The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-11-24
GheGntsltigettte':r,I.
CHEAP DINNERS.


A GOOD substantial dinner may be pro.
cured in London from one shilling and
upwards, for almost any amount may be
sInended for a dinner. At the cheapest
kind oi eatinV.houses the cost OF the dill.
isrent items are as follows: A plate OF
beef, mutton, pork or veal, OF excellent
n,Iity twelve cents; bread, two cents;
no,atoes two cents; cabbage, two cents;
green reas and French beans, when in
.s,sou, are four cents per plates; tart or
puldinV, six cents; cheese, two centsa
Tbg, dinner Of meat, bread, two Sorts
Of vegetables, tart and cheese will cost
onIy twenty.eight cents, including the
customary fec Of two cents to the waiter.
A. these places seldom any thing but
pl,in ioiuts and puddings arc served, but
a, SOME Of the larger establishments tho
eads 10 Of more ambitious descrip.
lion, As | write I have q bill OF fare
before me from an establishment whereI
often dine myself, the joints, vegetables
aud pastry being at the above prices, to
Witch are added soups, ox.tail, mock
turtle, or mutton broth, eight cents; soles,
sixteen cents each; salmon and lobster
.auce, twenty.iour cents; roast or boiled
fowl, twenty.cents; roast goose or turkey,
twenty cents; sucking pig, sixteen cents;
.tewei mutton or venison, sixteen cents,
and variety Of similar entrees at the
same prlces. No one, think, can grum'
Die al the above charges, especially when
you take Into consideration that the food
il served in comfortable rooms, well
lighted and that you are attended TO
quickly. Ascending higher in the scale,
il one wishes to 50 in for more elaborate
repast, II he goes to the "Caie de pEu.
rope," in the Hay Market, "St James
Restaurant" "Thc Criterion and a
host OF similar places, he will get a
sumplous dinner OF Eve courses,
served in saloons respondent with
plate.glass and gliding for about
. dollar, exclusive, Of course, Of
vines. Nearly the whole Of the railway
stations are fitted up with reireshment
rooms, where you can get meal at any
time for a moderate price. These are al.
most entirely supplied by Messrs. Spiers
&rOnd, the largest contractors and pur.
veyOrs in London. At the Crystal and
Alexandria Palaces three classes Of din
ARE served. The third class il cold,
and you may have n substantial meal OF
cold meat, pickles and bread for fourteen
cents; in the next class hot meal for
sixty cents, and in the frst.class saloons
dinner for dollar and upwards, Nearly
sill the licensed tayerns also provide
dinners at much the same prices as the
eating houses, as also do the coffee houses,
which are n distinctive feature in Lon
don, and are not 10 be found in anything
like the same proportions in the En-
gsh provincial towns. AT the coffee
houses the meat is often OF an inferior
character, although the same price is
charged for it as at the better class OF
eating houses. A great many working
men dine at the poorest sort OF these
places because they don't care to 80 into
he better class in their working clothes,
and in some cases would be refused Il
they tried to enter. Some months back
Iwent to q table dkOte at French eating
house in back street leading from Ok
ford street. We had an excellent dinner
The dishes being served in Continental
.yle), consisting Of six courses-a pint
bottle Of fairly good claret, a cup OF black
coffee, and fruit by way Of desert, for
how much, do my readers guess? Well,
for the ridiculously small SUN Of thirty
cents for tue whole How they do il for
tue money don't know. These French
people know a thing or two about max
Ing the best Of everything, which we
English and Americans have yet TO learn.
Some otmy readers may say that il l
got such surprisingly cheap dinner how
lsit that have only once dinede there.
Well, 1 will tell you. A little incident
was observed by friend who accom-
panied me while We were there that
'hown the phrase, "cheap and nasty"
cantains somewhat Of truth. AZ
ter dinner was finished, the company,
ofwhom myself and friend were the only
Englishmen, lii their pipes and cigars
over their coffee or Claret. While 90
engaged party Of gentleman entered
another room, and the separating fold
inE'doors being open, We could observe
them, They ordered dinner. My
friend, who sat at tho head OF the table,
had chance OF seeing into the room
IRON where the walters brought the
plates and dishes. He saw waiter take
GpApls,C, observe II attentiyeiy for q
second, seeing probably stain upon It,
heIpiI upon ii, rubbed 1t with napkin,
1ndlhen broug hit it to one Of the newly ar
d'edparty Of diners, who was immedi:
lsy served with soup. Ny friend kind.
!yfetrAined from narrating this incident
lone until had we'll digested the six
'oaI,e banquet, for fear Of disturbing
ayblte; but it Is enough to make one
SS,N'he language OF the celebrated Mrs.
duudy-"Drat them dirty foreign var
mint" This was the cause Of being my
mt and last visit to this six courses,
@tile Of claret and black coffee and des.
a H. ~