If restaurants really wanted to give people their money's worth when big spenders and seekers of provocative vittles order abalone, they should be presented with a fine abalone shell at the end of their meal. Where does all that abalone shell go, anyway? Assuming they are served more or less fresh at many places, what happens to the shell when the happy customer is on her way home?
The abalone shell itself is a highly prized discovery when walking on the beach some cool morning, and makes a great conversation piece for the coffee table. Those who see a more practical value in an abalone shell may use it as a very fancy ashtray, or create a new form of abalone shell spice crusher.