Hm, while I agree that serving food in a sink or on a gardening utensil is plain awful, I don't see what's the harm in a slate cheeseboard or using small cutting boards in lieu of plates (e.g. from what I have seen during my visits in Austria, it's common for breakfasts). I also love eating from wooden bowls and my organization loving self sometimes gravitates towards using multiple small vessels for different parts of the meal, even if they are traditionally served together on one plate.
Alinea, Noma, El Bulli et alii have no problems with just/no plates for some of their courses why shouldn't other restaurants try to bring something extra/fun for the guest aside from the food itself?
Of course if proper hygiene is not observed, I see the problem immediately.
