Dishware or serverware with active temperature control

A plate, bowl or serving dish, comprising:

• a plate, bowl, or serving dish body having a surface configured to receive and contact one or more amounts of foodstuff thereon;
• and
• a heating or cooling system enclosed in the plate, bowl, or serving dish body with no portion exposed, the heating or cooling system comprising:
• a plurality of heating or cooling elements arranged in a grid including two or more rows and two or more columns, each of the plurality of heating or cooling elements being isolated from another of the plurality of heating or cooling elements and configured to actively heat or cool an associated section of the surface,
• circuitry configured to control the plurality of heating or cooling elements independently of each other to heat or cool their associated sections of the surface, and
• at least one temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the one or more amounts of foodstuff, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the operation of at least one of the plurality of heating or cooling elements based at least in part on the sensed temperature of the one or more amounts of foodstuff to turn on, turn off, increase power to or decrease power to said at least one of the plurality of heating or cooling elements so that the temperature of the one or more amounts of foodstuffs approaches a user selected temperature.