Munsrum's Ready Ladle

Munsrum's Ready Ladle was a busy and popular blurdren (food counter with very limited seating) located in Khôltar, south Faerûn circa the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR.

Location
The building that housed Munsrum's was the northern-most construct on the east side of North Way before reaching the east tower of Turthtraal, the duty-house and guard fortress that bracketed Handrornlar (the northern gate through the walls of Khôltar) with twin towers. Munsrum's was separated from the guard tower by an alley that connected to the nameless track that serviced all the catapult towers around the inner wall. Next to Munsrum's, to the south, was Oraundro Nempeth's rope and wire shop and then Harhallo's Warmhearth House. On the blunted prow of the intersection of North Way with Orntathtar Way, roughly southwest of Munsrum's, was Jamrado's Thanetalium.

Structure
Munsrum's Ready Ladle was an old, relatively small tower with broken turrets and other structural problems whose temporary patches appeared to have become permanent. There were additions to the building that didn't match the original style. Food was served through walk-up windows.

Services
The menu at Munsrum's was short and rarely changed, but was available around the clock. There were three entrées, each served in a hardrusk bread bowl (baked with a hard crust, flat bottom, and large cavity): an egg-based dish called mantara was an omelet of cheeses and leafy greens; a salted fish casserole called claevur was made with tubers, greens, and grubs; and thimmer was a gravy-covered hash of pan-fried boar and sausage. A serving of claevur was 2 sp, while mantara and thimmer were 3 sp each.

Unless the customer brought his or her own vessel, all non-bottled drinks at Munsrum's had a 1 cp surcharge for the dented metal cup in which the drink was served. The staff didn't care if the cups were returned, but most people brought it back with them on their next visit to save a copper piece. Hot vauge tea was free. Ale was 4 cp per cup for the house blend of whatever cheap kegs came in from traveling merchants, so the quality varied from poor to adequate. The servers would fill a small tankard for this price, but largers tankards were charged more. Bottled cordials were available for 3 to 6 gp depending on popularity and seasonal availability. These cordials were made of berry juice or fruit juice with a measure of fiery wine and a secret herbal mixture added, allowing the staff to promote them as having beneficial medicinal effects as well as great taste. The least expensive cordial was the yellow-orange muquet, and the most expensive was the dark blue thannaberry.

Atmosphere
This blurdren was popular with all races found in the Iron City. Even some dwarves who could walk a few steps to Taurgaur's Tarjteir and Phlambror's were seen queuing up at Munsrum's windows. This was partially attributed to the good food served quickly for a reasonable price, but it was also because the servers were all good-humored, saucy-tongued women (including three half-elves, a race rarely seen in Khôltar) that bantered with the customers through the windows and gained a broad spectrum of admirers. The kitchen was always brightly lit and noisy with food preparation and chatter among the staff.