"Stains Don’t Lie" – An Experimental Dinner in the Carpet Cleanery
Hosted within the textured walls of a family-run carpet washery in Allschwil just outside Basel, this edition of “Brought to the Table” was more than a meal. It was a tribute to the art of craftsmanship, a celebration of vegetarian food, and an invitation to forge new social connections. At its heart, it honored the quiet stories that stains carry—those accidental traces of memory, emotion, and use.
The concept of both the food and the table setting was directly inspired by the washery itself. Flowery spring scents, carpet patterns, the rituals of cleaning, and the choreography of washing and drying textiles shaped the visual, tactile, and olfactory identity of the evening. The location wasn’t just a backdrop—it was the source material.
Strangers came together to dine in a space rarely associated with food, gently disrupting familiar routines and social norms. All dishes were vegetarian and, mostly shared communally without individual plates. Experimental cutlery and playful presentation encouraged interaction, turning the act of eating into a tactile and playful ritual—echoing the rhythms of scrubbing, rinsing, and care that define the daily work of the washery.
The menu, grounded in seasonality and sustainability, offered a sensory and conceptual response to the space—inviting reflection, presence, and connection through taste, texture, and scent.
"Brought to the table" are culinary experiences curated by Ana Brankovic in collaboration with food enthusiasts, gastronomy workers and artists. The idiom "Bring to the table" meaning is to contribute something that will benefit others.
