24 matchbooks

Landmark Diner

Atlanta

Growing up, my dad used to bring home Mickey Mouse pancakes from Landmark Diner. That was probably 20 years ago, but I still think about those pancakes when I see this matchbook.

Delilah

West Hollywood

Delilah matchbook opened, five matches each printed with a nude figure seen from behind — Inside

I love the flower on the front and pink, and how it stands out without trying too hard. It reminds me of the no-photos rule of the restaurant and if you flip it open, it gives the energy of the entire restaurant experiencing the food and atmosphere.

Le Pompon

Paris

It is understated. The period is a different color and it's smaller than the rest of the collection but it really is like "period." It's memorable. But what's interesting about this one is I don't remember the dining experience in the same way I remember Delilah's. So maybe that means it's too simple, or the matchbook is unique but the experience wasn't. I'm not sure.

The Red Fox

Boston

This one is interesting to me because the restaurant was cool but I wouldn't say they have a unique brand. It's not a Contessa. But it was a cool experience and the matchbook embodies that. The whole place had nice lighting and it was red, or felt it, and this matchbook reminds me of the experience. Also the place was hard to find. Are foxes hard to find? I don't know. But it's cool branding. If I were a modern, kind of understated, not well known place, this is the vibe I would want.

Le Grand Café

Paris

This place has such incredible branding. I am obsessed with this black bird holding a dish like a waiter. The place gave that vibe too. It was creative but fancy.

Le Colonial

Atlanta

I love Le Colonial's matchbook as a model for other brands. The layout, the branding and the design all work. But what it's designed around is nostalgia for colonial Vietnam, and I think that's uncomfortable and wrong.

Motel Deluxe

New York

This used to be my favorite. I loved the red and the play on words. Then I learned more about the business, and it lost some of its appeal. Funny how the design can stay exactly the same while your opinion of it changes.

Poggio

Sausalito

Row 34

Boston

This one is cool and I love the concept but the pic that was printed looks a little blurry and it took me forever to figure out where it was from. The place is small enough where you wouldn't recognize anything about the brand unless you physically got it yourself (which I didn't, it was gifted to me) or looked for the restaurant name.

Superica

Atlanta

Buck Mason

Multiple locations

This looks like it could be a tag inside one of their shirts. It's simple. I think I found this one on the sidewalk during a long run. That's what is interesting and memorable for me. I never heard of the brand before that.