Post by The Muse on Apr 2, 2011 21:03:09 GMT -5
What is your tavern/Inn/Bar going to serve. If it is central to your story you may want to go so far as to have it be famous for a particular dish or drink.
Here are few ideas which may give you a direction to take the development of your particular establishment.
Foods~
1.Bread- a staple for all taverns. Choose a bread that corresponds to the caliber of the tavern and its clientele. IE..Course bread for a rough or poor tavern. Soft, fragrant, fresh bread for a tavern that is finer and serves the upper eschelons of society. The finer bread would be served with butter to accompany the soup or stew in a fine tavern.
2.Cheese- another staple. In poorer establishments you may choose to offer cheese paired with bread as the main meal. Or as a food that can be purchased to carry on a journey. For the finer taverns, cheese would be paired with fruit and/or wine as a light repast or an appetizer.
3.Stews and soups- if offered in the rough taverns, these are likely to be thin, greasy, or gray. Whatever lumps or chunks of meat will be unidentifiable. Vegetables will be sparse if they exist at all. In finer establishments, Stews will be thick, rich and fragrant with wonderful gravy and exotic spices. Soups will be loaded with fresh vegetables and succulent meats.
4.Small pies- rather like the modern day "Hot pocket", these pies would be half-moon shaped, made by hand. Usually full of savory spiced meat with root vegetables. Also can be found (especially on festive occasions) filled with various fruits. These small pies would be found most often in the better taverns as a "traveling fare". Food could be purchased to be taken on a journey, Bread, cheese and small pies would be highly transportable.
5.Wines-In the Rough/Poor taverns the wine will be thin and sour, non descript vintage. No choice will be offered in variety...only one would be available in such a place. In the upscale establishments both Red and White would be available. If your tavern is going to be central to your story you may want to have your tavern carry a special vintage that is unique to it.
6.Beer/Ale/Mead-In the lesser taverns, again there will be lower quality of these beverages. While Mead is technically a wine, it is often consumed as beer would be. In a finer tavern you will find the higher quality of these libations. You will likely also find a greater variety: Dark beer, Ale, Stout, Mead.
7.Any liquor found in any taverns will generally fall into the poor/excellent catagories based on which establishment they are found in.
A good thing to keep in mind is that there are exceptions to the Rough/Poor rule of thumb. There will be times when a tavern, though rough or poor will offer acceptable fare and will be kept clean as well. These taverns would be run by honest folk who live in less afluent parts of your world. They could become key to your story as well, either by assisting your protagonist or by becoming victims who need to be rescued by your protagonist.
And there will also be times when the fine/rich taverns will be dens of inequity which allow for the incubation of evil behind a mask of civility.
Here are few ideas which may give you a direction to take the development of your particular establishment.
Foods~
1.Bread- a staple for all taverns. Choose a bread that corresponds to the caliber of the tavern and its clientele. IE..Course bread for a rough or poor tavern. Soft, fragrant, fresh bread for a tavern that is finer and serves the upper eschelons of society. The finer bread would be served with butter to accompany the soup or stew in a fine tavern.
2.Cheese- another staple. In poorer establishments you may choose to offer cheese paired with bread as the main meal. Or as a food that can be purchased to carry on a journey. For the finer taverns, cheese would be paired with fruit and/or wine as a light repast or an appetizer.
3.Stews and soups- if offered in the rough taverns, these are likely to be thin, greasy, or gray. Whatever lumps or chunks of meat will be unidentifiable. Vegetables will be sparse if they exist at all. In finer establishments, Stews will be thick, rich and fragrant with wonderful gravy and exotic spices. Soups will be loaded with fresh vegetables and succulent meats.
4.Small pies- rather like the modern day "Hot pocket", these pies would be half-moon shaped, made by hand. Usually full of savory spiced meat with root vegetables. Also can be found (especially on festive occasions) filled with various fruits. These small pies would be found most often in the better taverns as a "traveling fare". Food could be purchased to be taken on a journey, Bread, cheese and small pies would be highly transportable.
5.Wines-In the Rough/Poor taverns the wine will be thin and sour, non descript vintage. No choice will be offered in variety...only one would be available in such a place. In the upscale establishments both Red and White would be available. If your tavern is going to be central to your story you may want to have your tavern carry a special vintage that is unique to it.
6.Beer/Ale/Mead-In the lesser taverns, again there will be lower quality of these beverages. While Mead is technically a wine, it is often consumed as beer would be. In a finer tavern you will find the higher quality of these libations. You will likely also find a greater variety: Dark beer, Ale, Stout, Mead.
7.Any liquor found in any taverns will generally fall into the poor/excellent catagories based on which establishment they are found in.
A good thing to keep in mind is that there are exceptions to the Rough/Poor rule of thumb. There will be times when a tavern, though rough or poor will offer acceptable fare and will be kept clean as well. These taverns would be run by honest folk who live in less afluent parts of your world. They could become key to your story as well, either by assisting your protagonist or by becoming victims who need to be rescued by your protagonist.
And there will also be times when the fine/rich taverns will be dens of inequity which allow for the incubation of evil behind a mask of civility.