These Fancy Little Spoons Are Perfect for Caviar (or Any Food, Really)

The $24 Old King Cole Martini at seafood palace Maison Premiere in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is, to put it mildly, over-the-top. For one, it comes with an intricate tableside service that involves two servers and an antique sterling silver tray. The drink’s base is a golden-hued, saffron-infused Old Raj gin, tempered with dry vermouth and orange bitters. The accoutrements include fruity Castelvetrano olives and an intricately cut lemon peel. And, oh yeah, there’s an optional $12 osetra caviar add-on that’s served with a delicate mother-of-pearl spoon.

Mother-of-pearl — aka nacre, the shiny stuff that lines the innermost layer of many shells — is a non-reactive substance that unlike silver or other metals, won’t impart a nasty flavor by causing the caviar to oxidize. They also look very chic and apparently became popular during the reign of legendary Russian empress Catherine the Great, which more or less tells you everything you need to know about why fancy people love a good mother-of-pearl spoon.

With so much hubbub around this royalty-approved utensil, you, gentle reader, might assume it commands a price akin to that of a Fabergé egg. But not so! Bar director William Elliott orders his on Amazon for $28 per set of six.

“We were looking for a spoon… that had a great texture and also matched the Old King Cole Martini’s level of elegance,” Elliott explained, adding that he’d describe the look as “timelessly elegant.” At just four inches long, they’re also remarkably delicate; several reviews caution buyers not to drop them, lest they shatter. (Such are the perils of posh spoon ownership.)

Here’s another reason to buy a set: Caviar can be expensive, but it’s even more expensive if you order it in a restaurant. Why not pick up a few tins of the good stuff and enjoy it at home? With your own set of caviar spoons, there’ll be nothing holding you back. When friends ask where you bought them, just say they were passed down to you by your Great-Great-Great-Great Aunt Catherine.