The New York herald., 1876-08-22
Thu PRINCE on CATERERS.
A Family Of Gastronomlcsl
Benefactors.
DELMONICO'S NEW RESTAURANT.
Festive Memories Clustering Round
Former Eating PAGES.


labor saving machine. Alexander Dumas always
thought that his achievements as an author were NOT
half so great or commenaable those as cook And
truly ia cooking not high art which, in its own way
contributes as much to the elevation, the refinement
The Measure of man the other noble arts that lu
mine lie with their serene raysY Is the man whs
teaches mankind to cook not as great beneac'or o.
hrs race teaches them science art or ioeryf
For what arc science ART liberty worth TO people
whose physiques been ruined by indigestiole OF
badly cooked ioodY The schools OF cookery now
inauguralcd IN London IN Vienna and In othci
cities show ,ha, the importance of raising phys
icalIy strong and sound race Is at last beginning
TO bc ic In this country tho value of cookery as al
art, as something than mere handmaid OF no.
ccss,y. has been greatly UNDERMINED Whatever ap-
probation we have OF a well prepared dinner Is In
no considerable measure duo to the efforts OF one
famiiy-the Delmonic Ii 1t be true what so many
Of our PHI scans assert that the physical degeneracy
OF American Is largely owing to bad ana III
prepared food and neous diet, then, indeed, the
efforts Of the Dcmcncos have been worthy OF all
praise. For is every good dinner lesson to the
unniatcd teaching him how to save hts constitution
from by The observance OF wholesome rules o.
cookery and diet?
THE ORIGIN DELMosIcos
To trace the origin remarkable family Of CO
Delmoncos are a modest family. They keep no genoa.
logical tree although there why the exact
descent of prince Of should not bo at
least as important as Of some noble line OF
medieval robbers, whose Only receeming feature was
that they perpetracd thoir rcbberies from barontal
castles instead OF the humble dens OF ordinary 4
hichwaymen However the first Demonico
of whom history affords glimpse must
have lived IN the time of Luculus That
great epcurcs chief cook must undoubtedly have had
some of the Delmonico blood in him. 1t was great
pity that his descendants did not take charge OF the
crowned heads OF modern Europe. Poor Frederick
tho Great died from the effects Of 'rch'' pastry.
he had only had of the zephyr creations Of
Delmonico's pastry cooks he would probably have
lived win even battles than he did
PETER DgLaoSIco
Tho first sign Of the Delmonicos In this country wo
have lftyone years ago. IN 1927. In that year John
and Peter Delmonico brothers, opened a confectionery
Nos - and "a William street AS Mr.. l. Delmonico
(from whom The facts Of this sketch dervcd) says,
they could have bccn poor tor after cnlargng the
confectionery INTO restaurant, they soon opened
lodg pg house ut rs Broad (Which they built
and boug ght also farm at Williamsburg Tor the raising
OF produce, Tor which they paid $4,000. Mr.. Del
thinks that unccs worth less thnn
100, 000t when they came TO this country. Thoj
were swiss aud hailed from Bernc. year OF
two before Captain Matt Palmer met John Dcmonlco
in tho lsthmus where he commanded the schooner
Fidelity John had been seafaring man, while Peter
had kept a confectionery in Berne. Their father
in Swltzerland-ostensiby only, for what good
dinners must have been enjoyed at that farmhousel
In ls27 Dcmoncos Is restaurant In William street wax
largest New York lis greatest rival NblO's
chop house. whsh was httc above on William street,
near Liberty. These two places the "swclVt
restaurants New York. dividing the patronage Of all
tho wealthy chants and the leaders Of society. At
that time the iarthest uptown" restaurant below
tie CIiy Hall Park in Mr.. Demonco's- remembrance
Just think ofit-hcrc al Delmonlco's, you tnen paid
only SIX cents for coffee now twenty live: six cents
forC nDv ,Vpnfv fv-Iv "A
cigar fifteen and six cents for the best cigar now
costing thirty. The general "drnK" cost SIX cents
This place carried on eight yeGrs-from 1921
lS35wheu the lire destroyed the two houses which
the Dclmonicos occupied, Don confectionery and
restaurant. Their combined rental was only $1,000
A murder had been committed of houses,
which made II difficult to rent as the Nathan
sion few years ago. No wonder that coffee could
be Il al for cents.
