Stabilizing mechanism for dishware set

Abstract

A food and beverage retaining assembly having in combination a serving plate and a removable, stemmed beverage receptacle, wherein the beverage receptacle is mechanically interlocked with the serving plate. The serving plate comprises a post, and the beverage receptacle comprises a post socket, the mating of which provides lateral stability to the beverage receptacle when in an unlocked position.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A food and beverage retaining assembly comprising the combination of:
 a serving plate having a stem socket;   a beverage receptacle having a beverage retaining portion, a stem, and a base having a passageway and a C-shaped annular collar; and   a fitting assembly comprising a first stem securement member configured for engagement with the C-shaped annular collar and a second stem securement member configured for engagement with the stem socket,   wherein the beverage receptacle is releasably joined to the serving plate by the fitting assembly using a mechanical interlock.   
     
     
         2 . A food and beverage retaining assembly comprising the combination of:
 a serving plate having a post disposed inside a collar that has one or more inwardly protruding tabs; and   a beverage receptacle having a beverage retaining portion, a stem, and a base having a post socket and one or more recesses for mating with the one or more tabs;   wherein the beverage receptacle is releasably joined to the serving plate by mating the one or more tabs with the one or more recesses and mating the post to the post socket.