Rolling stock - What's New? - Kitchen island/serving cart - Product/Service Evaluation

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), May, 2003

* When we put together the article "How to Furnish a Perfect Patio" (USA TODAY, March 2003), careful thought went into exactly what furniture, grill and accessories, and storage pieces we would need. Somehow, nobody thought of one basic idea--how to get everything outside. Belatedly, we have come up with the ideal solution, sparing us the necessity of a number of trips back and forth with food, drinks, dishes, glassware, serving pieces, etc.

The Kitchen Island with Stainless Steel Top and Breakfast Bar from Home Styles Furniture, Louisville, Ky., does all that and more. A sleek rolling cart beautifully crafted from natural-finish hardwoods, it has a cylindrical handle that does double duty as a towel and paper towel holder; built-in knife and tool caddy with slots for steak knives, carvers, and serving utensils; a pair of utility drawers for bottle openers, napkins, silverware, and miscellaneous small items; and three cabinets with adjustable shelves that can be used for dishes, glassware, and serving pieces. Its stainless steel surface makes a capacious (43" x 16 1/2") buffet area; can be used to transport salads, vegetables, side dishes, and main courses; can function as a bar; and is impervious to spills. Furthermore, heavy duty casters make the cart easy to roll, yet stay firmly anchored when their locking mechanism is engaged. What if we don't have a patio?, you might ask. In that case, it can serve admirably as a free-standing island for the kitchen that can also perform the above-listed services for the dining room.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

This versatile and attractive rolling cart can be found at mass merchandisers and specialty retailers, as well as in a number of high-end catalogues, for $399.

This symbol * indicates USA Today has tested a product for operating in full compliance with the manufacturer's specification and to determined its performance as applicable to our readers' needs. Disadvantages, if any, also are reported. Although we cannot guarantee a product, we offer the starred designation as a guide to readers.