maya_ar
Message:
28413
07 Jul 04 11:28 PM
Reply To:
28406
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As for taverns, I was wondering more along the lines of the nature of what got served. Dive bars for dive areas, of course, but what about diversification in what was served? Coffee & politics? Would there be a distinction between a place you went for an ale and where for ale & food? Would there be such an invention as a cafe - teas and coffee (Coffee does exist in ME) with sweet & savory baked goods and small meals? I guess I'm wondering at how urbane such a setting would be - obviously less so the further out in the provinces you get.
Important cities like Minas Tirith would certainly have inns and taverns which would see much patronage during peacetime (as opposed to the nearly evacuated White City we see in RoTK). We can speculate using real world historical cultures. Based on ancient Egypt, Greece, India, China, Rome: there might be places patronised only by men, and others only by ladies, especially for the nobility. There might also be craft-specific eating/drinking joints - e.g., the weavers or the smiths may patronise certain places, especially if there were guilds or fraternities/sodalities. A "cafe" is slightly unlikely in the modern sense, though a possibility for the higher classes - the economic viability of such specialisation is doubtful for outlets catering to the average citizen. The more sophisticated the clientele of an eating joint, the likelier it is that there would be more refined snack-type items available.
There would be street vendors, certainly, especially close to public gathering places. They might sell hot baked items, seasonal fruits and nuts, sweetmeats and cold drinks in summer. Some might have stalls, others may wander around with carts or baskets.
There might be government or privately sponsored "soup kitchens" - where the poor could receive free meals.
We know that inns for travellers exist - The Prancing Pony for one. And Bree a is relatively less sophisticated town. Its importance increases because of its position on a key travel route. Assuming the King resumes a regular messenger service, there would be posting houses along the route for them, as well as for the use of other travellers on major routes.
Most of these places would evolve in response to the needs of their patrons. Culture would obviously play a large role in determining what exactly their function turned out to be.
cheers,
Maya
