided\_dinner\_plate](https://www.etsy.com/uk/market/divided_dinner_plate) > > Another selection here [http://www.sectionplate.com/](http://www.sectionplate.com/) > > Looks like your wife shares her dislike for touching foodstuffs with a good many others. OMG this it, thank you so much my friend. The sterling divided grey plate is something she would love. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Lucky\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_Mike)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/15 "2016-05-14T00:18:14Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > I poked around Amazon a bit - would something like [this](http://amzn.com/B00COM7T2Y) be acceptable? I poked on Amazon too and did not find this. Yes it would be. I am not sure if I was using the wrong search terms or something. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Lucky\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_Mike)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/16 "2016-05-14T00:24:52Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > 20th wedding anniversary ??? > > Look around for a local potter ā€¦ you didnā€™t mention money ā€¦ and I agree, sheā€™d be worth every cent youā€™d pay to have custom plates made. Get that VISA card out, she deserves a complete set of new dishes, custom thrown, designed to her satisfaction. > > The both of you deserve something _really_ special ā€¦ > > Iā€™m certainly not a shrink, but in my completely uninformed opinion, Iā€™d guess your wife is ā€œon the spectrumā€. Is she picky about the fabric her clothes are made of, have trouble with words that have two definitions, poor eyesight/hearing? Does she have a relative narrow band of interests? The bad news is that sheā€™ll not be able to get SSI, but the good news is that sheā€™s probably very intelligent, youā€™re lucky to have her in your life ā€¦ so get the custom dishes for her alright !!! Thank you for the idea. I did look for a local crafter but was unable to find a very good one. I think some of the ideas herein are great. No, I do not think she is on the spectrum. Well maybe she is, but she does not worry about any of the other things you mentioned. I have life insurance out the wazoo so I know she will always be cared for, so I am not concerned about SSI. But, in the end, it does not matter to me if she is on some spectrum. It has been the greatest 20 years of my life, she is my best friend and greatest ally. You all were incredibly helpful. I am a little ashamed I could not find these while searching on the internet, but I kept finding crappy stuff. I probably should have just looked more before I asked you all. Thank you very much for taking the extra time to search online better than I. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Lucky\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_Mike)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/17 "2016-05-14T00:27:12Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > If your wife has a sense of humor, the plates used in many prisons are compartmentalized. You might need to buy a gross, though. LOL, I actually work in prisons. I think she wants round ones that look non-institutional. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Lucky\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_Mike)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/18 "2016-05-14T00:34:04Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Etsy has some pretty ones: [https://www.etsy.com/uk/market/divided\_dinner\_plate](https://www.etsy.com/uk/market/divided_dinner_plate) > > Another selection here [http://www.sectionplate.com/](http://www.sectionplate.com/) > > Looks like your wife shares her dislike for touching foodstuffs with a good many others. ā˜¹ That one for the sterling Ohio plate is a single item. Man, that is what I want though. Sterling China in Ohio is out of business though. I am gonna keep looking. You all remain awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Jesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesta)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/19 "2016-05-14T01:07:36Z")
My search on your behalfā€¦ ā€œportion plateā€ > **[Amazon.com: Vertex China ARG-205V Signature Petite Portion Plate with 5-1/2"...](https://www.amazon.com/Vertex-China-ARG-205V-Signature-Porcelain/dp/B00VV95YCI)** > > Buy Vertex China ARG-205V Signature Petite Portion Plate with 5-1/2" Well, 11-1/4", Porcelain White (Pack of 12): Dinner Plates - Amazon.com āœ“ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases [http://www.amazon.com/Prolon-9928-3-Compartment-Melamine-Plate/dp/B008X5XYHU/ref=sr\_1\_135?ie=UTF8&qid=1463187821&sr=8-135&keywords=portion+plate](http://www.amazon.com/Prolon-9928-3-Compartment-Melamine-Plate/dp/B008X5XYHU/ref=sr_1_135?ie=UTF8&qid=1463187821&sr=8-135&keywords=portion+plate) ā€œdivided plateā€ > **[Amazon.com | CORELLE Livingware Winter Frost White 10-1/4" Divided Dinner Plate,...](https://www.amazon.com/Corelle-Livingware-4-Inch-Divided-Winter/dp/B000KZ0HS0)** > > Shop Corelle at the Amazon Dining & Entertaining store. Free Shipping on eligible items. Everyday low prices, save up to 50%. > **[Amazon.com: CAC China COL-46 Porcelain 3 Divided Bowls, 6 by 3-1/2 by...](https://www.amazon.com/CAC-China-COL-46-Porcelain-Divided/dp/B00COM81QC)** > > Amazon.com: CAC China COL-46 Porcelain 3 Divided Bowls, 6 by 3-1/2 by 1-3/4-Inch, Super White, Box of 48 : Home & Kitchen [http://www.amazon.com/Dinnerware-Set-Service-12-Unbreakable/dp/B00B4FKW08/ref=sr\_1\_61?ie=UTF8&qid=1463188026&sr=8-61&keywords=divided+plate](http://www.amazon.com/Dinnerware-Set-Service-12-Unbreakable/dp/B00B4FKW08/ref=sr_1_61?ie=UTF8&qid=1463188026&sr=8-61&keywords=divided+plate) ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648/20 "2016-05-14T01:42:30Z")
It would help to know her style. You could try something like [this](http://www.gingersgoods.com/etsy-items/vtg-buffalo-china-divided-diner-plates-9-12) if you are looking for a set. Also, if you want to be spendy, maybe consider [fiestaware](http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=&_osacat=87&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Xfiesta+divided+plate.TRS0&_nkw=fiesta+divided+plate&_sacat=87) (you could probably make up a set in cobalt or ivory or mix and match colors). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dinner-plates/754648.md?page=2)