When the nre destroyed their first restaurant In
William street tho Broad street Lodging House was
transformed into a restaurant. This 1ourshcd until
lS45-for ten years-when II was also burned down
Meanwhile the Delmonicos-Mr Lorenzo Delmonico,
a nephew oi John aud Peter, having assumed
the mana gement-had built tho Beaver place,
which cost in the neighbornood OF 1000 ana was
opened in 1851 With this restaurant many festive
associated Here balls and dinners
were gwen by the utra-ashionabe world In tho
Fourteenth street building The Prince do Joinvils
While at Newport given dinner prepared by Dol
inonico and the son OF Louis Philippe must have been
as,onshed at the rapid growth OF French cookery IN
this country Already then the Delmonicos had in
vented tho novel hod OF transporting their dinneu
for hundreds OF miles.
At No. % Broadway they opened Dcmoncos
Hotel IN 1876 THIS covered three lots and Is now the
Stevens House rne rental was $l5,u00 year.
Even then, Sir. Demonico says. the old Astor House
the lar thes uptown eating place in the CITY, But
the rapid upward growth OF the city compelled them
abandon this hotel also, which, during their man.
agemnnt had narbored all the distinguished stranger
OF that day. Jenny Lind lodged there did General
Wlnncid Scott la ter who great gour.
mauu. moved up with tue Dc!monicos to Fourteenth
they opened the latter place, and occupied
Two there for In 1885 The broadway
House, was rented For The first fifteen years
they paid here rental of SIS. 900 . year,
ana subsequently, $4,000, until II was closed
n short time ago. The Fourteenth street reslau-
rant was opened in 1862, ana three years later
the present Broad street restaurant. But still the
upward growth OF the city compcs new changes The
Fourteenth street place, with which SO many
also sacrificed Tho s'nptown movement" and on
tho 9n OF september new restaurant IS 10 take it,
place. The Fourteenth street corner building the
residence Moses H. Crunch Its rental for tho first
years $1,000 year, but IN 1869 MI. Grnncl
year, which II has renamed until now The other
building on Fourteenth street was purchased by Del
monco, costing sll5,ooo
will be In what has been known as the Dodworth
Studio Building 1t Will front nty-six feet Fiitn
avenue 10, feet Twenty street and sxty-one
feet Broadway. The restaurant VIII be the Filth
sde the cdte the broadway side, the space
beng about equally divided between the two. The
entrance on Twcnty.slx,h street viii be for The
halls and dinner parties, for which the two
upper floors M have e"ps eesa soor sss apart The ball,
feet square he furniture OF the restaurant will DO Of
mahogany and OF the caje of ash, IN and with mar
quctIy. On the Fifih avenue side there Is 10 be q
pretty lawn. - feet by IL In the middle OF the restau.
there will be beautiful fountain, aud flowers,
plants and other orrapents will he scattered pro-
fusion to make It, indeed, fit dwelling place, not only
Tor the gourmand but also Tor the lover OF the hcauti-
tut About 100 and IL cooks will DO employed
When the Broadway and Chambers street restaurant
was stl open the number OF the employed was 375,
l5u in Fourteenth street, 20 IN Chambers street, Is in
Beaver and 20 IN Brond street. Another new
Is to be opened shortly Nos ll2 and ia
broadway, next 10 the Equitable Building This is to
take The place of the Chambers street. house. From
SO COO which the fortune with which John
ard Demonco came here is estimated the capi.
tai invested Denoncos Restaurants il nov
estimated 5000 600 Good cookery is not only bons.
fetal, therefore, but also rcmuncrative.
JOYOUS PROSPECT.
Here then, nearly rs-d-ris that other haunt Of The
rourmauG the Gaze Brunswick and fac,nc ,hn Io~.,-