San Francisco Gate: Goodbye bottled water, hello carafes

By Michael Bauer

A new trend seems to be sweeping the restaurant industry: carafes of water. At just about all the new restaurants I've visited lately, waiters automatically put a container of cold water on the table.

At some places, such as Nettie's Crab Shack, the water is filtered and diners can choose between flat and sparkling. At others, including Gitane, the water is simply Hetch Hetchy's finest.

In the last couple of weeks, I've also encountered carafes at Pizzeria Delfina in Pacific Heights, Zare at Fly Trap and Marzano in Oakland, to name a few.

Many top restaurants have stopped pushing bottled water because of the impact on the environment. The alternative is the carafe. Some restaurants who filter the water charge a minimal amount, but at most places, such as Nettie's, it's free.

In addition, placing water on the table saves labor. A staffer doesn't have to continually circulate with water pitchers to fill glasses.

In most cases, diners are happy to pour their own water, and it's interpreted as a nice gesture on the part of the restaurant.

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